Canterbury Tales Morality Quotes

With hym ther rood a gentil Pardoner
Of Rouncivale, his freend and his compeer,
That streight was comen fro the court of Rome.
Ful loude he soong "Com hider, love, to me!"
This Somonour bar to hym a stif burdoun;
Was nevere trompe of half so greet a soun.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, General Prologue. When we are first introduced to the Pardoner, the Church representative has come straight from the court of Rome and is singing a bawdy song about lustful love, "Come hither, love, to me." His friend and companion the corrupt Summoner is harmonizing with him in a strong bass. There was no trumpet half as loud, we are told. This passage gives a hint at the shameless immorality of the Pardoner, which we will learn about later on.

In hire is heigh beautee, withoute pride,
Yowthe, withoute grenehede or folye;
To alle hire werkes vertu is hir gyde;
Humblesse hath slayn in hire al tirannye.
She is mirour of alle curteisye;
Hir herte is verray chambre of hoolynesse,
Hir hand, ministre of fredam for almesse.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Man of Law’s Tale. Visiting Syrian merchants hear the Emperor of Rome’s daughter Constance is the ideal woman. She is the epitome of beauty, goodness and innocence. As well as having great beauty, she is humble, virtuous in all her deeds, the mirror of all courtesy, her heart is a true chamber of holiness, and her hand a minister of generosity in giving alms. So it is not surprising that the Muslim Sultan of Syria falls for her when he learns of her.

"But God woot," quod this senatour also,
"So vertuous a lyvere in my lyf
Ne saugh I nevere as she, ne herde of mo,
Of worldly wommen, mayde, ne of wyf.
I dar wel seyn hir hadde levere a knyf
Thurghout hir brest, than ben a womman wikke;
There is no man koude brynge hire to that prikke."

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Man of Law’s Tale. The Senator who picked up Constance at sea and not knowing who she was brought her home to Rome sings the praises of her goodness. He has never seen so virtuous a woman in his life. She would rather be stabbed through the breast than be a wicked woman, no man could bring her to that point.

Of fyve husbondes scoleiyng am I.
Welcome the sixte, whan that evere he shal.
For sothe, I wol nat kepe me chaast in al.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath’s Prologue. Setting out her education record, the Wife of Bath’s says that she has five husbands’ schooling! And she welcomes the sixth, whenever he may appear. Does that amount to a Doctorate in Marital Affairs? In the Wife’s world of sexual morality, keeping chase (abstaining from sex) is not an option for her.

Whan myn housbonde is fro the world ygon,
Som Cristen man shal wedde me anon.
For thanne th’ apostle seith that I am free
To wedde, a Goddes half, where it liketh me.
He seith that to be wedded is no synne;
Bet is to be wedded than to brynne.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath’s Prologue. In her argument for the right to another Christian man when husband number five dies, the Wife of Bath cites the Bible and Saint Paul. In 1 Corinthians 7:9, he says: "Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am. But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion." We don’t think Paul would agree with her interpretation of his views on sexual morality.

Now herkneth hou I baar me proprely,
Ye wise wyves, that kan understonde.
Thus shulde ye speke and bere hem wrong on honde,
For half so boldely kan ther no man
Swere and lyen, as a womman kan.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath’s Prologue. Calling on wives to listen to her carefully, Alison suggests that they use manipulation and aggression to get their own way with husbands and show that they are in charge. Women are better at lying and swearing than men, and they should accuse husbands wrongfully and put them in their place. The Wife of Bath has to be one of the most immoral characters in The Canterbury Tales.

Under that colour hadde I many a myrthe.
For al swich wit is yeven us in oure byrthe;
Deceite, wepyng, spynnyng God hath yive
To wommen kyndely, whil that they may lyve.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath’s Prologue. Enjoying great fun from pretending to be jealous of her husbands, the Wife of Bath says that women are gifted from birth with skills in deceit, weeping and spinning. These come naturally to them their whole lives. Honesty and truth don’t seem to rank very high in the Wife’s moral code.

"Now certes," quod this Somonour, "so fare I.
I spare nat to taken, God it woot,
But if it be to hevy or to hoot.
What I may gete in conseil prively,
No maner conscience of that have I.
Nere myn extorcioun, I myghte nat lyven."

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Friar’s Tale. The Summoner admits to the Yeoman (Devil in disguise) that he too lives by extortion, in his case stealing the money that he collects from peasants. The collections he makes he doesn’t give to his archdeacon but keeps for himself. He doesn’t tell those he takes the money from that it goes straight into his pocket, and not to the church. And he has no pangs of conscience about it, this greedy church official boasts, for were it not for his extortion he could not live.
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