|
Summary and Analysis of The Parson's Tale
Fragment X Prologue to the Parson's Tale: When the Manciple's Tale was done, it was then four o'clock. The Host claimed that only one tale remained. The Parson, however, refused to tell a foolish story, for Paul advised against telling false stories. He says that he will tell a virtuous tale in prose. The Parson's Tale: There have been many spiritual ways that have led people to Jesus Christ and to the reign of glory. The most prominent of these ways is Penitence. St. Ambrose claims that Penitence is the acceptance of guilt for what a man has done and a pledge to do no more. Perfect Penitence requires contrition of heart, confession of mouth and satisfaction. The root of these is contrition that lives in the heart of he who is repentant. From this comes confession and satisfaction. There are six causes that should move a man to contrition. First a man shall remember his sins. Second, a man should have disdain for his sins. Third, a man should have a dread of doom and a fear of hell. Fourth, a man should remember the good he has left to do on earth. Fifth, a man should remember the suffering of Jesus Christ for our sins. Sixth, a man should hope to forfeit sin and receive the gift of grace and the glory of heaven. This contrition should be universal. The second part of Penitence is confession, the sign of contrition. Confession is the showing of all sins to a priest. All sins stem from the original sin of Adam, and there are two types, venial sins and sins of deed. The latter occur when a man loves any creature more than Jesus. Venial sins occur when a man loves Jesus Christ less than he ought. There are seven deadly sins. Pride is the worst of them, for the other sins, Ire, Envy, Sloth, Avarice, Gluttony and Lechery, stem from Pride. Pride can be manifest in many forms, including the wearing of ostentatious clothing. The remedy for Pride is humility, when a man holds himself as not worthy of heaven, despises no other man and cares not what men think of him. Envy is the sorrow in others' fortune and delight in others' pain. The remedy for Envy is love of God first and trust in one's fellow man. After Envy there is Ire, which manifests itself in hate. The remedy against Ire is patience and the acceptance of suffering. Sloth is the anguish of a troubled heart. The remedy for this is fortitude. Avarice is the desire to have earthly things. Avarice can be distinguished from Envy, for Envy is to covet things that one does not have, while Avarice is to keep things that one has without rightful need. The remedy for Avarice is pity. Gluttony is the immeasurable appetite to eat or drink. This sin has many types, including drunkenness. Abstinence is the cure for gluttony. Lechery includes all sins related to sex, and was so despised by God that the laws against it were quite harsh. The remedy for Lechery is chastity. Even in marriage men and women should remain modest with one another. There are a number of conditions to penitence, including the intensity of the sin committed, the haste to contrition and the number of times the sin was committed. The fruit of this penitence is goodness and redemption in Christ. AnalysisThe Parson's Tale is not a tale at all. It is a dissertation on sin in essay form, dealing with the three parts of redemption: contrition, confession, and satisfaction. The tale is the longest of the Canterbury Tales but is most likely the least significant. It has none of the structural narrative pleasures of the other tales, nor the aesthetic qualities that the poetic form that most of the tales offer. Its inclusion is as a summation of the Canterbury Tales, an attempt to place it in a more religious context that might mitigate the more base entertainment of the fabliaux and adventure tales. As religious doctrine, the Parson's Tale adheres relatively faithfully to Christian principles. Nothing in the content of the Parson's Tale appears novel, for the structure of the tale is such that it becomes essentially a compendium of definitions and examples.
ClassicNote on The Canterbury Tales
|
