Opcracy In The Friar's Tale

The ecclesiastical court was run by the church here citizens had to repent for the major church laws that they had broken (Alford, Mark). Some of the laws that people were summoned for are not tithing, adultery, telling a lie, etc (Alford, Mark). The Summoner should be a holy person who never breaks any of these laws, but from Chaucer’s description of this Summoner he breaks at least one of these laws on a regular basis (Chaucer, Geoffrey). Chaucer does this to show what the church is turning into. He is trying to warn the people that the leaders of the church are against each other and corrupt.

Even though English society was hierarchical, it was easy to move up or down from one generation to the next. Most people got their status from birth and land ownership. England changed a lot during the 16th century. There were several internal changes in England which affected England’s class system. The respect for the middle class grew and the Gentry class grew.

In the English colonies there were six social classes. From the richest to the poorest, these were the gentry, the middle Class, poor whites, indentured servants, free africans and slaves. The people that made up these classes ranged from the most powerful to those with the least amount of rights, if any.

The meaning of colors and materials were the main rules set by the Sumptuary laws. Elizabethan England was divided into three social classes. The upper class included the monarch, nobility,

Social life in the Middle Ages was heavily influenced by the feudal system. The King was at the top of the society then the nobles, knights, and peasants/serfs. The King, nobles, and knights talk to each other the serfs/peasants are all by themselves (Doc. 1). If you were born as a serf, you would be a serf for the rest of your life. The kings controlled the land. The nobles were the assistants for the kings. The knights protected the nobles and the kings, and the serfs were farmers (Doc. 1). Another influence on the social lives of people was the Church. In a time of great political chaos, the Roman Catholic Church was the single, largest unifying structure in medieval Europe

Poverty: “ For in his purse the punishment should be.” (chaucer line 675) Here I read that he is telling us for the right price you can get out of trouble with the summoner. “ You would meet none better if you went to find one. Why he’d allow just for a quart of wine.” (chaucer 666-667) Chaucer is saying here that even for some wine the Summoner would let you off easy for missing church or a church crime you commited.

     To be in the highest class, one had to be born into it. This four percent of the population was known as the Noble class. The class was broken into two estates: the first estate and the second estate. They were the hierarchy of the church and well respected church officials. The second estate made up the other three percent and included the Royal family and other wealthy families that had inherited most of their income (Lough 98-105). Although these were the richest people in the country, they were

There were three estates in the medieval European times, the first estate, the second estate, and the third estate. The first estate contained of church leaders and kings, basically people with a high status. The second estate contained of the knights, the people who protected the land under the kings and church leaders. Below all was the third estate which contained of the peasants, the lowest working class. This is similar to modern days but the first estate would be CEOs and political leaders, the second estate would be the average working middle class, and the third estate would be the poor people with low jobs.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, there was no main dominating force in Europe to enforce laws and protection for the people. The Middle Ages had begun and without the Romans, life became centered around survival. The destabilization caused rates of illiteracy, disease, and deaths to rise dramatically and to remedy the average peasants worry, the feudalism system flourished and required work in exchange for the safety of manors. Yet while there was not a overlooking empire to look towards for authority, the Catholic Church served its role to bring all classes together (Document 6). The Middle Ages will be ultimately known as an age of faith because of the prevalence of violence, power of religion, and the Catholic Church’s preservation of knowledge.

In the middle ages, the church had complete power over the peasants. They had the peasants’ farm land for them and even pay taxes. The church influenced peasants to pay tithes, otherwise known as taxes, by threatening them. The church convinced the peasants that if they did not pay taxes then their souls would go to Hell in the afterlife. The poor had to pay ten percent of their earnings to the vastly rich church every year. All of the peasants are too scared to stand against the church

This was made up of gentry and merchants. www.sites.google.com says “Gentry, this is for knights, gentlemen, gentlewomen, squires of the kingdom.” To be in the group of gentry, you had to be wealthy. Often times they would own large properties to get money because they weren’t born into the class of gentry. This group grew bigger throughout the Elizabethan era and eventually became one of the main backbones for England.

Although all classes in the medieval time

Social classes play a major role in society and shape the roles of the people. Since the Elizabethan period began, the social classes were well structured with many influences, such as prestige or wealth. Many citizens found ways to elevate their status and become more successful citizens in the public. The social class structure in the Elizabethan Era was thought to be strict and very well organized, yet still had many opportunities and flaws which lead to changes in citizens’ lives.

Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales was written during a time of societal change, away from the stability of feudalism and towards an individualistic, mercantile economy. Feudalism consisted of a static, rural economy where every member had a duty to serve those above them. They valued the greater good and were not focused on gaining economically for their own personal benefit. An era of change, however, began as events such as the Crusades opened up trading opportunities which would eventually cause a shift in England, as the economy went from being land-based to money-based. A mercantile class was on the rise as well as capitalism. People were no longer driven to work by a sense of personal duty for the common good, but rather for their own social and economic gain. Corruption of the Church during this time as well increased, as church members were affected negatively by this changing economy. Many were driven by greed as well and took on immoral approaches towards their church positions. Vows and church teachings were disregarded as indulgences and materialism became the main focus of many in the clergy. Through his satirical portrayal of his characters in Canterbury Tales, Chaucer explores issues such as the changing economy and corruption of the church in order to expose and criticize the wrongdoings and values of his shifting society caused by the end of feudalism during this time.

As industry was booming, the mass immigration into the cities proved to be hurtful for some parishes that did not have the space to hold many parishioners. Money from the upper class, however, erected new churches and places of worship, large enough and accommodating for most, but now discriminatory against the lower class. Religious leaders thought that lucrative churches would solve the economic problems of the time, but all it really did is widen the gap between social classes even more.[4] Religion was no longer about faith, but rather it became a business, aiding to the rich, taking from the poor. Karl Marx saw a need for equality without religious interference, and he expressed it in the Communist Manifesto, stating, “Society could no longer live under this bourgeois.”[5]