The Canterbury Tales

1
The Canterbury Tales

• Notes Review of Characters
• 12th Grade

2
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

3
Squire

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

4
Yeoman

• Forester who cares for the knights land
• Green coat hood
• Bow arrow with peacock feathers
• Tanned face, like a nut
• Skilled in woodcraft
• All good things mentioned

5
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

6
Monk

• Hunter, outdoorsman, manly
• Had handsome horses
• Ignored the strict rules for the Monks behavior
• Didnt like to read books
• Dressed in expensive style
• Fat friendly
• Bald shiny skin
• Protuberant eyes (bulging)
• Liked rich food

7
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

8
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, didnt say much
• Gladly learned, gladly taught

9
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

10
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)

11
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

12
Cook

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

13
Skipper

• Captain of the Maudelayne
• Couldnt 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

14
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
• Didnt read the bible much
• Richly dressed
• He was frugal
• He loved gold because gold is good for the heart,
  or so he said

15
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

16
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, didnt 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
• Didnt seek glory or fame
• Only religious character about who nothing bad is
  said

17
Plowman (farmer)

• The Plowman is the Parsons 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

18
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

19
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.

20
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

21
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

22
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
• Hes castrated (eunich), female (cross-dresser)
• Sells relics (a sacred object related to a famous
  holy person
• Corrupt religious leader (conartist)

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Conclusion (Hosts 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 everyones
  expenses on the trip