Govt.

Sadiq Women University

Subject:

Classical Poetry

TOPIC:

Behavioural Traits of Characters

Submitted To:

Ms. Ghazala Yasmin

Submitted By:

Laraib Zafar

Fatima Kanwar

Maria Ashraf

Nukhba Shahid

Tehreem Hussain

Misbah Batool

Mehreen Shabir

Date of Submission:
 th
27 Oct 2020

The Knight:

The Knight is the noblest of the pilgrims, embodying military prowess, loyalty,
honor, generosity, and good manners. The Knight conducts himself in a polite and
mild fashion, never saying an unkind word about anyone.

43. A knyght ther was, and that a worthy man

The knight with us was a worthy man

44. That fro the tyme that he first bigan

Who, from the time when he first began

45. To riden out, he loved chivalrie

To gallop his horse, loved chivalery

46. Trouthe and honour, freedom and curteisie

Truth, honour, freedom and courtesy

68. And though that he were worthy, he was wys

In war or peace, he was equally illustrious and wise

69. And of his port as meeke as is a mayde

In his behaviour, he was as meek as a maiden

70. He nevere yet no vileynye ne sayde

As he never spoke any vulgar word like a villain

71. In al his lyf unto no maner wight

In all his life he was polite, with any person whoseever

72. He was a verray, parfit gentil knyght

Thus he was a truly perfect and gentle knight forever

Yeoman:

In Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, the Yeoman is a miserable character. He gains

no joy from his current work. In return for his endeavors, he suffers grief, guilt,
and continued debt. All the work he does is secret and cannot be revealed to
anyone.

The Yeoman is very austere about his clothing and equipment:

83. Of his stature he was od evene length,

To speak of his stature, he was of even or average length

84. And wonderly delyvere, and of greet strengthe.

He was wonderful in action and great in strength.

85. And he hadde been somtyme in chyvachie

86. And Flaundres, in Artoys, and Pycardie

He had sometimes been engaged in chivalrous adventures at places like Flanders,

Artois city, and Picardy city (France).

87. And born hym weel, as of so litel space.

He behaved very maturely in his young age of 20 years.

88. In hope to stonden in his lady grace.

He optimistically hoped stand in the good books of his belved.

Squire:

The Squire is a young knight in training, a member of the noble class. While he is

chivalrous and genteel, he is not quite as perfect as his father, the Knight, as he
wears fine clothes and is vain about his appearance. The Squire is being trained in
both the arts of battle and the arts of courtly love.

He is very talented, too. Chaucer dedicates some lines in the poem to the squire's
skills - horsemanship, jousting, sketching, dancing, song and verse writing:
94. "Wel koude he sitte on hors and faire ryde.
He knew how to sit properly on his horse and ride it fairly.
95.He koude songes make and wel endite,
He knew how to make different melodious tones of songs. He could himslef write
new songs for new occasions of love making.
96.Juste and eek daunce, and weel purtreye and write."
He could joust in knightly tournaments, dance in various movements portray in
different styles and write in several fashions.

The Prioress
The character of the Prioress in Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales is a woman
of two faces. She is introduced in the General Prologue as an aristocratic, genteel,
pious nun, but she is a raving bigot, because her tale is full of anti-Semitic
attitudes. It is what her tale says about her, however, that is at the core of Chaucer's
intent in her depiction: she is shallow, unworldly, un-Christian, and childish of
character, and this is what Chaucer wants the reader to understand about her..
120_ That of hir smylyng was ful symple and coy
in her smiling, modest was and coy;
_ And Frenssh she spak ful faire and fetisly,
And she spoke French fairly and fluently
125_ At mete wel ytaught was she with alle:
At table her manners were well taught withall,

_She leet no morsel from hir lippes falle

And never let morsels from her lips fall,
130_ Wel koude she carie a morsel, and wel kepe
_That no drope ne fille upon hir bristt
With so much care the food upon her plate

That no drop could fall upon her breast.

