The+Monk

The Monk


A monk in the Medieval Times was a religious follower/leader of God. They were known to strictly study the Bible and completely dedicate themselves to God. Monks grew more and more common throughout this time period and it came to a point where there could be about 30,000 monks living in one monastery.
 * The Monk: **

Any man can become a monk. Poor or rich, noble or a peasant. Once they join they remain a monk for the rest of their life. A monk lived under strict discipline. He could not own property, could not go beyond the monastery walls and could not receive letters from home. He was also sent to bed early.The Monk is a fat man who is very friendly to be around. He has greyhounds to take care of, he hunts often and rides his horse that he keeps in his stable. He has a shiny bald head and he has grey fur on the cuffs of his sleeves. He has the title of a "monk", however he does not carry out any of a monk's duties.
 * The Monk's Characteristics: **

**Social Standing:** A monk was considered not poor, but not wealthy. Many people respected monks because of their devotion and dedication to God. They lived in the monasteries to study the bible every day. Brief Summary of Canterbury Tales: Canterbury Tales is about pilgrims on a journey to Canterbury. The story shows each of the different pilgrims place in life and what they did in the Medieval Period. It starts with the Knight's stories because he was the most noble and most loved by everyone. The Monk comes into the story towards the middle which shows they were of average importance. In his tale, it talks about how he is religious but cares about hunting, and his pets more. He doesn't listen to anyone and he stands out because of his individual characteristics.

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 * Some reasons people choose to become a Monk: **

Ø __Devote their lives to God__

Ø __Live a life in a secure retreat__

Ø __Escape a violent world__

Ø __To lead a quiet and peaceful life__

Monks lived in monasteries. Each monastery was independent, self-supporting community and monks had no reason to go outside the monastery walls for anything.

Monks didn’t talk during their dinner. Instead they made signals to each other. They only had one meal a day in the winter time and two in the summertime. They also didn’t eat meat except when they got sick or on special days. In the Canterbury Tales the monk breaks the rules. He loves to hunt rabbits which monks are not allowed to do. Monks weren’t allowed ride because they were supposed to study the bible and pray the whole day. In his tale he loves to ride and cares more about his pets and hunting then studying the bible or helping people out. He is not a normal monk.

Chaucer does not like the monk at all because he acts like something he's not. Chaucer describes the Monks as he careless about work and ignorant. The Monk breaks all the rules and doesn't study the bible like all the other monks do. The only thing he really cares about is his hunting and he is overall a selfish person. He doesn't devote all he has to God.
 * Chaucer’s Opinion: **


 * Work Cited: **

Alchin, Linda. "Middle Ages." // Middle Ages //. Web. 08 Oct. 2010. .