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General Prologue of The Canterbury Tales Characters
General Prologue of The Canterbury Tales Characters
General Prologue of The Canterbury Tales Characters
“The General
Prologue”
The Knight
Physical Appearance
Perfect, Gentle Knight
Generous, Honorable, Truthful
Fought in many battles all around the
world.
Wise, but modest.
The Knight
Physical Appearance
Manner of Dress
Personal Qualities:
Skills/Talents
– Had limited battle experience (places
mentioned fairly close to England) (87-88)
– Sang and fluted “all the day” (93)
– “knew the way to sit a horse and ride” (96)
– “could make songs and poems and recite”
(98)
How do you think Chaucer intends the
reader to feel about The Squire?
Social Group:
Feudal
Note that The
Yeoman is the
Knight’s servant and
part of his
entourage (along
with The Squire)
The Yeoman
Physical Appearance
– “His head was like a nut” (111)
– “Face was brown” (111)
Why?
The Yeoman (continued)
Manner of Dress
– Wore a coat and hood of green (105)
– Peacock-feathered arrows hung at his belt (106-107)
– Carried “a mighty bow” (110)
– Wore a brace on his arm (113)
– A shield and sword hung at one side (114-115)
– Carried a dirk (116)
– Wore a St. Christopher medal (117)
– A hunting horn hung from his bright green baldrick
(119-120)
The Yeoman (continued)
Personal Qualities
– Very neat (106-107, 109)
Skills/Talents
Physical Appearance
– Elegant nose, glass-gray eyes (156)
– Very small mouth—soft and red (157)
– Very high forehead—fashionable and
considered a sign of beauty in 14th Century
(158-159)
– “She was indeed by no means undergrown”—
polite way of saying she was full-figured (160)
The Nun (continued)
Manner of Dress
– Veil gathered in “a seemly way” (155)
– Cloak had “a graceful charm” (161)
– Wore a coral trinket on her arm (162)
– Rosary “tricked in green”—suggests the
beads are jewels (163)
– Wore a gold brooch with an engraved “A”
under which was written “Amor vincit
omnia”—”Love Conquers All” (164-166)
The Nun (continued)
Personal Qualities
– Simple, coy smile (123)
– Didn’t curse—greatest oath was “By St. Loy!”
(124)
– Entertaining, pleasant, friendly (141-142)
– Dignified (145)
– Sympathetic, tender, charitable (146-147)
– Loved animals—kept dogs as pets (148-154)
The Nun (continued)
Skills/Talents
Physical Appearance
– Bald, shiny head (202)
– Shiny face (203)
– Fat (204)
– Prominent eyeballs—”never seemed to settle”
(205)
– Not pale (209)
The Monk (continued)
Manner of Dress
– Sleeves garnished with “fine gray fur”
(197-198)
– Had a gold pin on his hood—”into a
lover’s knot it seemed to pass” (200-
201)
– Supple boots (207)
The Monk (continued)
Personal Qualities
– “A manly man” (171)
– Ignored the rules that he didn’t like
(177-186)
– Spared no expense for hunting (196)
– Personable (204)
– “Liked a fat swan best, and roasted
whole” (210)
The Monk (continued)
Skills/Talents
– “Hunting was his sport” (170)
– Had many horses (172) and
greyhounds (194)
– A good horseman (193)
How do you think Chaucer intends the
reader to feel about The Monk?
Physical Appearance
– Gay, sturdy voice (239)
– Strong, white neck (242-243)
– “lisped a little” (274)
– “His eyes would twinkle in his head” (277)
Manner of Dress
– Kept his tippet stuffed with pins and pocketknives to
give to pretty girls (237-238)
– Wore a double-worsted semi-cope (270)
The Friar (continued)
Personal Qualities
– Wanton, merry, festive, mellow (212-214)
– “highly beloved and intimate / With County folk… / And
city dames” (219-221)
– Gave easy penance when he heard Confession if he
was given money or gifts in exchange (222-236)
– Seduced and impregnated unmarried girls and then
arranged marriages for them to unsuspecting husbands
(216-217)
– Hung out in taverns during the day so he could beg
money from wealthy people (244-252)
The Friar (continued)
Skills/Talents
– “Glib with gallant
phrase and well-turned
speech” (215)
– Good singer, played
the hurdy-gurdy (240)
– “the finest beggar of
his batch” (256) Hurdy-gurdy
– Charming—could get a
poor widow to give him
her last farthing (259-
263)
How do you think Chaucer intends the
reader to feel about The Friar?
