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The Canterbury Tales The Parson's Tale
The Parson's Tale opens with a discussion of ways to reach Jesus Christ, namely Penitence, the acceptance of one's own guilt. Contrition is the crust of a penitent person and is reached six ways. A man must remember his sins, have disdain for his sins, have a fear of hell, remember all the good he must do on this earth while he is alive, remember the sins of Jesus Christ the savior, and finally hope to never sin and accept his glory in heaven. This is contrition, the first half of penitence. The second half of penitence is confession, in which man must confess his sins to Jesus. Confession is the admittance of both venial sins and sins of deed. The Parson then lists the seven deadly sins: Pride (the worst sin of all), Ire, Envy, Sloth, Avarice, Gluttony, and Lechery. Chastity and Abstinence are some remedies for these sins. When all sins are fully described, the Parson concludes his moralistic tale by saying that the fruit of this penitence is redemption in Jesus Christ the savior.