_ That in hir coppe ther was no ferthyng sene

That on her cup no speck or spot was seen
140_ She was so charitable and so pitous
She was so charitable and solicitous
150_ And al was conscience, and tendre herte.
pity ruled her, and her tender heart.

The Monk:

The monk is good remarkable person ,an outrider,monk who conduct business
outside the monastery. When he rides through the country .He loved hunting .He
was a handsome person ,quite capable of being an abbot. He had many good horses
in his stable,and when he rode,men could hear his bridle jingling in the wind as
clearly and loudly as the bell of the small monastery of which he was the chief .

165. . A manly man, to been an abbot able.

A monk there was, one made for mastery.

166. Ful many a deynte hors hadde he in stable.

An outrider,who loved his venery;

167. And whan he rood men myghte his bryde heere.

A manly man,to be abbot able .

168 Gynglen in a whistlynge wynd also cleer

A jingling in the whistling wind as clear,

169. And eek as loude,asdooth the chapel belle ,

Aye, and as loud as does the chapel bell

170 Ther as this lord was kepere of the celle.

Where this brave monk was master of the cell.

171 The reule of seint Maure or of seint Beneit

The rule of Maurus of saint Benedict ,

The Friar:

The Friar was also known for being a wonderful singer and for playing various
instruments, which made him a fun man to be around. He had a lovely
temperament, and no one complained about his behaviour. And his religious
corruption didn't bother anyone in the company. The Friar is a close friend of
Romeo's. He is a good and kind character who supports the young lovers and help
them to marry in secret. After Romeo is banished, he makes va potion that Juliet
will take to appear dead.
208. A Friar there was, a wantowne and a merye,

There was a Friar, a pleasure-loving and merry one,

209. A lymytour, a ful solempne man.

A limiter, a very solemn man.

210. In all the orders foure is noon that kan

In all the four orders of Friar is no one that knows

211. So muchel of daliaunce and friar language.

So much of sociability and elegant speech.

212. He hadde maad ful many marriage

He had made very many a marriage

213. Of young women at his owene cost

Of young women at his cost.

214. Unto his order he was a noble post.

He was a noble supporter of his order

Wife of bath:

She is strong willed and dominant woman who herself gets what she wants and
when she wants it. She cannot accept defeat no matter what the cost. She seems to
be professional wife. The chief manner in which she has gained control over her
husbands by use of her body.

450) That to the offrynge bifore hire sholde goon;

Who should go to the offering before her,

451) And if their dide, certryn so wrooth was she

And if there did, certainly she was so angry

452) That she was out of alle chatitee

That she was out of all charity ( love for her neighbour)

460) Housbonds at chirche dore she had fyve.

She had married five husbands at the church doom.

475) of remedies of love she knew per chaunce.

She knew as it happened about remedies for love

476) For she koude of that art the old daunce.

For she knew the old dance ( tricks of travel) of that art.

The Parson:

The parson is a highly esteemed figure. He is paitent, virtous, and an ideal person.
A clerk by profession, the parson is undoubtedly a knoelegeable person. He is
generous and had a saintly nature. Chaucer says that he has never sighted a pious,
virtuous and holy priest like parson therefore, he is the best example of priest.

- A good man was ther of religioun,

With us there was a good religious person

-Bengyne he was, and wonder diligent,

Benign he was and wonderfully diligent

-And in adverstiee fuk pacient,

In adverse times, he was paitent and content

-And swich he was yrpreved ofte sithes

Such a generous man he has often proved to be

-Ful looth were hym to cursen for his tithes

That if he got o tithe, he did not curse anybody

-But rather wolde he yeven, out of doute,

Rather would he give alms without any doubt

The Miller:

The miller is a shameless, greedy, corrupt and qurallsome character. He is

dishonest whose utmost concern is to increase his profit.

- His mouth as greet was as a greet fornys

His mouth was wide like that of a furnace

-And that was most of synne and harlotries

He talked mostly of sin and prostitution

-Wel koude he stelen corn and tollen thrice,

He stole corn and charge thrive his remuneration