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What is the role of the Nun's Priest in The Canterbury Tales?
Quick answer:
The Nun’s Priest tells a tale of a rooster and hen that are in love. The hen is suspicious of her lover’s frequent absences, and so she sends him to his death by telling him that he has been too long away from her. The story is about the power of temptation and how it can lead one to do things that they normally would not do.
The role of the nun's priest (there are three priests that ride with a nun who is not mentioned any further) is to tell the story of Chanticleer, the rooster. The priest is asked to tell a light, humorous story after the Monk's long and grim litany of stories about people who fell from glory. The priest cheerfully complies with his tale of Chanticleer who almost is killed by a wily fox who flatters Chanticleer. Chanticleer is able to save himself by using the same tactic on the fox - he tells the fox to simply tell the other barnyard creatures that they aren't as swift as he is and they should give up their chase. After the story, the host praises the priest for his story and compliments him on his muscular, fit build. The irony here is that the priest told a story about the perils of flattery and then is flattered by the host.
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