Characters of the Canterbury Tales Satire in Chaucers

Characters of the Canterbury Tales Satire in Chaucer’s “Prologue” to The Canterbury Tales

Knight distinguished o NOT satirized followed chivalry o He represents all truthful, honorable that is good about knighthood and ridden into battle nobility. honored for his o Good example graces from the nobility. o fought in many battles o modest, not boorish o a true, perfect knight o o o

Squire o lover o curly locks fought in nearby battles so he could get home to see the ladies o sang, danced, wrote poetry could “joust and dance” “loved so hotly that till dawn grew pale/He slept as little as a nightingale” was courteous and serviceable when father was around • IS satirized for his insincerity

Yeoman o wore coat & hood of green o was servant to knight, yet a freeman o feathers were perfectly made in arrows o knew his business as an archer and did it well o showed proper religious respect by wearing St. Christopher medal o was a “proper forester” o NOT satirized. o Good example from the middle class

Prioress (Nun) o coy (falsely modest, flirtatious) o known as Madam Eglantyne (common heroine for romance novels of the Middle Ages) o tried to exude grace, manners, and sophistication, but spoke a very poor quality of French o owned hunting dogs (not proper for her) yet was overly upset when a mouse died

Prioress (Nun) o glass-gray eyes (deceptive) o forehead was “fair of spread” (but a span from brow to brow--very large woman) o cloak had a graceful charm (another reference to large features) o jewelry with “Amor vincit omnia” (Love conquers all) which may have meant romantic love, not God’s o IS satirized

Monk o riding a horse, which he was not to do o ignored rules of his order o was “progressive” but supposed to be poor o lazy o owned dogs, which he was not o expensive clothing (fur on sleeve) when monk is to be poor o fat (opposite of his vows) o glittering, bulging eyes (physiognomy) o IS satirized

Friar o “fixed up” marriages o “intimate” with city dames o claimed to have licence from Pope to hear confessions-charged money as penance o gifts to girls o knew taverns and barmaids well o white neck, lisp (physiog. ) o wanton (lecherous) o would butt down doors with his head o begged money even from poorest, whom he was to help o charged money on “settling days” o IS satirized

Merchant o forking beard (physiognomy) o gave many opinions o dabbled in exchanges o seemed stately but. . . o was in debt and no one knew it from the way he talked o IS satirized o Note that the satire here is not as strong as it was for Monk, Friar, and Prioress. Why was the satire so light for the middle class and the nobility, yet so harsh for religious?

Oxford Cleric (Student) o hollow look o threadbare clothing o could not find a job in the church o was too unworldly for secular employment o borrowed money from friends, never repaid o was “book smart” but “life dumb” o IS satirized o This demonstrates the patronage of church positions, which often were bought and sold.

Sergeant at the Law o one of 20 “traveling judges” in Chaucer’s day o was an experienced lawyer o expert on real estate law o all was “feesimple” to his strong digestion o found loopholes in law to deprive heirs of their land o could argue cases either way with impunity o IS satirized

Franklin o wealthy landowner o lived for pleasure, particularly “Epicurean” delights o Enjoyed his food, had a table prepared all day long o IS satirized o Again, note how light the satire is of this wealthy man compared to others

Haberdasher, Dyer, Carpenter, Weaver, and Carpet-Maker o treat all of these as a single character o the key to understanding them is their wives o they LOOK great (new looking gear which was bought used) was • their wives “declared it their due” whether the men believed it or not o wives wanted to be called “Madam” and to be “seen” -- like a queen o they ARE satirized

Cook o could distinguish London ale by flavor (which was quite cheap -- like being able to distinguish Faygo from Food Club cola, etc. ) o had ulcer on his knee (probably from cooking at open pot)

Cook o made good thick soup o made good blancmange (yellow-white, thick, creamy chicken soup-much the color of what might be in the ulcer) o IS satirized

Skipper o rode a farmer’s horse well (an insult) o skin was tanned (a mark of low breeding) o stole wine while the trader slept o ignored conscience o made his prisoners “walk home” o IS satirized

Doctor o grounded in astronomy, as most doctors in the Middle Ages were o “All his apothecaries in a tribe. . . ” o “. . . each made money from the other’s guile. ” did not read the Bible o kept the gold he won in pestilences o IS satirized

Wife of Bath (woman from Bath) o tight, red clothing o had five husbands, all at the church door o gap-teeth o large hips o heels spurred o had a unique interpretation of Scriptures which gave her o “knew the remedies control in her marriages for love’s o IS satirized mischances

Parson o noble o a shepherd o virtuous rich in holy thought o o o holy-minded poor learned devout patient o served the poor o gave own money o practiced what he preached o NOT satirized

Plowman o honest worker, good and true o followed the Gospel o steadily went about his work o helped poor from love o always paid his tithes in full when due o rode a mare o NOT satirized

Miller o great stout fellow o boasted he could heave any door off the hinge or break it with his head o red beard o wart on end of nose o weighed 224 pounds o told filthy tavern stories o “stole” grain with his “thumb of o o played bagpipes led procession hated the Reeve IS satirized

Manciple o buyer of food for the 30 Knights of the Temple (lawyers) o got to market early to get best values o was illiterate o wise in practical matters, though o lived debt free on what he “saved” o IS satirized

Reeve o supervisor of the serfs o calfless legs o no one ever caught him in arrears o knew the serfs’ dodges, so they feared him o better at bargains than his lord o was a carpenter o rode at back of procession o hated the Miller o IS satirized

Summoner o face like a cherubin o carbuncles and pimples o black scabby brows, thin beard o frightened the children o ate garlic, onions, leeks o drank wine ‘til all was hazy o took bribes: quart of wine or “favors” from women o threatened excommunication o IS satirized

Pardoner o from Charing Cross o hair yellow, long o bulging eyeballs o carried pardons from Rome, he said o goat-like voice o could not grow a beard

Pardoner o “I judge he was a gelding, or a mare. ” o pillow case = veil o gobbet of Peter’s sail o pigs’ bones o sang Offertory well o always worked

Host o served finest victuals o bright eyes, wide girth o suggested the taletelling contest o prize would be a meal for the winner paid for by the others o everyone stayed at inn o return trip would mean another round of meals and lodging o he would be sole judge of the tales o accompanied the pilgrims to Canterbury o IS satirized

Nature of the Tales o commonly told stories o stories were interactive with canterbury tales ppt others’ tales n Friar told a tale to insult the Monk and vice versa n Reeve told a tale to insult the Miller, etc.