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