Physical Appearance
– Forking beard (280)
Manner of Dress
– “motley dress” (281) Motley was expensive—a
sign of The Merchant’s wealth
– Wore a Flemish beaver hat (282) also
expensive
– Daintily buckled boots (283)
The Merchant (continued)
Personal Qualities
– Opinionated—always talked about business
(284-287)
– Estimable (289)
– “An excellent fellow” (293)
– In debt—but careful not to let anyone know
(290)
The Merchant
Skills/Talents
– “Expert at dabbling in exchanges” (288)
– “So stately in administration, / In loans and
bargains and negotiation” (291-292)
How do you think Chaucer intends the
reader to feel about The Merchant?
Physical Appearance
– “He was not too fat” (298)
– “A hollow look, a sober stare” (299)
Manner of Dress
– “The thread upon his overcoat was bare” (300)
The Oxford Cleric (continued)
Personal Qualities
– Still a student (295)
– Still had not found a preferment in the Church (301)
– Loved books and learning; “His only care was study”
(304-305; 310; 314)
– A philosopher (307)
– “Never spoke a word more than was need” (324)
– Formal, respectful, to the point, lofty in speech (315-
316)
Skills/Talents
– “Gladly would he learn, and gladly teach” (318)
How do you think Chaucer intends the
reader to feel about The Oxford Cleric?
Physical Appearance
– None
Manner of Dress
– Wore a “homely parti-colored coat” (338)
– Had a silk pinstripe belt (339)
The Sergeant at the Law (continued)
Personal Qualities
– Wary, wise, discreet (320-322)
– Busy (but “less busy than he seemed to be”)
(331-332)
Skills/Talents
– Expert in real estate law (328)
– Knew the law by heart (333-334; 337)
– Drew up loophole-proof legal documents (335-
336)
How do you think Chaucer intends the
reader to feel about The Sergeant at
the Law?
Social Group:
Animated Reptiles
The Franklin
Social Group:
Feudal
The Franklin is a
wealthy landowner
(although he is not a
nobleman) Note The Franklin is
traveling with The Sergeant
at the Law
The Franklin
Physical Appearance
– “White as a daisy petal was his beard” (342)
– “High colored”—red cheeks (343)
Manner of Dress
– Carried a dagger and a little silk purse (367)
– Wore a white girdle (belt) (368)
The Franklin (continued)
Personal Qualities
– Sanguine (343)
– “Lived for pleasure” (345)
– Generous—”He made his household free to all
the County” (350)
– Insisted on the best quality food and drink and
lots of it (351-364)
The Franklin (continued)
Skills/Talents
– Was a Justice of the Peace (365)
– Served as member of Parliament (366)
– Collected taxes for the king (369)
– “He was a model among landed gentry” (370)
How do you think Chaucer intends the
reader to feel about The Franklin?
Entourage consisting
of a Haberdasher, a
Dyer, a Carpenter, a
Weaver, and a Carpet-
maker
All members of the
same religious guild
The Five Guildsmen
Physical Appearance
– None
Manner of Dress
– “All in the livery / Of one impressive guild-fraternity”
(373-374)
– Carrying silver knives (376-377)
Personal Qualities
– “Each seemed a worthy burgess” (379)
– Wise (381)
Medieval Guilds
Physical Appearance
– Had an ulcer on his knee (sign of an STD in
Chaucer’s time) (396)
Skills/Talents
– An excellent cook (389-394)
– “Could distinguish London ale by flavor” (nice
way of saying he drank a lot of ale) (392)
– Made the best blancmange (chicken stew)
(397)
How do you think Chaucer intends the
reader to feel about The Cook?
