"Chaucer's essay"
What do we learn about the prioress and the monk from Chaucer's "The prologue" to the Canterbury tales?
We learned that both the monk and the nun are culpable of breaking their vows of reverence and privation. They tried to be recognized a certain way, but they will never follow the rules because they are against of what they like to do. They both like the tittles of monk or prioress but do not want to do "what it takes" to be a truthful servant of God.
None of them are authentic and truthful, Chaucer portrays the nun as not being credible with her manners and her bad French, trying to look elegant and sophisticated, she "Can't see a mouse in a tramp" but she has no problem feeding her dogs meat, so her elegy over the trapped mouse is probably, like most of her habits, an appearance: "She had some little dogs, too, that she fed On roasted flesh, or milk and fine white bread." as well the monk has greyhounds that he uses for hunting. “Greyhounds he had, as swift as bird in flight". Owning pets at this time was considered as a extravagance and richness, Both of them should have a life dedicated to serving and sharing with the poor, praying and working in the monastery.
Both are also dressed better than how they should, the prioress dresses gracefully and does not carry rosary beads, she instead wears coral beads which are more expensive and showy. The monk instead of a rosary "He had of good wrought gold a curious pin".
None of them are underfed which