THE TALES: SUMMARIES AND NOTES

The ParsonÂ’s Tale: Prologue

Summary

By the time the MancipleÂ’s tale had ended it was already afternoon and the pilgrims were entering a village. The Host then calls upon the Parson to tell a lively story since he was the only person left who hadnÂ’t told a tale. But the Parson tartly replies that the Host wouldnÂ’t get any stories out of him since St. Paul reproved of romances, fables and similar ideas. He could only provide them with a moral and edifying homily. He also says that he canÂ’t rhyme and alliterate and would tell a pleasing thing in prose and promises that he will guide them on their glorious pilgrimage to the Celestial City of Jerusalem. The pilgrims agree to hear the Parson and the Host bids him to hurry up with his homily since the sun would soon set.

The ParsonÂ’s Tale

Summary

The ParsonÂ’s Tale starts by defining (as the Parson had promised in the Prologue to his tale) "the right way to Jerusalem the Celestial". The Parson states that God is loving and merciful and does not wish the damnation of any man. The proper way to gain admittance into the celestial city is by contrition or repentance for oneÂ’s sins and a determination to lead a good life. The first cause of contrition is the sorrowful remembrance of oneÂ’s sins. The Parson adds later in the tale that another cause of contrition is the sorrowful remembrance of the good that one has left undone on earth. The Pardoner then launches into a long sermon about the Seven Deadly Sins of Pride, Envy, Anger, Sloth, Avarice, Gluttony, and Lechery. The Parson says that repentance for oneÂ’s sins may be made through voluntary confessions and also by giving charity and fasting. The Parson ends his tale with a reminder that no matter how long a person has lived his life in sin the mercy of God is always ready to receive him. Thus a sinner can attain salvation and divine bliss through the love and grace of God.

Notes

The Parson’s Tale is the longest one in the poem. It is written in prose. In fact it isn’t a tale but a sermon on penance and a long treatise on the seven deadly sins. It is far from a pleasing thing that the Parson promised in his Prologue. The repentance theme is taken up again by Chaucer’s ‘Retracciouns’. The source for the Parson’s tale is attributed to two thirteenth century religious tracts namely: 1) De Poenitentia by Raymond de Pennaforte, and 2) Summa de Vitiis by Guilielmus Peraldus.

The ParsonÂ’s Tale is in contrast with all the tales. It is a treatise on sin and repentance and shows the pilgrims the right way or the true pilgrimage. It is thus a suitable ending for the book. It provides the reader with a vision of the celestial city of Jerusalem and examines human experience in its entirety. The underlying moral of the tale is that self-awareness is a pre-requisite for the way to salvation.

Critics have argued that Chaucer designed the entire structure of The Canterbury Tales in order to illustrate the ParsonÂ’s theme of the Seven Deadly Sins. Hence The ParsonÂ’s Tale can be seen as providing a serious comment on what has gone before.

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