Literary notes about vicar (AI summary)
The term “vicar” in literature often designates a clergyman whose role extends beyond mere religious duties to encompass social, political, and sometimes ironic functions. In many narratives, the vicar is portrayed as a cornerstone of the community—exemplified by characters who embody both pastoral kindness and flawed humanity, as seen in works where the vicar in a small parish is central to local life ([1],[2],[3]). In other writings, the role takes on a historical or bureaucratic dimension, reflecting official church positions with political nuance and even humorous irony ([4],[5],[6]). Authors like George Eliot, D. H. Lawrence, and Shakespeare have all employed the figure of the vicar to explore the complexities of authority and community ties, highlighting the versatility and enduring cultural resonance of the term ([7],[8],[9]).
- ‘To whom is she to be married?’ ‘To Mr. Richardson, the vicar of a neighbouring parish.’
— from Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë - "Instead of telling you anything about Mr. Tyke," he said, "I should like to speak of another man—Mr. Farebrother, the Vicar of St. Botolph's.
— from Middlemarch by George Eliot - " "Please," said Louisa, looking up at the Vicar.
— from Middlemarch by George Eliot - He was appointed vicar, or vice-praefect, of Macedonia.
— from The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon - Now for the parish of St. Leonard at Soers ditch, the archdeacon of London is always parson thereof, and the cure is served by a vicar.
— from The Survey of London by John Stow - If I were the sovereign, I should know how to deal with them all, vicar, steward, and revenue-office.
— from The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - The Vicar did feel then as if his share of duties would be easy.
— from Middlemarch by George Eliot - And here it rests-that you'll procure the vicar To stay for me at church, 'twixt twelve and one,
— from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare - V. Goldsmith, the song in The Vicar of Wakefield .
— from The Waste Land by T. S. Eliot
