“The General Prologue”
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Time: April/ spring day Place: Southwark, at the Tabard Inn on their way to Canterbury
The narrator Chaucer portrays the 29 Canterbury pilgrims.
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General Introduction
The Prologue gives an admirable description of the uncomplicated
life of England in the Middle Ages. Here are portraits of all
levels of English life. In this group Chaucer brings together
all of the foibles and virtues of man and the manners and morals
of his time with remarkable clarity. Through The Prologue
Chaucer alternately praises or chides the travelers with deftly
drawn word portraits which provide insights into the life of his
time. Influenced by Boccacio's Decameron, Chaucer uses the
device of the religious pilgrimage to bring together such a
diverse group. The shrine of St. Thomas a Becket to which the
pilgrims are going was reputed to have great healing qualities.
Some of pilgrims are going for health rather than religious
reasons. W of Bath was a little deaf; Pardoner was beardless;
the cook, a sore; summoner, boils and other skin trouble;
Miller, an awful wart on his nose; the reeve was choleric, etc.
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The knight:
perfect and genteel man who loved truth, freedom, chivalry and
honor. The most socially prominent person on the journey; the
battles he fought were all religious wars of some nature.
The Squire:
a candidate for knighthood; a lover who can sing lusty songs,
compose melodies, poetry
Yeoman:
dressed in green; an expert woodsman, an excellent shot with the
bow/ arrow.
Prioress:
Madame Eglantine; a gentle lady; well-educated though her French
wasn't accepted Parisian French. Coy and delicate; table
manner; More a woman than a nun! Without vocation but with the
dogs and jewelry that satirical literature always condemns nuns
for. Associates of the Prioress: 3 priests and another nun
Monk:
a lover of hunting, fine foods; bald headed, ugly, fat; dressed
in fine clothes. Favorite food was a roasted swan. No other
monk is more worldly than he is. Here Chaucer demonstrated his
use of irony: Chaucer selects and arranges his material so that
the reader can come to a conclusion about the character. When
the monk says that he doesn't approve of the solitary prayerful
existence in a monastery, Chaucer pretends to be convinced that
the Monk's argument is right. Everything that the monk does is
a violation of his monastic orders. His love of the worldly
goods, food, and pleasure, and his dislike of the quiet
monastery contradict his religious vows.
Friar:
Hubert --a wanton and merry man who had helped many girls get
married after he got them in trouble. Chief butts of medieval
satirists; knowing the taverns and inns better than the leper
houses and almshouses. Chaucer says there was no better man
than the Friar when it comes to the practice of his profession.
Always able to get money from people (thru every vicious and
immoral method). The best of his type--scoundrel.
Merchant:
rich and powerful rising middle class; shrewd; knew how to
bargain; well-dressed. No one would tell he was deeply in debt.
Clerk:
student at Oxford; extremely thin on a thin horse; threadbare
clothes; quiet; a real scholar
Next to the knight, he is one of the most admired people on the
pilgrimage.
Sergeant of Law:
able attorney; makes people think that he is busier and wiser
than he really is.
Franklin:
a large landowner with wealth, but not of noble birth. Red face
and white beard; enjoys good living; generally liked by the
other pilgrims. The Haberdasher, the Dyer, the Carpenter, the
Weaver, and the Carpet maker: belong to a guild
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Cook:
a master of his trade; good at cooking, but he has a running
sore on his shin, because his best dish was a creamed chicken
pie whose white sauce might be the same color as the pus from
the sore.
Shipman:
a huge man, uncouth; a master of vessel and knew all the ports;
not ride well; like a fish out of water as sat on his horse.
Doctor of Physic:
know astronomy (astrology) and something of nature; but nothing
of the Bible. Made a lot of money during the plague; love gold
Wife of Bath:
a bit deaf, excellent seamstress and weaver; married 5 times;
with aggressive feminism; in fancy/colorful clothes: scarlet red
stockings; gap-toothed; amorous; laugh and joke
Parson:
poor, but rich in holy thoughts and works; live the perfect life
first and then teach it. True Christian priest; Amid the worldly
clerics and the false and superficial religious adherents, the
poor parson stands out as the ideal portrait of what a parish
priest should be.
Manciple:
steward for a law school (a dorm for lawyers) in London;
cunning, though unlettered; cheating the well-educated lawyers
by putting aside a tidy little sum for himself.
Miller:
a big brawny man to outwrestle any man/ even a ram. Short
shouldered, broad and thick set; red beard, a wart on his nose
from which bristly red hairs protruded made him look fearful.
Play the bagpipes as the pilgrims left the town. (He tells a
dirty story about a carpenter John.)
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Summoner:
ugly: fire-red complexion, pimples and boils, a scaly infection
around the eyebrows, and a moth-eaten beard; loves garlic,
onions, leeks, and strong wine; speaking Latin to show off. His
physical appearance fits his profession well since he is paid to
summon sinners for a trial before a church court. He is so ugly
and gruesome looking that a summon from him is in itself a
horrible experience. Chaucer ironically implies that he is a
good fellow because sinners could easily bribe him. The reader
should be aware of these subtle ironic statements which are
often made in paradoxical situations.
Pardoner:
a church official who had authority from Rome to sell pardon and
indulgence to those charged with sins. Hypocrite, phony, ugly
but in fashionable clothes--loud, high-pitched voice, greed, big
eyes, yellow hair, beardless (a "gelding or a mare"); sing and
preach so as to frighten everyone into buying his pardons at a
great price. One of the most corrupt of the churchmen. In the
prologue to his tale, he confesses to his hypocrisy. Chaucer
implies that he is not really a man, that he is either sexually
impotent or perverted.
Reeve:
manager of a large estate. Shrewd, businesslike, capable;
cheating his lords by lending him what was his own; A skinny
man/ bad temper; ride last (in the back)--suspicious, trusting
nobody. Once a carpenter, he feels the need for revenge by
telling a dirty story about a miller later.
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Plowman:
a small tenant farmer, but the ideal Christian man; honest with
neighbors; paid his tithes
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The Host:
Harry Bailey; a merry man suggests that, to tell stories to
shorten the long journey--two tales on the way to Canterbury and
two more tales on the way back; the man who told his story best
was to be given a sumptuous dinner by the other members of the
party--a good strategy to make money 3 people who draw lots
first: the prioress, the clerk, knight--they're good and able to
start story-telling
Image Source: The Pilgrims in the Ellesmere Manuscript of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. San
Marino: The Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery
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Study Questions on Chaucer’s "The General Prologue":
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1. Describe the narrative voice of "The General Prologue."
2. How does Chaucer use physical description to show his
attitude towards the characters? Give examples.
3. According to what you have read, what qualities is Chaucer
intolerant of? Use specific examples.
4. What qualities does Chaucer most admire? How does he show his
admiration?
5. What does Chaucer reveal about his society through his
description of his pilgrims and their journey?
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Works Cited
“From Medieval Period to the Eighteenth Century.” English Literature and Culture. Fu Jen English Department. 23 Aug 2001. Web. 18 Oct 2014.