Comparing Everyman, Dante's Inferno And In The Canterbury Tales
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The Middle Ages were a time of transition. Christianity was manifesting itself and was gaining more and more followers. With the rise of this new faith, Christian beliefs, morals, and teachings began to influence society, politics, and even literature. In the literacy works of Everyman, Dante’s Inferno, and in the Canterbury Tales, we see authors and poets discuss and incorporate sin and sinful actions in their works. In the tale of Everyman, we read of a man living a sinful life. In the beginning, Everyman is approached by Death with a message from God, that his day of judgment is upon him. Everyman must undertake a pilgrimage and stand before God for judgment. Everyman pleads to delay his journey however, Death does not show any mercy to…show more content… He paints a picture of several sinners pilgrimaging their way towards Canterbury to worship Saint Thomas Becket. An example of this is in Squire’s tale. Chaucer reveals that Squire is a vain young man who is a lady’s man, “so hotly loved he that when nighttime came (Page 1854 Line97).” In this tale we see the vain sinners represented. These are the sinners who seek after lust to fill their egos and who are only worried about themselves and their appearance. In another one of the tales, Chaucer describes the story of the character Pardoner. We learn in his prologue that he is a greedy man, “I preach against, and that is avarice. Though I myself am guilty of that sin (Page 1903 Line 142-143).” We learn that the Pardoner would rather take the last penny from a poor woman supporting her starving family before he empties his own pockets. The Pardoner’s character represents the sinners who are guilty of being greedy and doing whatever it takes to get ahead. This theme of different sinners being represented in the different tales of the Canterbury Tales thus proves that Chaucer incorporated sin in his