The Canterbury Tales The Prologue Written by Geoffrey
The Canterbury Tales: The Prologue Written by Geoffrey Chaucer
The Miller The job of a miller was to grind grain into flour at his mill. Millers had a reputation for always trying to cheat their customers. A MILLER OWNS AND OPERATES A MILL
The Miller Rode first in the cavalcade to Canterbury
The Miller Physical Traits and Appearance: Ø 16 stone (224 lbs. ) ØRed beard ØA wart on the tip of his nose with red bristly hairs coming out of it ØWide black nostrils ØWore a blue hood and a white coat ØCarried a sword
The Miller Personal Qualities/Skills: _________________ ØA wrestler ØCould heave a door off hinge and post ØArgumentative and a clown ØTold dirty jokes/stories (“tavern stories”) ØPressed his thumb on the scale to weigh down purchases and make people spend more $$ Ø Played the bagpipes (“and that is how he brought us out of town”)
The Manciple A servant in charge of purchasing food and provisions for colleges and law firms. This manciple works for a distinguished group of lawyers in London
The Manciple Personal Qualities/Traits/Skills: Ø“All caterers might follow his example in buying victuals” ØSmart in purchasing; he would buy items at the best prices ØWorked for 30 lawyers ØHe is able to cheat/deceive the lawyers without them suspecting him!
The Manciple’s Secret He is illiterate!
The Reeve A minor official on a country estate who served as an intermediary between the lord of the manor and his serfs He handled matters both inside and outside of the estate
The Reeve Rides last in line
The Reeve Physical Traits/Personal Appearance: ØOld and thin ØBeard shaven closely to the skin ØShort hair ØStick legs – “no calf was to be seen” ØWore a long blue overcoat ØCarried a rusty blade
The Reeve Personal Traits: _________________ ØCholeric (too much yellow bile) ØA tough boss (“feared like the plague”) ØDishonest – stole/embezzled $$ from his master and then loaned it back to him or bought him gifts to win favor ØRich and tucked away his treasure ØHad a horse named Scot Øfrom Norfolk
The Reeve Job Skills: ØKept good financial accounts for his master ØHandled everything inside and outside the estate very well Ø A carpenter of first-rate skill
Here’s the Deal on The Reeve: �The Reeve is the kind of boss you would hate to work for because you couldn’t get away with anything �Also the kind of supervisor you would want to hire—but at the same time he’s a thief—he steals from the lord who has total trust in him �His choleric personality also makes him the kind of person with whom you probably wouldn’t want to hang out
Reeves vs. Millers: Reeves and millers were natural enemies—one of the reeve’s jobs was to take the lord’s grain to be milled into flour. Reeves knew that most millers were dishonest so they watched them very carefully. Millers didn’t like reeves because they knew they didn’t trust them. The Reeve and The Miller on the pilgrimage can’t stand one another—that’s why The Host makes The Miller ride first and The Reeve ride last in the cavalcade of pilgrims on their way to Canterbury.
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