From Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, What caused Chaucer to poke fun at the church in "The Canterbury Tales" is, Chaucer thought that important clergymen were often corrupt and hypocritical.
In the General prologue, Chaucer satirizes several characters from various classes and professions. Beginning with the highest class to lower. The first character whom Chaucer introduces is the Prioress who is a nun. She is the first among the female to be described, the first question that evokes in the reader's mind is that such higher religious clergy doesn't take a vow of leading a simple life? Hence, Chaucer satirizes the church, as the members of the church belonged from the upper class. The prioress took advantage of the poor for her own good. She was very well 'dainty' and was well-dressed. Being known as "Madame Eglantyne", she was so pretentious that she hardly knew any words of French.
Secondly, describes the Monk as the materialistic with his horses and hunting dogs, no time to study good books and with fancy clothes.
The reader infers about the Friar through the following lines is that he will use people for money. Like the prioress and the monk, Friar too fails to establish any of the expected virtues. He arranged marriages by sounding generous because the young women are his mistresses and moreover pregnant. Further, he injects money by committing the sin of selling "forgiveness' which is supposed to be freely given. Moreover, he kept no acquaintance with the sick or poor. He was a corrupt person, for the private gains he destroys the base of faith in people which was his duty to serve.
Pardoner is described as someone who deceives people to buy holy artifacts which are fraud.
Lastly, describe Summoner who is a corrupt and vile individual, appears to be a drunkard. Further, with very limited Latin he puts on airs.
