The Summoner

Geoffery Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales  written in the late fourteenth centuary provides insight to the lifestyle of the Medieval Ages, each tale told by a different pilgrim of different occupations. His “Prologue” gives an insight to the twenty-nine pilgrims that tell their stories while on their way to Canterbury. The focus of this essay tells of the Summoner, who’s job, a servant of the church. His power so great but he did not foreshow much authority. Chaucer’s characterization brings out the true light of The Summoner.  

As hideous be his feelings, so be his appearance also. “His face [is] on fire, like a cherubim” (642) shows his deep anger for the world.  “No quicksilver, lead ointment, tarter cream, no brimstone, [or] no boracic” (647-648) tells that The Summoner be a poor fellow. “Garlic he loved, onions too, and leeks, and drinking strong wine till all was hazy” (652-653) tells that he cares not about his hygiene, but also that he be a drunk. He also announces that the community shall not be afraid of him, but how could they nott by just looking at the “pimples sitting on his cheeks” (675).

“Then he would shout and jabber as if [he were] crazy (654)  levers whomever reads this line to the distinction that The Summoner be a drunken man. “He was a noble varlet and a kind one” (665) creates the fact that The Summoner tries to get the community to like him, so that he can trick them into getting him wine. “But well I know [that] he lied in what he said” (667) reveals that the sentences before where he portrays being “noble” reveals not true at all, instead they put an awe for what shall come.

“Why, he’d allow-just for a quart of wine-any good lad to keep a concubine” (667-668). In spite of his position in the church, greed played a key part in The Summoners actions. “He knew their secrets, they did what he said” (683). His capability to blackmail hold strong in what the community thought of the fellow. Especially for the young of the church, for he knew all their secrets and he could make them do anything he wished. “For in [the sinners] purse the punishment should be” (675). The Summoner would gladly accept a bribe, and that brings out the greed in him even stronger.

Through physical description, personality traits, and sociability, Chaucer tells much about each character in The Canterbury Tales. The Summoner becomes a real, live human being and not just a character in the story. The Summoner reveals much about the social classes in the Middle Ages.