g was ful symple and coy (4). He pays much attention to her lips and her breasts and later refers to her lips in saying, She leet no morsel from hir lippes falle, and Hir mouth ful small, and thereto softe and reed (5). Her lips were red because of lipstick that was worn in vain. If she were such a pure and simple Prioress she would not have worn the lipstick or any of the other vain, earthly things such as a golden brooch upon her breast and a coral on her arm.The final character, the Friar seems to have held the greatest of Chaucers disgust. This could possibly be so because of all the above-mentioned characters, the Friar was to be the most reverent. Instead, he was the most corrupt. Chaucer uses very subtly sexual words in his depiction of most characters and more so in the telling of the Friar. He is described as a wanton man who was ful wel beloved and famulier with worthy women of the toun (7). Not only does Chaucer depict the Friar as sexually inappropriate, he displays him as being corrupt in the church. For he hadde power of confessioun, as seyd himself Therefore in stede of wepynge and preyeres men moote yeve silver to the povre freres (7). The good Friar kept jewels and pin curls in his satchel to give to pretty girls. Instead of keeping his rosary there and showing his interest to be in achieving the grace of god, he kept small gifts and showed his interest to be in achieving the grace of fair maidens.Chaucer is clear about his feelings toward the Catholic Church through out the General Prologue. He uses specific language and contradiction of statements to convey the corruptness and hypocrisy of the church. While the tales are made for fun and entertainment, they are not without propaganda. As stated earlier, it is rare to find a book that is lacking of the authors opinion on the matter....
