Friar

By: Natalie Eckert!

Words/People to Know

• Summoner: (another pilgrim) Officials who would would appoint and usher workers

• Yeoman: Minor landowner of lesser importance than the summoner

• Bailiff: Sheriff; the manorial leader of the county; leader of a hundred

• Satanas: Satan, the devil

Background/Prologue

• The Friar believed that summoners were corrupto In the prologue, the Friar is inturrupted by a

summoner

• "Tell forth your tale and let the summoner be.'/'Nay,' said the summoner, 'let him say to me/What pleases him; when it falls to my lot,/By God I'll then repay him, every jot."

The Story

• Summoner and yeoman meet one day

• Summoner lies to say he is a bailiff, so the yeoman does the same--"Oath of brotherhood"

• They discuss their "profession" and discussion develops into the unraveling of who the yeoman truly is

The Story cont.

• Bailiff is possessed by a demon, and the summoner merely wonders how he is so human

• Proceed to talk about God and the power of cursing and the Devil's powers

• The carter walks by and curses his horse

• Devil gives another real example of what the summoner can do to see his true power

• As an actual summoner, he charges an old woman for little crimes that didn't actually happen 

• Old woman's curse and Summoner is taken to Hell

The Theme• Ever-present relationship of Friar and Summoner: Bailiffs seen as

demons or easily possessed because of the temptation of greedo "Where summoners have their rightful heritage"o "And pray that alll these summoners repent/Of their misdeeds,

before the Fiend torment."

• Attain salvation is the ultimate goal, but those that may know about it, can choose to ignore it

• Turn away from Satan and his temptationso "And so reject the tempter Sathanas./Hearken this word, be

warned by this one case"

• Christ is the Savior and if repentance is true, through grace there is graceo "For Christ will be your champion and knight"