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Summary and Analysis of The Parson's Tale Essay

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Summary and Analysis of The Parson's Tale (The Canterbury Tales)

Prologue to the Parson's Tale:

When the Manciple's Tale was done, it was then four o'clock. The Host claimed that only one tale remained. The Parson, however, refused to tell a foolish story, for Paul advised against telling false stories. He says that he will tell a virtuous tale in prose.

The Parson's Tale:

There have been many spiritual ways that have led people to Jesus Christ and to the reign of glory. The most prominent of these ways is Penitence. St. Ambrose claims that Penitence is the acceptance of guilt for what a man has done and a pledge to do no more. Perfect Penitence requires contrition of heart, confession of mouth and satisfaction. The root of …show more content…

Sixth, a man should hope to forfeit sin and receive the gift of grace and the glory of heaven. This contrition should be universal. The second part of Penitence is confession, the sign of contrition. Confession is the showing of all sins to a priest. All sins stem from the original sin of Adam, and there are two types, venial sins and sins of deed. The latter occur when a man loves any creature more than Jesus. Venial sins occur when a man loves Jesus Christ less than he ought.

There are seven deadly sins. Pride is the worst of them, for the other sins, Ire, Envy, Sloth, Avarice, Gluttony and Lechery, stem from Pride. Pride can be manifest in many forms, including the wearing of ostentatious clothing. The remedy for Pride is humility, when a man holds himself as not worthy of heaven, despises no other man and cares not what men think of him. Envy is the sorrow in others' fortune and delight in others' pain. The remedy for Envy is love of God first and trust in one's fellow man. After Envy there is Ire, which manifests itself in hate. The remedy against Ire is patience and the acceptance of suffering. Sloth is the anguish of a troubled heart. The remedy for this is fortitude. Avarice is the desire to have earthly things. Avarice can be distinguished from Envy, for Envy is to covet things that one does not have, while Avarice is to keep things that one has without rightful need. The remedy for Avarice is pity. Gluttony is the immeasurable appetite to eat or drink.

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