Physical Appearance
– Tanned (404)
– Had a beard (416)
Manner of Dress
– Wore a woolen gown that reached his
knee (401)
– Carried a dagger on a lanyard around
his neck (402-403)
The Skipper (continued)
Personal Qualities
– “Rode a farmer’s horse as best he could”—
has trouble getting his “land legs” (400)
– “an excellent fellow” (405)
– Steals wine he is transporting when the trader
is asleep (406-407)
– “The nicer rules of conscience he ignored”
(408)
– Hardy, prudent (415)
The Skipper (continued)
Skills/Talents
– Made his prisoners walk the plank (409-
410)
– An excellent sailor—”none from Hull to
Carthage was his match” (411-414)
How do you think Chaucer intends the
reader to feel about The Skipper?
Physical Appearance
– None
Manner of Dress
– Dressed in blood-red garments,
slashed with bluish gray and lined with
taffeta (449-450)
The Doctor (continued)
Personal Qualities
– Had a scam going with apothecaries
(druggists)—would prescribe medicine
patients didn’t really need and get a kickback
from the druggists (435-438)
– Careful about what he ate (445-447)
– Did not read the Bible very much (448)
– Cheap (“rather close as to expenses”) (451)
– Had a special love of gold (454)
The Doctor (continued)
Physical Appearance
– Somewhat deaf (456)
– Bold, handsome, red face (468)
– Had gap-teeth, set widely—a sign in Chaucer’s
time that she was “hot to trot” (478)
– Had large hips (483)
Famous Gap-Toothed People
The Wife of Bath (continued)
Manner of Dress
– Wore scarlet red hose (466)
– Soft new shoes (467)
– Well wimpled up, wore a broad hat (480-481)
– Wore a flowing mantle (482)
The Wife of Bath (continued)
Personal Qualities
– Hot-tempered (459-462)
– Married five times—and five times a widow (470)
– “Apart from other company in youth; / No need just
now to speak of that, forsooth” (471-472)
– Well-traveled—had been on pilgrimage to Jerusalem
three times, as well as Rome, Bologna, Compostella,
and Cologne—she has been around the block (in more
ways than one) (473-476)
– Liked to laugh and chat (484)
– An expert in giving advice about love and marriage
(485-486)
The Wife of Bath (continued)
Skills/Talents
– An expert in cloth-making (457-458)
How do you think Chaucer intends the
reader to feel about The Wife of Bath?
Physical Appearance
– None
Manner of Dress
– Carried a stave (walking stick) (505)
The Parson (continued)
Personal Qualities
– Holy-minded, of good renown (487)
– Poor, but rich in holy thought and work (488-489)
– Benign, wonderfully diligent (493)
– Patient (494)
– Charitable—gives to poor from church offerings and
from his own pocket (497-500)
– Devoted to his parishoners (501-505)
– Holy and virtuous (523)
The Parson (continued)
Skills/Talents
– Learned (490)
– Knew Christ’s gospel and would preach it devoutly
(491-492)
– Believes he must set an example for his parishoners to
follow—”If gold rust, what then will iron do?” (506-514)
– “Christ and His Twelve Apostles and their lore / He
taught, but followed it himself before” (535-536)
How do you think Chaucer intends the
reader to feel about The Parson?
Physical Appearance
– None
Manner of Dress
– Wore a tabard smock (553)
The Plowman (continued)
Personal Qualities
– Honest worker, good and true (540)
– Lived in peace and perfect charity (541)
– Loved God and his neighbor (543-544)
– Never complained (344-345)
– Charitable (348-350)
Skills/Talents
– Steadily went about his work (546)
– Paid his tithes promptly (551)
How do you think Chaucer intends the
reader to feel about The Plowman?
Physical Appearance
– Weighed sixteen stone (1 stone = 14 pounds) (559)
– Stout, big in brawn and bone (560)
– Broad, knotty, short-shouldered (563)
– Had a broad red beard (566-567)
– Wart at tip of his nose had red hairs growing on it (568-
570)
– Wide, black nostrils (571)
– Mouth “like a furnace door” (573)
The Miller (continued)
Manner of Dress
– Had a sword and buckler at his side (572)
– Wore a blue hood and white coat (580)
The Miller (continued)
Personal Qualities
– A wrangler and buffoon (574)
– Likes to tell filthy stories in the tavern (574-575)
Skills/Talents
– Good wrestler—won the ram at any competition (561-
562)
– “A master hand at stealing grain” (576)
– Had a “thumb of gold” (579)
– Played the bagpipes (581)
How do you think Chaucer intends the
reader to feel about The Miller?
