Canterbury Tales

1. Canterbury Tales The General Prologue

2. 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

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

4. Prologue • Represent a wide range of 14th century English society • 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

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

6. 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

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

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

9. 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

10. Knight • Squire • Yeoman • Prioress • Monk • Friar • Merchant • Oxford Cleric (Clerk)

11. Sergeant • Franklin • Guildsmen • Cook • Skipper • Doctor • Wife of Bath • Parson

12. Plowman • Miller • Manciple • Reeve • Summoner • Pardoner • Poet • Host (innkeeper Harry Bailey)

13. 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.

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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 14th century • Short coats were declared “indecent” and embroidery was called unnecessarily expensive

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

19. 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)

20. 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 “amorvincitomnia” – interest in love?

21. 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

22. 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”

23. 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

24. 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.

25. 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)”

26. 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

27. 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

28. 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.”

29. 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

30. 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.

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

32. Wife of Bath • Woman from city of Bath; has been married 5 times • 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)

33. 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

34. 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

35. 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

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

37. 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

38. 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.”

39. 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”

40. 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

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

42. 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 1380s)

43. 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.”

44. 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

45. 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.”