Canterbury Tales Prologue

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Canterbury TalesPrologue

• The characters and their stereotypes
  revelations and perceptions
• Summaries borrowed from www.sparknotes.com

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The Knight (lines 43-80)

• Noble in battleenjoys adventure
• The epitome of chivalry
• Strong and brave (especially to have survived so
  many battles15 plus joustsalways killed his
  man)
• Wise
• Modest a true and perfect gentle knight

• Has fine horses
• Dresses in natural clothing with smudges
• Realistic/humanized
• Going on the Pilgrimage to show thanks to God for
  his talents

Chaucer/the narrator admires the Knight despite
the decline of chivalry. Most of his battles are
religious leading us to believe he is a crusader.
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Gossip!

• You have 2 minutes to gossip with your table
  mates about the traveler. Consider discussing...
• Your opinion of the traveler
• If you would like to get to know them better
• How you feel about them
• Symbols that might represent them
• REMEMBER TO STAY IN CHARACTER!

The most interesting table conversation will
receive a prize at the end of our presentation
time!
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The Knight (lines 43-80)
GOOD GUY

• Noble in battleenjoys adventure
• The epitome of chivalry
• Strong and brave (especially to have survived so
  many battles15 plus joustsalways killed his
  man)
• Wise
• Modest a true and perfect gentle knight

• Has fine horses
• Dresses in natural clothing with smudges
• Realistic/humanized
• Going on the Pilgrimage to show thanks to God for
  his talents

Chaucer/the narrator admires the Knight despite
the decline of chivalry. Most of his battles are
religious leading us to believe he is a crusader.
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(No Transcript)
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The Squire (lines 81-102)
Potentially GOOD GUY

• The Knights sonyouthful (20 years old) lover
  and cadet
• Curly hair (as if pressed)
• Suggests hes a dandyconcerned with his looks
• Served in the cavalry and done valiantly
• Likes to sing and write songs

• Does everything with a passion
• Destined to become just like his father

Contrasts with his fatherthe religious chivalric
knightthe squire is very romantic. His dress
is fancy and there is a lot of social desire.
Always out to win his ladys favor in the
cavalry. Chaucer is accepting of the squire, but
not admiring. He has growing up to do, but will
make a good knight
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(No Transcript)
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The Yeoman (lines103-121)
GOOD GUY

• An attendant of the Squire
• Dressed in green carries peacock arrows and a
  bow and wears a bracelet to protect his arm a
  sword a shield and a dagger
• Head like a nut w/brown face

• A hunter and woodworkerattends the Squire but
  has his own personality
• St. Christophers medal
• Patron Saint of Travelers

Chaucer looks at the Yeoman positively and uses
no irony in the description Suggests that like
the Knight and the Squire, the Yeoman is a worthy
occupation
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(No Transcript)
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Prioress (Nun)(lines122-168)

• Eglentyen/sweetbriar
• Exceptionally mannerly when eating
• Animal rights activistshould be concerned with?
• PEOPLE!
• Sentimental and tender speaks elegant French
• Smile is simple and coy elegant nose glass
  gray eyes, small, soft, red mouth suggests
• Perfect beauty

Greed Pride (moderate)

• Coral trinket on her arm, green prayer beads,
  Love Conquers all on her golden brooch
  suggests
• Rich tastes worldliness

Irony of Chaucer charity should be for needy
people, but it is for animals love is very
worldly rather than Amor Dei, godly expresses a
desire to show courtly manners, rather than
follow rules of simplicity expensive jewelry
suggests worldliness instead of poverty.
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(No Transcript)
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The Monk (lines 169-211)
Greed (extreme)

• A Manly Man, fat, prominent eyeballs, supple
  boots, not pale,
• Loves hunting fine food
• Bridle jingles garnished sleeves fine tunic
  owns many horses and greyhounds suggests
• Wealth he should not have

• Ignores the rules of the monastery

• The Monk it Chaucers prologue is corrupt Loves
  good food, expensive clothing and hunting violate
  the monastic views of poverty and simplicity and
  displays no guilt. Hunting was a big no-no for
  Monks.
• Irony finest sort, suitable to be an abbot,
  agrees with point of view, fair prelaat

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(No Transcript)
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The Friar (lines 212-279)

• Brother Hubert has a white neck
• Supports himself through beggingwell rehearsed
  and spoken
• Loved among the rich land owners Only deals with
  the rich avoids the poor beggars and
  leperssuggests
• He is corrupt and only cares about worldly things
• Sings and plays hurdy-gurdy and lisps to attract
  women
• Fixes up many young womenafter giving them
  lovely giftssuggests
• He has seduced them first

• Knows the taverns and the barmaids well suggests
• Took confessionsand pardons themfor a
  giftsuggests
• He manipulates peoples desire to be good
• Arbitrates disputes for a fee

