# The Sompnour's Tale explained — The Canterbury Tales

> Chapter companion for The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer.

## What happens

The Sompnour tells a tale of a friar who preaches against anger and then becomes enraged himself, exposing the hypocrisy of the church through a story of a corrupt summoner who is tricked by a cunning friar.

## Themes in this chapter

### Corruption and Hypocrisy in the Church

The tale exposes the hypocrisy of both friars and summoners, showing how religious figures abuse their power.

### Sin and Redemption

The friar's anger and the summoner's greed highlight the failure to achieve true penitence.

## Character check-ins

### The Sompnour

Tells a tale that mocks friars, continuing the quarrel with the Friar.

### Friar

The target of the Sompnour's tale, representing clerical hypocrisy.

### Our Host

Intervenes to mediate the quarrel between the Friar and the Sompnour.

## Key lines

> The Sompnour’s Tale

The Summoner tells a story about a friar.

_This is the title of the chapter, indicating the tale is told by the Summoner._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_canterbury_tales_se/chapters/the-sompnour-s-tale
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_canterbury_tales_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_canterbury_tales_se/chapters