Canterbury Tales The General Prologue Canterbury Tales Written

Canterbury Tales The General Prologue

Canterbury Tales ► Written around 1387 -1400 ► Written by Geoffrey Chaucer § Soldier § Courtier § Royal emissary to Europe § Controller of customs § Justice of the peace § Member of Parliament § artist

Prologue ► Chaucer has the idea to bring together 29 “sondry folk” in a pilgrimage (“by aventure [chance]”) § Represent a wide range of 14 th century English society ►Makes comprehensive study of humans ►Perfect way to present his irony

Prologue ► Represent society a wide range of 14 th century English § 3 Groups Represent: ► Feudalism § Landownership and service ► Knight’s yeoman ► Franklin ► Urbanization – emerging middle class § Change in feudal structure ► Doctor ► Guildsmen ► The Church § One of the most powerful elements in medieval soceity ► 9 of pilgrims belong to clergy

Prologue ► Each pilgrim § tell two stories on the way to Canterbury § two stories on the way back ►Plan Inn ► Teller proposed by Harry Bailey, host of the Tabard of best tale is rewarded at the end § A dinner provided by his fellow pilgrims at the Tabard ►Harry Bailey is judge

Prologue ► Prologue sets the scene and introduces reader to the characters ► Between many of the tales Chaucer expounds upon the personalities of the pilgrims. § Number of arguments that prepare for subsequent tales § Some pilgrims introduce a tale with a commentary on his/her own personal life

Prologue ► Chaucer’s project was never finished § Only 24 tales exist ► Tales were probably composed at various times in Chaucer’s life

Prologue ► Begins with a long, rhetorical sentence in “high style” describing spring. ► Gradually descends into a more “realistic” style of expository narrative.

Prologue ► Group is on its way to the holy shrine of St. Thomas ă Becket § Archbishop of Canterbury ►opposed Henry II over the balance between royal and religious power ►was murdered in the cathedral § Considered a martyr and later made a saint § His blood was held to contain great curative qualities, restoring health to the sick

► Knight ► Squire ► Yeoman ► Prioress ► Monk ► Friar ► Merchant ► Oxford Cleric (Clerk)

► Sergeant ► Franklin ► Guildsmen ► Cook ► Skipper ► Doctor ► Wife of Bath ► Parson

► Plowman ► Miller ► Manciple ► Reeve ► Summoner ► Pardoner ► Poet ► Host (innkeeper Harry Bailey)

The Knight ► Was an honorable warrior who fought for Christianity against the heathens. ► Appropriate that he is the first pilgrim to be introduced because he stands at the top of the social hierarchy, thus is the most socially prominent person on the journey. ► Tells the first story; many offer him compliments. ► All of the battles mentioned that he fought in were religious wars of some kind.

The Knight ► Prologue’s description: § Worthy man – “True, perfect, and gentle” § Loved the following ►Chivalry ►Fidelity ►Honor (good reputation) ►Generosity ►courtesy § Honored for his worthiness in war

The Knight ► Prologue’s description: § Fought in many battles/ had “been at many a noble expedition” ► Alexandria ► Prussia ► Lithuania/Latvia ► Russia ► Grenada at siege of Algeciras to Belmarye (north Africa) ► Morocco ► The Mediterranean ► Tiemcen ► Turkey

The Knight ► Prologue’s description: § Even though he was brave, he was prudent § Deportment: “meek as a maid” § Never said any rude word in all his life to any person § Horses were good § Clothing/dress ►Not gaudily dressed ►Tunic of coarse cloth, stained with rust from his chain mail suit § Has just returned from an expedition

Squire ► Knight’s attendant ► Younger and flashier than knight § Hair is well-coifed § Clothes are “embroidered like a meadow bright” § “Short was his gown, the sleeves were long and wide” ►Short, embroidered gowns and long wide sleeves were the marks of the ultrafashionable in the late 14 th century ►Short coats were declared “indecent” and embroidery was called unnecessarily expensive

Squire ► Has done some service in war ► Seems more interested in singing and dancing ► Portrayed not as admirably as the Knight

Yeoman ► Small landowner; formerly knight’s servants (as this Yeoman is the Knight’s only servant) ► Doesn’t like to talk about himself ► Equipment in perfect condition ► Close-cropped hair and weathered face ► Wears medal of St. Christopher (patron saint of travelers)

Prioress ► Nun – in charge of the other nuns of the convent § Takes vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience ► Swears by St. Loy – irony § Perfect manners; refusal to swear ► Known as Madame Eglantyne ► High forehead – supposed to indicate intelligence or good breeding ► Wears trinket with “amor vincit omnia” – interest in love?

Prioress ► Seems to have some respect for her, but does satirize her at the same time § Sings well, but through her nose § Spoke daintily in French, but her French is not good (school of Stratford-atte-Bowe) § Is very concerned with courtly manners, but had “to conterfeit a courtly kind of grace” § Keeps pets and cries if an animal is hurt, but her primary concern should be human souls and welfare

Monk ► Clergy – § lived in monastery, center of learning; § vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience; § vowed not to leave the lands of the monastery without permission of their superior ► “Rule of good St. Benet or St. Maur / As old and strict he tended to ignore” ► “He took the modern world’s more spacious way”

Monk ► His dress and way he spends his time are in opposition to monastic rule § Many horses in his stable § Likes to hunt § Wears rich clothes and jewelry § Enjoys good food ► Chaucer’s sarcasm in lines 187 - 192

Friar ► Religious – went into the world to preach, help the poor, and cure the sick ► One duty was to hear people’s confessions and absolve or forgive them with a penance ► This Friar (his name is Hubert) gives light penances because people pay him.