Lust Greed (extreme)

• Chaucer paints a picture of the corrupt clergy
• Irony strong pillar of the church, calls him
  merry, sweet, pleasant and worthy

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(No Transcript)
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Merchant (lines 280-294)
Misguided Good Guy

• Split beard, assorted dress, Flemish beaver hat,
  buckled boots.
• An expert with money and exchanging money
• In debt but no one knows because he cooks the
  books

• Representative of the middle class is in debt
  but pretends not to be an hides it cleverly
  Chaucer says he is a worthy manrespects the
  middle class despite the deception

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(No Transcript)
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The Oxford Cleric (lines 295-318)

• Still a student
• Thin horse thin, hollow, sober staring man
  thread bare coat
• Prefers books to clothes
• philosophers stone referencemyth of
  philosophy
• Formal and extremely respectfulgladly learn and
  teach

Good Guy
Idealized character- a serious student who cars
for little but studying and is so poor he cant
even keep clothes on his back or books on his
tables When he speaks, he speaks with a purpose
and he always prays for others. Forfeits worldly
pleasure for knowledge.
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(No Transcript)
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The Lawyer (lines 319-341)
Envy (moderate)

• Expert lawyer with great import
• Offers himself as a judge
• Discreet and cautious
• Homely parti-colored coat, girt with a silken
  belt of pin-stripe stuff

Irony Chaucer makes a point to comment on
pretending as a part of human nature and the
Lawyer believes he is much more important than
society really views him.
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(No Transcript)
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The Franklin (lines 341-379)
Envy Pride (Extreme)

• Daisy white beard, cheerful
• Always has food and drink ready at his house
• Parliamentary representative for the country
• Had a dagger and a little purse of silkwhite as
  morning milk
• Sheriff he checked every entry

The Franklin as a social climber and spends most
of his time pretending he is better than he is.
He is a hedonist (pleasure is all important). He
loves happy people who will eat and drink with
him.
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(No Transcript)
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The Craftsmen (lines 371-388)
Envy (moderate)

• Carpenter, haberdasher, dyer, weaver, tapestry
  maker
• Dressed more mightily than their rank suggests
• Wives follow behind with and insist on being
  called Madam while their mantles are carried
  like royalty

The craftsmen are treated as a group and none is
given of single. Chaucer again is making the
point that people like to pretend they are better
than they truly are and he seems to satirize them
through their wives.
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(No Transcript)
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The Cook (lines 389-397)
Gluttony (moderate)

• Good cook who makes thick souphad an ulcer on
  his knee (a crusty sore)
• Travels with the guildsman

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(No Transcript)
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The Skipper (lines 498-420)
Greed (moderate)

• Very good at his job
• Rides well
• Wears a dagger on his neck
• Tanned from the summer heat
• Steals wine from the captain while the captain
  sleeps
• Owned the Maudelayne

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(No Transcript)
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The Doctor (lines 421-454)
Greed

• Talks really well about medicine as related to
  astronomy
• Practice magic and medicine according to the
  stars
• Did not read the Bible but knew all about Greek
  mythology
• Wore blood-red garments with bluish-gray lines
• Had a special love for gold

The doctor knew his art well, which he used to
his advantage by making sure he could make a
profit by manipulating the facts in cahoots with
the apothecaries. Suggests he is very greedy, but
is very stereotypical of the doctors of the time.
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(No Transcript)
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The Wife of Bath (lines 455-486)
Pride Lust (Moderate)

• Somewhat deaf
• Makes wool
• Gets married a lot (5 times already)
• Wore scarlet red hose and tight garter bold,
  handsome, red face with a gap in her teeth
• Been on many pilgrimages
• Knows everything about love

Thinks of herself as the best person and dresses
boldly. Gap toothed person in the Middle Ages is
very lucky and travels far and wide. She knows
how to enjoy herself and brags about knowing the
cure for loves. Character appeals for the
liberation of womenbut she can be
offensive Irony Amor Remedia rather than Ars
Amatoria (remedy over art)
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(No Transcript)
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The Parson (lines 487-438)
Good Guy

• Rich in spirit, but monetarily poor
• Gives his own goods to his people and calls on
  people no mater what
• Always fair and wise
• Always follows what is right

Idealized figure devoid of any irony or satire.
The most virtuous of all the pilgrims but serves
as a criticism of the priests in the Middle Ages.
Opposed to excommunicating poor parishioners who
could not pay their tithes to the church and
sometimes gives his own money to the poor even
though he has very little. Chaucer uses the
imagery of a shepherd tending his flock because
of his virtue. An ideal stereotype of what
priesthood should becontrast to other religious
figures
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(No Transcript)
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The Plowman ( lines 539-555)
Good Guy

• The Parsons brother, works hard and honestly for
  his living
• Wears a tabard (loose jacket) smock and rode a
  mare

