The examination in which Chaucer refers is based on the original ideas of “what a monk should be,” verse the reality of “what a monk was” during his time. To help establish this comparison it is helpful to learn the history of this vocation, and the basis of becoming and being a monk because there are many differences between monks of today’s age, and the monks of the medieval ages. (Hermann, 75).

Some early monks attempted to write rules to negotiate and rearrange the delicate balance between solitude and community, but in the end the Rule of St. Benedict became the norm (Hermann. 71). This occurred in Italy, where the Benedictine Rule satisfied the need for a fixed code of laws to supplement dependence on the personality of the individual abbot. St. Benedict, who was the abbot of a monastery, wrote these rules for the monasteries in 520 (Abrams, 542). St. Benedict’s set of rules created a new lifestyle for monks. This lifestyle became simpler to follow and allowed for monks to have a greater sense of freedom (Abrams, 542). Benedict’s rewriting of monastic customs allowed monks to enjoy in food, wine, and sleep in sufficient quality and quantity. (Hermann 70) These rules were enacted to simplify the livelihood of a monk’s life so that they would not abandon their vocations. It is only after the installation of Benedictine Rule’s that a monk’s life became slightly simpler (Abrams, 542).

The Benedictine Rule’s of monasticism included the vows of stability, conversion of life, and obedience. Saint Benedict specifically emphasized the vow of stability of place and strongly renounced any type of a desire to travel. This geographical focus was intended to help lead the monk to be able to acquire an intense union with the spirit from secular concerns in order to union with God (Hilpsich 14).

Traditionally monks lived their lives apart from normal secular activities and concerns. This enabled them to easily think about and study the wisdom and knowledge of God because they were free of worldly distractions (Hermann 69). “The asceticism that is involved in the struggle against worldly desires, even those not sinful, such as the desire for property, sexuality, or freedom allowed the monk to focus with a “single-minded devotion” on the contemplation of God” (Hermann 70). The life of solitude that monks lead was believed to be the first step to the understanding of God (Ramanzani, 270). While monks living in solitude were the originators of monasticism, cenobites, monks who live out their solitude within a community of the other monks, became the mainstream (Lawrence). The cenobite monks of the new mainstream monasteries were the first to begin interacting with the world outside the monasteries. These types of monks were able to perform works of service for others, but only in order to further their own spiritual development, and not to serve the world’s needs (Hermann, 70). This is important because it was believed that for a monk to receive even a feeling of “worldly” fulfillment would distract him from his duties and responsibilities toward God (Lawrence,xx).

Chaucer’s monk actively strove to forget or put aside the rules of St. Benedict, which had been introduced because “it was old and too strict.” This is a strange reason for the monk to give for his behavior. This is because since the Gospe

Some topics in this essay:
Geoffrey Chaucer’s, Benedictine Rule, Canterbury Tale’s, St Benedict, Monks Chaucer’s, Benedictine Rules, God Ramanzani, St Benedict’s, Chaucer’s Monks, Monk Phillips, st benedict, hermann 70, life monk, hermann 75, hermann 74, live life, abrams 542, gower 221, benedictine rules, solitude community,