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In medieval times, purity and virtue were much-admired traits. Evil was hated by all, and looked lowly upon by all members of society. In "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" and "The Canterbury Tales" the respective authors tell of how evil, although believed to be a trait of low beggars and such, could creep its way into the higher rungs of society, and through certain circumstances, force all kinds of people to selfish acts of …

…members of the opposite sex. A truly disgraceful nun she was. Many would argue that special circumstances led Gawain to treachery, and that the Friar, Pardoner, and Nun are very rare of their kind, a disgrace to their entire communities. Nevertheless, rare as they may be, many so called 'high' members of society are forced, if not tempted to evil. Hypocrisy is rampant in the people of the Middle Ages, although few will admit it.