Please read the text below from the Prologue of the Canterbury Tales
There was a Summoner with us at that Inn,
His face on fire, like a cherubin,
For he had carbuncles. His eyes were narrow,
He was as hot and lecherous as a sparrow.
Black scabby brows he had, and a thin beard.
Children were afraid when he appeared.
No quicksilver, lead ointment, tartar creams,
No brimstone, no boracic, so it seems,
Could make a salve that had the power to bite,
Clean up or cure his whelks of knobby white
Or purge the pimples sitting on his cheeks.
Garlic he loved, and onions too, and leeks,
And drinking strong red wine till all was hazy.
Then he would shout and jabber as if crazy,
And wouldn’t speak a word except in Latin
When he was drunk, such tags as he was pat in;
He only had a few, say two or three,
hat he had mugged up out of some decree;
No wonder, for he heard them every day.
decree: formal and authoritative order
And, as you know, a man can teach a jay
To call out “Walter” better than the Pope.
But had you tried to test his wits and grope
For more, you’d have found nothing in the bag.
Then “Questio quid juris” was his tag.
He was a noble varlet and a kind one,
You’d meet none better if you went to find one.
Why, he’d allow—just for a quart of wine—
Any good lad to keep a concubine
A twelve month and dispense him altogether!
And he had finches of his own to feather:
And if he found some rascal with a maid
He would instruct him not to be afraid
In such a case of the Archdeacon’s curse
(Unless the rascal’s soul were in his purse)
For in his purse the punishment should be.
“Purse is the good Archdeacon’s Hell,” said he.
But well I know he lied in what he said;
A curse should put a guilty man in dread,
For curses kill, as shriving brings, salvation.
We should beware of excommunication.
Thus, as he pleased, the man could bring duress
On any young fellow in the diocese.
He knew their secrets, they did what he said.
He wore a garland set upon his head
Large as the holly-bush upon a stake
Outside an ale-house, and he had a cake,
A round one, which it was his joke to wield
As if it were intended for a shield.
Using the text above, answer the following questions.
What line DOES NOT show the author's attitude towards the Summoner?
Black scabby brows he had, and a thin beard./ Children were afraid when he appeared.
No quicksilver, lead ointment, tartar creams,/ No brimstone, no boracic, so it seems,
But well I know he lied in what he said;/ A curse should put a guilty man in dread,
On any young fellow in the diocese./ He knew their secrets, they did what he said.
Based on your answer above, does Chaucer think the Summoner is trustworthy?
Yes, the Summoner is trustworthy.
No, the Summoner is not trustworthy.
The line "Black scabby brows he had, and a thin beard./ Children were afraid when he appeared" does not show the author's attitude towards the Summoner.
Based on the given text, Chaucer does not think the Summoner is trustworthy. Several lines in the passage depict the Summoner as immoral, manipulative, and deceitful. For example, Chaucer mentions that the Summoner would allow a young man to keep a concubine for a year in exchange for a quart of wine. Chaucer also states that the Summoner knew the secrets of the young fellows in the diocese and used this knowledge to exert control over them. Additionally, Chaucer remarks that the Summoner lied, suggesting a lack of trustworthiness.
The line that does not show the author's attitude towards the Summoner is "Black scabby brows he had, and a thin beard./ Children were afraid when he appeared." It is a description of the Summoner's appearance and the effect it had on children, but it does not indicate the author's attitude towards him.
Based on the text, Chaucer does not think the Summoner is trustworthy. Chaucer mentions that the Summoner lies and uses his knowledge of people's secrets to manipulate them.
The line that does not show the author's attitude towards the Summoner is "No quicksilver, lead ointment, tartar creams, No brimstone, no boracic, so it seems.". This line simply describes the ineffectiveness of various remedies on the Summoner's skin condition and does not reveal the author's opinion of him.
Based on the text, Chaucer does not think the Summoner is trustworthy. The description of the Summoner includes negative characteristics such as being lecherous, hot-tempered, and dishonest. Chaucer also mentions the Summoner's ability to bring "duress" on young fellows in the diocese by knowing their secrets and making them do what he says. These details indicate a lack of trustworthiness and suggest that the Summoner abuses his power.