Friar ► “His neck was whiter than a lily-flower” § Cowardice § Immorality ► Double-worsted semi-cope (cape) ► Much emphasis on his greed § “anywhere a profit might accrue” § “though a widow mightn’t have a shoe, / So pleasant was his holy how-d’ye-do / He got his farthing from her just the same” § “Arbitrate disputes. . . (for a small fee)”

Merchant ► Salesperson ► Wants to appear prosperous; arrogant § Brightly colored clothes § Beaver hat (the latest rage) § Daintily buckled boots ► Actually is in debt ► His name is not known

Oxford Cleric ► Student (probably for the Church) ► Thin (both he and his horse) ► Coat is threadbare ► Preferred books (expensive) over clothes and entertainment ► Only care is study ► Respectable, moral, reserved

Sergeant at Law ► Lawyer, served as King’s legal advisor ► Chaucer doesn’t spend much time on him; finds him unremarkable. ► Though he has a high position and can do his job well, Chaucer seems to disapprove § “Though there was nowhere one so busy as he, / He was less busy than he seemed to be. ” § “Of his appearance I have said enough. ”

Franklin ► Country landowner ► Man of some substance, but just below the nobility ► Ruddy complexion – cheerful ► Lived for pleasure § reference to Epicurus, Greek philosopher who taught the goal of life is pleasure § Glutton; obsessed with food

Five Guildsmen ► Guilds – organization of trades people who taught their trade to apprentices (trainees) ► “So trim and fresh” ► “Knives of purest silver” ► Chaucer pokes fun at their social pretensions.

► Skilled Cook in preparing medieval dishes ► Has ulcer on his knee ► Captain Skipper of a ship ► Characterized as somewhat brutal with prisoners and dishonest with wine merchants ► Treats Doctor people according to laws of astrology and medieval theory of humors ► Profits from the illnesses of others

Wife of Bath ► Woman 5 times from city of Bath; has been married § Goes against the teachings of the church (I Cor 7: 39) ► Has traveled widely § Many religious pilgrimages § Not common for women to have traveled so much § Wants to be first to the altar (people approached altar according to social rank)

Wife of Bath ► Fine clothes ► Deafness & gap teeth § Medieval physiognomists believed physical abnormalities could indicate character weaknesses. § May indicate that she was a good judge in matters of love or skilled in matters of love ► May be patterned after Chaucer’s paternal grandmother who was married 3 times

Parson ► Village clergyman or parish priest ► Poor ► “Rich in holy thought and work” ► “Truly knew Christ’s gospel and would preach it” ► Not greedy § “Hated cursing to extort a fee” § Gave to the poor from church offerings and his personal property

Parson ► Visited the sick ► Two metaphors § Shepherd of his flock § Gold vs. iron: If gold corrodes, what will iron do? If the priest sets a bad example, what will his parish members do? ► Actions speak louder than words

Plowman ► Laborer (increasing importance in medieval society) ► True Christian layman ► Wore tabard smock and rode a mare (simple, common)

Miller ► Operates a mill to grind grain or make flour ► Description is mostly physical ► Large man ► Red beard ► Wart on nose ► Compared to sow or fox, a spade, a sow’s ear, & furnace door § Rough, uncouth, wild, belligerent

Manciple ► Steward or servant who purchased provisions for a college, or in this case, for one of the Inns of Court, the four ancient law schools in London ► Although uneducated, the Manciple can outsmart his masters. § “His masters. . . All versed in the abstrusest of legal knowledge. . . And yet [he] could wipe their eye. ”

Reeve ► Superintendent of an estate ► Choleric and thin ► Does his job well ► Is mean to the serfs and has become rich through embezzlement § “feared like the plague he was, by those beneath” § “he had grown rich. . . With subtle loans or gifts of goods”

Summoner ► Employees of ecclesiastical courts, sent by the justices to summon those suspected of offenses against Church law ► Notorious for blackmailing people by threatening to have them summoned ► Drinks til all is hazy ► Limited education ► Goes easy on offenders if they pay him

Summoner ► Gross appearance § “Face on fire” from boils or pimples § Narrow eyes § Scabby brows § Thin beard § Terrible breath

Pardoner ► Sold pardons, often greedy, taking advantage of poor ► Were not supposed to sell relics § Remains (bones, hair, garments) of a holy person ► Came from Hospital of Blessed Mary of Roncivalles near Charing Cross (common offenders – series of money scandals in 1380 s)

Pardoner ► Long blonde hair (violation of church code) § Hangs like rat tails ► Voice like a goat ► Bulging eyeballs ► Greed § “In one short day, . . He drew more than the parson in a month or two” § “And (well he could) win silver from the crowd. / That’s why he sang so merrily and loud. ”

The Host ► Probably a real person ► Elsewhere in the Canterbury Tales he is called Harry Bailey, evidence that such a person did operate a tavern in Southwark during Chaucer’s time ► Merry-hearted man

The Host ► Suggests each pilgrim tells 2 stories on the way to Canterbury and 2 stories on the way back ► He will be the judge ► Winner receives free dinner at the Tabard ► They decide who will go first by “drawing straws. ”