Canterbury Tales, British Literature, Geoffrey Chaucer
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| 477191516 | Narrator | Geoffrey Chaucer, the author who would "speak plainly and with no concealings and give account of all their words and dealings", although he is never named | |
| 477191517 | Knight | father of the squire; lord of the Yeoman; fights in crusades; loyal to his king and God and follows rules of chivalry (minor nobility) | |
| 477191518 | Squire | young man of 20, son of the knight; writes songs/poems; a soldier yet a romantic (minor nobility) | |
| 477191519 | Prioress | superior of a monastery of nuns; attended by the Nun, the Monk, the Friar, and the Priest (clergy) | |
| 477191520 | Yeoman | "attendant"; a forester; servant of the Knight; outdoorsman; skilled in archery and woodcraft (peasant class) | |
| 477191521 | Monk | manages the estates of the Prioress and the monastery; outrider and hunter (clergy) | |
| 477191522 | Friar | a religious who has taken a vow of poverty and is licensed to beg; arranges marriages; somewhat of a lady's man; "Hubert"; helpful to others but with ulterior motives (clergy) | |
| 477191523 | Nun | chaplain to the Prioress; larger woman who liked to appear mannerly (clergy) | |
| 477191524 | Priest | one of three with the Prioress but not specifically described (clergy) | |
| 477191525 | Merchant | wealthy and pompous; secretly in debt (middle class) | |
| 477191526 | Oxford Cleric | a long-term student with an addiction to books; a religious scholar (clergy) | |
| 477191527 | Sergeant at the Law | a shrewd and wealthy lawyer (middle class) | |
| 477191528 | Franklin | wealthy landowner; lover of food (middle class, possibly minor nobility) | |
| 477191529 | Haberdasher | hat and clothing maker; guildsman "of one impressive guild-fraternity" (middle class) | |
| 477191530 | Carpenter | works with wood; guildsman "of one impressive guild-fraternity" (middle class) | |
| 477191531 | Weaver | makes fabric; guildsman "of one impressive guild-fraternity" (middle class) | |
| 477191532 | Dyer | dyes fabric and leather; guildsman "of one impressive guild-fraternity" (middle class) | |
| 477191533 | Carpet/Tapestry Maker | makes large, intricate woven pictures which are decorative and expensive; guildsman "of one impressive guild-fraternity" (middle class) | |
| 477191534 | Cook | works for the five guildsmen (peasant class) | |
| 477191535 | Skipper/Shipman | a sailor/pirate, commander of a merchant ship (middle class) | |
| 477191536 | Doctor/Physician | well-educated; a lover of gold; prescribes medicine (middle class) | |
| 477191537 | Worthy Woman/Wife of Bath | has survived five husbands; prosperous, gregarious, experienced; well-traveled; a bit arrogant (middle class) | |
| 477191538 | Parson | clerk and priest; poor because he is good; a true shepherding pastor; taught what he knew (clergy) | |
| 477191539 | Plowman | brother of the Parish Priest; an honest, decent farmer (peasant) | |
| 477191540 | Miller | owns a mill; grinds grain into meal and flour; foul; hot-tempered; dishonest; a buffoon (middle class) | |
| 477191541 | Manciple | a buyer for 30 lawyers who are administrators of London courts; illiterate but "street smart" (middle class) | |
| 477191542 | Reeve | manager of a nobleman's estate; prosperous; feared by those beneath him (middle class) | |
| 477191543 | Summoner | an agent of the Church courts who summons sinners to answer charges before the court; hands out fines; drunken scoundrel; had "dirt" on many (clergy) | |
| 477191544 | Pardoner | traded on the gullibility of the populace; sold relics and indulgences--"pardons from the punishment due to sin"; rat-tails for hair (clergy) | |
| 477191545 | Host | owner of the Tabard Inn where all the pilgrims meet; self-appointed leader/judge of pilgrims' tales; tour guide/leader for the pilgrims (middle class) | |
| 477191546 | Pilgrimage | in medieval Christianity, long annual trips to holy places to express religious devotion | |
| 477191547 | Canterbury | a town 55 miles southeast of London; major destination of English pilgrims | |
| 477191548 | Archbishop Thomas a Becket | murdered in Canterbury Cathedral in 1170 | |
| 477191549 | Middle English | original language of The Canterbury Tales | |
| 477191550 | Henry II | "misunderstood" by his knights who carried out murder; made first pilgrimage to Canterbury as atonement |
