lling through his illicit flirtations with and propositioning of the married Alisoun. Chaucer uses Absolon to highlight the hypocritical nature of the church. Absolon through his advances to a married woman not only denigrates his office within the church, but, in the eyes of the Bible, also commits adultery. This is also seen in Line 3349-3351 where Absolon is seen to refuse the offerings from the ladies of the church for in his heart he had such a love-longynge. Described by Chaucer as A myrie child he was, so God me save, and a musician on a smal rubible and giterne who sang a loud quynyble in all the toun nas brewhous ne taverne The he ne viseted with his solas, Ther any gaylard tappestere was. This, for a Church official, is not the most complimentary description but Chaucer goes further in his unflattering depiction; To say sooth to seyn, he was somdeel squaymous Of fartyng, and of speeche daungerous. Richel Burkey-Harris states that Chaucer's description of Absolon shows he "exu
             ...