Characters in the Prologue of The Canterbury Tales
Bit of Background First Refresher: The prologue is a poem with rhyming couplets, originally written in Middle English (the language made after Old English and Norman French merged) Unusual in a time when most English writing was in Latin or French The Prologue is about 29 people journeying to see the Shrine of Saint Thomas Becket in the town of Canterbury One of the most popular pilgrimage destinations in Europe at the time The journey begins at the Tabard Inn at the beginning of spring (When in April the sweet showers fall and pierce the drought of March to the root)
Geoffrey Chaucer Many consider him the Father of the English Literature Born in London around 1343 Family were vintners (winemakers) Worked into court first as a page and then courtier, diplomat, civil servant and court poet. Worked for King Edward III and then Richard II Died suddenly and from unknown causes not long after Henry IV overthrew Richard II Significant works are: The Book of the Duchess, Troilus and Criseyde, and The Canterbury Tales
The Knight Genteel man who loves truth, freedom, chivalry and honor, a truly distinguished man Battled Christians and non-christians, (Crusades), his fighting spanned years across the Holy Land, Turkey, and Eastern Europe Victorious, plain and honest Has fine equipment and horses, and cotton clothing, but it s worn with use Fresh from the Holy Lands, he goes to thank the saints for preserving his life through his battles One of the most prominent characters with one of the most well-developed stories
The Squire The knight s son, likely young, late teens or early 20s A ladies man, handsome (curly hair, strong and agile), sings and plays the flute Light-hearted, pleasant, talented A fine horseman, knows how to joust, dance, write and draw A romantic whose strong feelings of love keep him awake at night
The Yeoman Servant to the knight and squire Outdoorsman, talented wood carver Carried a bow, a shield, a sword and a knife Excellent shot with the bow and arrows fletched with peacock feathers Peacock feathers were expensive and usually reserved for the noblemen to fletch their arrows with A servant who dresses in green, like a forester (Description sounds like Robin Hood) Tanned, short hair
The Prioress Nun Well educated, Chaucer notes she learned French at her convent and not from native speakers. Likely not a very good speaker of French. Swears constantly By St. Loy!, a saint known for not swearing Very concerned with outward appearances and proper, dainty behavior She has 3 dogs with her, seems to care more for the animals around her than humans Big forehead (sign of intelligence) elegant nose, glass gray eyes, small, red mouth, curvy Wears coral necklace (coral was thought to repel worldly temptations) with a gold brooch that says: Amor vincit omnia aka, Love conquers all, why this instead of a rosary? Travels with another Nun and three Priests
The Monk Loves hunting, fine foods and has several good hunting dogs that he is very proud of Dresses in fine clothes, some even trimmed in fur Fat, jolly, and bald Unusual because Monks are supposed to remain cloistered (confined to monasteries), says it is because he is a modern man Prominent, rolling eyes (a sign of impatience and lust for earthly pleasures)
The Friar Jolly, merry, very festive, and cunning Marries off girls after he has gotten them into trouble Charges people to hear their confessions Has a white neck (loose or immoral person) Knows all the taverns, innkeepers and barmaids Begs off of poor widows who have next to nothing Dressed in nice clothing, overweight Friars take a vow of poverty and celibacy, to live a life of begging and helping the poor and sick
The Merchant Convinces everyone that he was an expert in finance (his secret he is horribly in debt, a sign of weak morals) solemn, serious, intelligent and cunning He sets up a safety patrol at the English Channel, safety for tradesmen An excellent fellow ironic? Wears a cloak of "motley" (a colorful pattern), a Flemish beaver hat, and has a forked beard, all the latest fashions
The Oxford Cleric (Clerk) Very thin (almost under fed), threadbare clothing Has many books with him (a small fortune before the printing press) Unemployed, prefers studying Studies even on the pilgrimage rather than talk Diligently thanks and prays for those who give him money for books When he does talk it is dignified and virtuous Happy to share what he learns
Sergeant at Law Title of Sergeant means that he had to practice law with distinction for at least 16 years Knows every bit of law from the time of William the Conqueror onwards Occasionally appointed by the king to serve as the judge on cases (similar to the Supreme Court) Parti-colored coat, likely made of silk (very expensive) Buys up lots of land, potential for rising into the nobility Sometimes appears busier than he is
The Franklin Not of noble birth, but holds land and entertains for nobles Cheerful temperament, sanguine (pleasure-seeking and sociable) Expected to be a generous host, which he is Epicurus son, Epicurus was a philosopher who said perfect happiness came through pleasure Compared to St. Julian (patron saint of hospitality) Also works as a sheriff and tax auditor
The Five Guildsmen Habadasher (makes hats and clothing), Dyer, Carpenter, Weaver, and Carpet-Maker All belonged to a guild (associations of tradesmen), the first of the middle class Expensively-dressed Wives dress well and like to be called madame
The Cook Servant to the Guildsmen Very, very good at cooking Has a large ulcer on his knee (an open sore) Chaucer compares the sore to the Cook s ability to make a blancmange (a white gelatin dessert)
The Skipper Dartmouth, known for its piracy and for the brutality of its sailors Rides a horse awkwardly Stole wine from Bordeaux Makes his prisoners walk the plank Temperamental Expert sailor who can accurately measure tides, nagivate by stars, and guide ship into a safe port
The Doctor Treated patients based on their horoscope fortunes (common at the time) Has an agreement with the local apothecary to send patients there (a scam) Can afford red and blue clothing (bright colors are expensive) Otherwise is frugal and eats healthy Considered gold a cordial (fine drink)
The Wife of Bath Somewhat deaf, red face and gap-teeth (sign of promiscuity), large hips hidden by her clothing Wants to be the first in everything Excellent cloth maker, a sign of a widow because a married woman would not practice a trade Has had five husbands and various other lovers Wears a very heavy kerchief (headscarf) Goes on many pilgrimages to distant places (Jerusalem, Rome, etc.) Another very well-developed character
The Parson Very poor, but very religious Believed in living the perfect life as an example to others Cared for his parishioners, who he called his flock Gives to the poor all he can Practically as good as any man can be
The Plowman Very charitable, honest, hard-worker The Parson s brother Only wants to live in peace Good heart
The Miller Huge, red beard, wide black nostrils, a gaping mouth, and a wart on his nose with a tuft of hairs growing on it Loved to wrestle, very good at it Could break doors by banging his head into them Would cheat people with the amount of grain that they brought in
The Manciple A steward for a dormitory of law students Bought food for the lawyers Frugal and shrewd Always comes out with extra money after he buys food, likely pockets it Outwits his educated employers in this way
The Reeve Old, choleric (ambitious and leader-like), looks sickly and thin, legs like a chicken A manager of a noble s estates and farms Very good at his job Can estimate the yields of a farm based on rainfall So accurate and thorough that no one would dare cheat him Skims money from his Lord s estates for himself
The Summoner A man paid to summon sinners to come to trial A red complexion (lusty), face covered in boils and skin lesions that nothing could fix, narrow eyes and bushy eyebrows Likes to eat onions and garlic A drunk, lecherous, corrupt Takes bribes to get people out of religious problems
The Pardoner Loud high-pitched voice, long flaxen hair, had no beard, gorgeous but effeminate-looking, compared to a gelding (castrated male horse) Sold what he claimed were religious relics, would preach well to people to sell them the relics Sold pardons for forgiveness of sins
The Host An innkeeper Has the finest of foods and wines Marshall in the hall, leader, knows how to entertain and make people listen Striking, charismatic, knows how to entertain, piercing eyes Proposes the storytelling game to the pilgrims, most often the person who reacts to the stories