The Friar

The monk is one of the many religious figures in the Canterbury Tales who cheats more than the clergy. Nevertheless, the monk is still regarded with love, because he is very happy and interesting.

A monk is not only a humanitarian disguised woman, but he is also a crooked businessman. He uses his position in the church to get money. He spreads the words that he has the power to forgive sins more than the priest in lines 218-219: "For he had the power of confession, as said himself, more than the curator." He wins great profits from wealthy people, as we see: "He was there to expose him since he wants a good minute" (223-224). He even has the courage not to be associated with the "lower" class, because "with the help of Sake Lazard’s Acquaintance: this is secret honesty, it may be an unsuccessful advance payment" (245-246). The profit he generates is proven because he looked like a "beauty from the press" (265). This moment is emphasized in lines 257-258: "Yet may he have a queen and he went, his buyers were happy, as his rent ..." His purchases far exceed his expected income from begging. The monk should be very poor, perhaps worse than the people he helped, but this monk was healthy and alive.