The Manciple
Physical Appearance
– None
Manner of Dress
– None
Personal Qualities
– Illiterate (590)
The Manciple (continued)
Skills/Talents
– Shrewd purchaser—watched the market
carefully and was able to purchase provisions
at the lowest price (584-588)
– Able to cheat the brilliant lawyers for whom he
works without them ever suspecting (589-602)
– Was able to “wipe their eye”—knock the
conceit out of them (602)
How do you think Chaucer intends the
reader to feel about The Manciple?
Physical Appearance
– Old, thin (603)
– Beard shaven closely to the skin (604)
– Short hair (605-607)
– Lean legs “like sticks they were” (607-
608)
The Reeve (continued)
Manner of Dress
– Wore a long, bluish overcoat (633)
– Had a rusty blade slung at his side
(634-635)
– Coat tucked under belt and splayed
(637)
The Reeve (continued)
Personal Qualities
– Choleric (603)
– A tough boss—”He knew their dodges, knew
their every trick; / Feared like the plague he
was, by those beneath” (620-621)
– Dishonest—apparently stole money from his
lord and then loaned it back to him or bought
him gifts in order to win favor (624-628)
The Reeve (continued)
Skills/Talents
– Very neat and meticulous (609-610)
– Good at managing the lord’s crops
(611-613)
– Was a “carpenter of first-rate skill”
(630)
How do you think Chaucer intends the
reader to feel about The Reeve?
Physical Appearance
– “His face on fire…for he had
carbuncles” (641)
– Narrow eyes (642)
– Black scabby brows, a thin beard (643)
– “Children were afraid when he
appeared” (644)
What’s a carbuncle?
The Summoner (continued)
Manner of Dress
– Wore a garland on his head (682)
– Carried a round cake that he pretended
was a shield (684-686)
The Summoner (continued)
Personal Qualities
– As hot and lecherous as a sparrow (642)
– Loved garlic, onions, leeks, and strong red
wine (650-651)
– Got drunk and would pretend he could speak
Latin—but he really couldn’t—he would just
repeat phrases he had heard in Court—if
someone pressed him he would say “Questio
quid juris” and nothing more.
The Summoner (continued)
Physical Appearance
– Had hair “as yellow as wax” that fell behind
his head down to his shoulders like “rat-tails”
(693-697)
– Had bulging eyeballs “like a hare” (702)
– Had no beard—very smooth chin (707-708)
The Pardoner (continued)
Manner of Dress
– Wore a little cap on his head (701)
– Had sewn a relic on his cap (703)
– His wallet full of pardons lay on his lap (704-
705)
The Pardoner (continued)
Personal Qualities
– Had a high voice “like a goat” (706)
– “I judge he was a gelding, or a mare” (709)
– Dishonest—passes off rags and animal bones
as holy relics in order to con people out of
their money—which he keeps for himself (712-
724)
– “In church he was a noble ecclesiast” (726)
The Pardoner (continued)
Skills/Talents
– “There was no pardoner of equal grace” (751)
– Read a lesson or told a story well (727)
– “But best of all he sang an Offertory”—part of
the Mass when he would charge people to
venerate his “relics” or buy his “pardons”
(728)
– Good preacher—had a “honey tongue” (730)
How do you think Chaucer intends the
reader to feel about The Pardoner?
Physical Appearance
– “A very striking man” (769)
– Bright eyes, “girth a little wide” (771)
Manner of Dress
– None
The Host (continued)
Personal Qualities
– “Fit to be a marshall in a hall” (770)
– “No finer burgess in Cheapside” (772)
– Bold in speech, wise, full of tact (773)
– Manly (774)
– Merry-hearted (775)
Skills/Talents
– Served the finest victuals (767)
How do you think Chaucer intends the
reader to feel about The Host?
Personal Qualities
– Friendly—is able to befriend 29 other people and learn
about them in the course of an evening
– Good listener—apparently people “open up” to him in
conversation
– Naïve—he tends to say something nice about almost all
of the pilgrims—most of them are “the best of the best”
at their profession or trade
– Just don’t forget that Chaucer the Poet wants you to
see the irony in many of Chaucer the Narrator’s
conclusions
The Host’s Proposal