The Canterbury Tales Notes & Review of Characters 12 th Grade

Knight ► Chivalry ► Well traveled ► 15 Battles ► Always killed his man ► Wise, modest, and noble ► Never boring ► Dressed in knights armor ► Perfect gentle knight ► All good comments ► Traveled with son (Squire) and Yeoman

Squire ► The knight’s son, a knight in training ► Curly hair ► Twenty years old ► Hot lover ► Did valiantly in cavalry to win his lady’s favor ► Flowered tunic with tights ► Talents: write, songs, poems, sing, recite, flute, ride horse, joust. ► All good comments

Yeoman ► Forester who cares for the knight’s land ► Green coat & hood ► Bow & arrow with peacock feathers ► Tanned face, like a nut ► Skilled in woodcraft ► All good things mentioned

Nun ► Well spoken, dignified ► Dainty eater ► Refined manners ► Friendly and entertaining ► Tender hearted ► Beautiful in appearance ► Another nun & three priests ride with her ► All good things mentioned

Monk ► Hunter, outdoorsman, manly ► Had handsome horses ► Ignored the strict rules for the Monk’s behavior ► Didn’t like to read books ► Dressed in expensive style ► Fat & friendly ► Bald & shiny skin ► Protuberant eyes (bulging) ► Liked rich food

The Friar ► His name is Hubert ► Belongs to an order of monks sworn to poverty ► Good talker ► Arranges marriages ► Important man in the community ► Had license from Pope to hear confessions (ironic tone) ► Gave absolution (forgiveness) for money ► Likes the ladies ► Good singer, white neck, strong physically ► Liked company of rich people, not the poor ► Works as a mediator (for small fee) ► Wears expensive garments

Oxford Cleric ► Student at Oxford University studying for the priesthood ► Was skinny and had a skinny horse  Litotes “he was not too fat,” meaning he was skinny ► Wore old worn-out clothes ► Could get no job with the church ► Too religious to do secular work ► Spent his money on books ► Taciturn, didn’t say much ► Gladly learned, gladly taught

Sergeant at the Law ► Lawyer appointed by the King to be a judge ► A conveyancer of deeds (expert) ► Wise, famous, knowledgeable of the law ► Wore fine looking clothes

Franklin ► Wealthy landowner ► White beard, a sanguine man (cheerful) ► Loved fine food and fine wine ► Home always open to anyone; always had food ready to eat & table set ► County Sheriff (tax collector)

Haberdasher, Dyer, Carpenter, Weaver, and Carpet-maker ► Tradesmen who belonged to a trade union ► Wore trim & fresh uniforms and accessories ► Wise enough to be aldermen (town councilmen) ► Wives were proud of them

Cook ► Gourmet (iron chef) cook ► Discriminating taste ► Makes the best blancmange ► Has ulcer on his knee

Skipper ► Captain of the “Maudelayne” ► Couldn’t ride a horse very well ► Tanned from summer heat ► “An excellent fellow” is ironic tone because he stole vintage wine while a trader slept ► Ignored the rules of conscience ► Unmatched in the skills of a sailor ► His beard had a shaking in many storms  Example of synecdoche, part stands for whole

Doctor ► Best talker alive ► He diagnoses using a horoscope & astrology ► He was in cahoots with the druggists who were dishonest in price fixing ► Well versed in medical knowledge and authorities ► Strict diet, no excesses only healthy food ► Didn’t read the bible much ► Richly dressed ► He was frugal ► He loved gold because gold is good for the heart, or so he said

Woman of Bath ► Somewhat deaf ► Expert in the making of cloth ► Angry if someone gets in front of her going to the church alter ► Wore attractive clothing; red stockings with garters ► Married five times in the church, besides other boyfriends in her youth ► Knew all the remedies for the heartaches of love; expert in the art of love ► Had gap-teeth set wide ► Well traveled, rode a horse skillfully ► Large hips ► Liked to laugh & chat

Parson ► He is a pastor of a local church ► Poor in money; rich in good deeds ► Learned man who truly knew the gospel ► Harmless, patient, diligent, giving, didn’t judge others ► Visited parishoners in their homes ► Practiced what he preached ( l 507, 538) ► He was a true shepherd (took care of his people- sheep, not just for money (mercenary) but for love of people ► Didn’t seek glory or fame ► Only religious character about who nothing bad is said

Plowman (farmer) ► The Plowman is the Parson’s brother ► Carted dung (rotten/stinking) through the morning dew (fresh/sweet)  Literary Term: antithesis ► Honest, good & true, peaceful, loving ► Did not complain of misfortune ► Helped the poor ► Paid his tithes (1/10) of his income to the church

The Miller ► Weighed 16 stone or 224 pounds ► Physically strong – could break down a door ► Bushy, red beard ► Hair on the end of wart, which is on the end of his nose ► Halitosis ► Told dirty stories ► A dealer in grain who cheats his customers ► Led the procession of travelers out of town playing his bagpipes

The Manciple ► In charge of buying food for the Inner Temple – an institute for training law students ► Wise in business dealings ► Wiser than his more than 30 bosses – he could “wipe their eye.”

The Reeve ► An estate manager ► Old, choleric (bad tempered), thin with chicken legs ► Good manager, no one could cheat him ► People under him feared him ► Carpenter of great skill ► Horse named Scot ► Last in the procession

Summoner ► Orders people to appear in Church Court (subpoena) ► Has pimples, narrow eyes, hits on women, thin beard ► Children run away, afraid ► No medicine could cure his pimples ► Loves garlic, onions, & leeks. ► Drinks red wine until drunk ► When drunk, he would shout & jabber Latin quotations ► Allowed young men to keep mistress for quart of wine ► Had a cake which he pretended was a shield

Pardoner ► Sells pardons to people from the Pope. ► Great singer, especially during collection offerings ► Yellow, waxy hair that hung down like rat-tails ► Protuberant eyes (bulging) ► Had the voice of a goat ► He’s castrated (eunich), female (cross-dresser) ► Sells relics (a sacred object related to a famous holy person ► Corrupt religious leader (conartist)

Conclusion (Host’s Proposal) ► Agreed to a story telling contest to make the trip interesting and pass quickly ► Each to tell four stories - two on the way to Canterbury and two on the way home ► The host is the judge of the best story ► Prize is a free dinner paid for by all ► Anyone who decided to quit must pay everyone’s expenses on the trip