So, Geoffrey Chaucer (probably) never completed The Canterbury Tales, but he did finish enough of it that we get a pretty decent picture of each of his characters. All of the clergy members, except one, were conniving, deceitful, greedy, and manipulative. They took bribes, passed trash off as "holy relics," and lusted after women. My college professor posed this question to the class:
"How did Chaucer, in a time where the Roman Catholic Church ruled all and carried out both laws and sentencing, avoid prosecution for portraying the church and clergy so negatively?"
Some discussion was made between her and my classmates, and I just kinda sat there, hoping someone would answer this foolish question. The general agreement in the class was that too many people really enjoyed The Canterbury Tales and there would be an uproar if the church persecuted him. Also, (and this was the answer given by my teacher), he was just so clever in the way he wrote things and somehow that prevented any backlash the church could dish out.
I just kinda sat there, amazed that everyone was being so...dim.
I will tell you the real answer.
Chaucer lived in the mid to late 1300's. He died without having completed the book. How many people do you know that would publish an uncompleted work? TCT were published after he had already died. Not only that, but barely anyone knew how to read back then AND the printing press hadn't been invented yet. So not only would he not have published it, being unfinished and all, but he could not publish it anyway. THAT is how he avoided prosecution. *sigh*
I like how you use "probably" lol. :) I can't really comment about the Canturbury Tales though. As I am not but barely familiar with them.
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