The Medieval Concept of "Evil"
Featuring: "The Canterbury Tales" by Chaucer
After the Anglo-Saxon Period...
...human reasoning led people to believe that there was no such thing as evil incarnates in the form of a monster, such as Beowulf's Grendel, but rather that evil existed alongside good within humans themselves.
The Seven Deadly Sins
There are many examples of evil shown throughout the morals and actions within The Canterbury Tales. One easy way to associate such subtle concepts is through something more well known: The seven deadly sins. Below are three examples that display a few of these evils.
Greed
Throughout the tales, Chaucer puts an emphasis on the effects of greed. It is an undesirable trait to bear, and often becomes the source of evil doings, such as the murders in the Pardoner's tale.
Lust
The Wife of Bath, although not seen as a "bad" person, is undeniably lustful. This desire can lead to evil deeds, such as the suspected murders of her five husbands.
Gluttony
The Monk is known for his gluttony. He enjoys fine items and food, and there is no doubt that these mannerisms effect his religious duty. Gluttony can change the way someone acts, and can lead to selfish, evil thoughts and actions.
Chaucer's Pilgrims: Examples of Evil
There are some pilgrims specifically seen throughout the tales that have simply evil motives, such as those listed below.
The Pardoner
Selfish and Greedy, the pardoner complains about the sins of the world; all the while committing such deeds himself. An example of such an action is that he tried to convince other pilgrims to buy false pardons (for the sake of making money, of course).
The Friar
Very selfish and immoral, he often seduces young women before marrying them off. He cares more about his personal gain than the people that he should be taking care of.
The Miller
He comes off as a very rude, rowdy individual. He undeniably ridicules other pilgrims throughout the journey.
The Physician
The physician is very fond of the money he makes, often falsely prescribing medicine to his patients in order to gain wealth.
In Conclusion
It is obvious to see the faces of evil displayed throughout The Canterbury Tales. Although much more subtle than the grotesque monsters of times before the Medieval period, these newly introduced concepts made much more sense, and were a step towards where our beliefs settle today.
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