Bad Medicine :: Essays Papers

Bad MedicineBefore the age of telecasting shows, movies, and the Internet people entertained adept another with vibrant and hyperbolize tales. Geoffrey Chaucers, The Canterbury Tales, is a good example of this form of entertainment. The novel details the excursion of a band of pilgrims, who engaged in a storytelling competition, as they operate toward the shrine of Thomas Becket. These Middle Age storytellers varied as some(prenominal) as the stories, and consisted of a knight, physician, monk, and many another(prenominal) more. In the Prologue the medical student is revealed as a con artist who cares more about himself than his patients. The Physician was a checkup doctor, who was responsible for taking care of the ill and disease stricken. No one alive could talk as well as he did / On points of medicine and surgery (Chaucer 30). He was part of the rising middle dissever society and his garments that were lined with taffeta (Chaucer 31) made this assumption apparen t. During the Middle Ages taffeta was a sensible like silk, which was very expensive, so only the wealthy could afford it. To many he seemed to be a productive member of society, but appearances weed be deceiving. People of the medical profession were looked upon with a certain look upon so many patients did not question what was prescribed. The Physician misused his denomination to take advantage of his patients faith. He was revealed as a liar and a cheat. He was a partner with the druggist, to help each other march on their wealth. The reader can draw the appearance of his deceit in the pastime quote, He gave the man his medicine then and there. / All his apothecaries in a tribe / Were ready with the drugs he would prescribe / And each made gold from the others guile / They had been friendly for a goodish sequence (Chaucer 30). Chaucer describes these habits of the physician in order to allow the reader to paint a mental picture of his morals and character. Chaucer also brings the readers attention to the fact that the Physician did not read the Bible very much (31). Chaucer implies that the Physician is a sinner, who did not see an error in his dishonesty. Many analysts believe that Chaucer was nerve-wracking to portray certain qualities through the vivid descriptions of the characters, such as in the following quote describing the physician In blood-red garments, slashed with dingy grey / And lined with taffeta (Chaucer 31).