“The Parson Character and Summary in Canterbury Tales” is very much vivid and clear, he is not a complex character rather he is a simple character, and supposed to be a Chaucer ideal character, perhaps, the ideal is one from the whole “The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales”. The Parson Character, indeed, is a revolt against the monastic characters that have been represented by Chaucer, like, the friar, the monk, the prioress, and the summoner all of them are opposite to him because they are indulged in worldly enjoyment rather than he is doing real practice that the Christ had been told us.
The Parson Character and Summary in Canterbury Tales can feel that he is vacant by worldly wealth but he is rich by holy thoughts. Actually, he is a poor man but he is spiritually rich, his soul is an image of Christ. It is a very common quotation that ‘wealth is property of the rich whereas the knowledge is property of the poor,’ and it can be seen in the shape of the poor parson, he is a learned man, he has studied at university and he is also expert of Gospel. It is very strange to us how is possible higher studies are only important for the poor and the rich are far away from studies. In this, the poor Parson is an exceptional character of Chaucer’s age.
In times of adversity he never ever shows any panic rather he considers it to be the will of God. He seems to statue of the patient and the embodiment of a true saint, he looks like a father. His moral quotations are light in the dark. In his speech, he often says that “If gold rust, what shal iren do?” this means that if a religious person does not act on the ways of God then from the common man, we can not have any expectations he would do well and virtuous in his life, once again he narrates that
” For a preest be foul, on whom we truste, no wonder is a lewedman to ruste, and shame it is, if a prest take keep , a shiten shepherede and clene sheep. Wel oughte a preest ensample for to yive, by his clennesse, how that his sheep solde lyve.”
The Character of the Parson is compatible with knights in many ways because in the world of religion, he saves his parishioners from enemies whereas the knight saves his companions from enemies in the secular world. He is virtuous in the world of ecclesiastical rather he is famous in secular as well as battlefield.
Parson’s character is very much lucid in Canterbury Tales whenever we meet his inner emotions, he meets everyone, either poor or rich, and he never ever leaves in the lurch to any parishioners. He goes on his feet for visiting his parishioners only with his stick in hand. He sets high morals in his life for others so that others may get lessons for them. He usually claims that a priest or clergyman first acts upon the advice then he should advise his parishioners.
So far as, “The Parson Character Summary and in Canterbury Tales” informs us that he is not a greedy character like the friar, the monk, or the pardoner rather he is a very honest man, who never ever runs behind wealth, he does not leave his followers in behind him for the sake of money because he knows very well about his followers may sink in the flood of sins, therefore, he never ever leaves his followers in alone in the hand of destiny. His attention is fixed on his parish as well as his parishioners, he does not try to earn extra money for himself because he has a lot of opportunities to earn money making as a priest or clergyman.
In Chaucer’s time there was a system in the people donated tax in the form of tithes, tithes means is tax which is imposed on the people that have land or earn money from land, they are bound to pay tax on their income that they have earned by his lands. The Parson does not force his followers to pay the tax at the right time rather he himself pays the tax if one could not pay it. Likewise, the friar and the pardoner never threats his parishioners rather he consoles them and aids them with his personal income.
The Parson Character in Canterbury Tales is a symbol of patience, kind heart and religion. His kind-heartedness and patience can be seen in his life, in adversity he shows no sign of being haughty and callousness whenever he deals with sinners he does not adopt the way hard and uncivilized rather he listens to their conversations carefully and heartily, he speaks as honey, his words carry the meaning for sinners whenever they listen to his speech they feel themselves in heaven. On the other hand, if a sinner is stuck to his sin then he rebukes very badly him so that he may leave the sin.
It is very common ground for everyone if a man gets a lot of knowledge he definitely suffers in arrogant, he/she considers above all, but this thing we hardly find out in the poor parson’s character. He does not feel himself or his existence is better than others and he has no pride and prejudice in himself, he considers himself the sin of the house to him. He does not admit, he is purged from sin, he thinks that he has the same sins that have others.
Having read the above discussion, we can say that The Parson Character and Summary in Canterbury Tales informed us of the age of Chaucer, what was going on in that era in religion and church was supreme for the life of the people. The people knew that in the church there was corruption at the peak although they went to church and give taxes and they knew that they had somehow pure person yet.