Idealized characterindustrious and a hard worker
who lives in peace and always helps out his
neighbors. He loves God and always pays his
tithes. Chaucer admires his pride and is calling.
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(No Transcript)
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The Miller (lines 561-584)
Wrath, Greed, Lust

• Robin weighs 224 lbs, very strong and wins at
  wrestling because he broad, knotty and
  short-shouldered can heave a door off its hinges
• Wart on his nose nostrils were black and wide
  mouth like a furnace door
• Carries a sword and buckler wears a hood of blue
  and a white coat and plays bagpipes (Irish
  descent)

Representation of a dishonest man he is a rich
and makes as much of his own profits as he can
physical description is representative of his
personality shameless, wordy, quarrelsome,
deceitful and lecherous. He steals grain and yet
has a golden thumb Irony golden thumb
increases his own profits only
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(No Transcript)
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Manciple (lines 585-604)
Greed (moderate)

• Buyer of provisions for a college or court
• Watches the market precisely
• Illiterate but outwits the educated

As dishonest as the Miller and always makes a
profit on his purchases Irony praise of
financial wisdom that enables him to trick the
wise of the countryprofessional malpractice
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(No Transcript)
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The Reeve (lines 605-640)
Lust Greed

• Oswaldslender and choleric closely shaven
  beard shorn hair abruptly stops above his ears
  docked on top like a priest chicken legs
• Wears an overcoat of blue has a rusty blade at
  his side
• Manages the estates of wealthy land owners
• Steals from the estate
• Learned carpentry

Choleric temper and slender legs indicate a
lecherous character inferior position indicated
by facial hair he is deceitful because he cheats
his lord and blackmails the others in the county
and everyone fears him as a result. He is richer
than his lord and lends him money.
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(No Transcript)
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The Summoner (lines 641-688)
Greed, Sloth

• Fire0red cherubinnish face with pus-filled boils
  all over has narrow eyes and is lecherous black
  scabby brows and a thin beard and his appearance
  scares small kids
• Loves garlic, onions and leeks as well as strong
  wine and only speaks in Latin when he is drunk
• Blackmails everyone he can
• Wore garland on his head
• Allows sinners to keep mistresses for a year in
  return for winelikely he commits the same sin
• illiterate

Responsible for summoning sinners before the
church courts but Chaucer shows extreme loathing
for the character grouped with the pardoneralso
hated by Chaucer physical deformities represent
an awful soul Sarcasm approval of the summoner
friendlier rascal
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(No Transcript)
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The Pardoner (lines 689-734)
Greed, Sloth

• Compared to Summonertogether they sing a song
  about lustful love
• Has yellow waxy hair hanging down on his head
  thin like rat-tails has bulging eyeballs small
  voice like a goat no beard
• Wore a little cap

Personification of evil sells holy relics and
favors to pardon people form all their sins to
ensure purgatory extorts money from people by
preaching against having money has repulsive
physical features special skill is singing at
the offertory to extract money. Sarcastic tone
rather than subtle irony
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(No Transcript)
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The Host (lines767-803)
Good Guy

• Harry Bailey is friendly, agreeable, and sensible
• very warm and inviting
• Offers the story telling contest to the pilgrims
• Joins them on the quest to serve as a mediator

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Chaucer

• Author and appears as a pilgrim through the
  narrative
• Functions as a naïve narrator and the guide on
  the way to Canterbury and we learn about his
  society through the irony and sarcasm he relates
  through the tales and stories. His tone requires
  careful reflection

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The Ship of Fools
a boat populated by human inhabitants who are
deranged, frivolous, or oblivious, passengers
aboard a ship without a pilot, and seemingly
ignorant of their own direction.
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How can Chaucers Pilgrims be seen as a ship of
fools?

• Give examples.

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• Good Guys
• Knight
• Squire
• Yeoman
• Merchant
• Oxford Cleric
• Parson
• Plowman
• Host

• Bad Guys
• Nun
• Monk
• Friar
• Lawyer
• Franklin
• Craftsmen
• Cook
• Skipper
• Doctor
• Wife of Bath
• Miller
• Manciple
• Reeve
• Summoner
• Pardoner

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• Good Guys
• Knight
• Squire
• Yeoman
• Merchant
• Oxford Cleric
• Parson
• Plowman
• Host

• Bad Guys
• Nun
• Monk
• Friar
• Lawyer
• Franklin
• Craftsmen
• Cook
• Skipper
• Doctor
• Wife of Bath
• Miller
• Manciple
• Reeve
• Summoner
• Pardoner

Chaucer?
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How can Chaucers Pilgrims be seen as a ship of
fools?

• Give examples.

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Feudalism
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Parson
Knight
Plowman
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(No Transcript)
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Chaucers society is

• How does this compare to our own?
• Explain your response by using specific
  comparisons between our stereotypes and Chaucers