One most likely views a monk of only praying, studying and helping the community with manual labor. The Monk in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales is the complete opposite of what a sincere monk should be and do. He is very much a worldly man who dwells on the present. He also ignores the rules of what a monk should be and ultimately controls his life, rather than following God. Many of these characteristics although not being completely blatant are still evident through Chaucer's use of satire and irony.

The monk has no regard for proper monk etiquette. Although he may say he is a monk he breaks almost every rule that he has vowed to follow. Even the first sentence that introduces the monk beings with, " A monk there was, one of finest sort who rode the country; hunting was his sport." He had many horses and greyhounds to...