The Canterbury Tales

Home , For Love of Gold, General Prologue, Palamon and Arcite

rest of the population consisted of the peasant working class. However, in the BACKGROUND INFO late 14th century, this structure was breaking down. Peasant revolts such as the Jack Straw rebellion of 1381 raged through the countryside. A new middle AUTHOR BIO class consisting of educated workers such as merchants, lawyers, and clerks was beginning to gain power, particularly in urban areas. Chaucer himself was Full Name: Geoffrey Chaucer a member of this new middle class. The Canterbury Tales both depict and Date of Birth: c. 1343 satirize the conventions of these turbulent times. Place of Birth: London, England EXTRA CREDIT Date of Death: October 25, 1400 Geoffrey Chaucer Tweeteth. Though Chaucer likely did not foresee a digital Brief Life Story: Chaucer was born between 1343-5 to a well-to-do family of future for the Tales, he has a very active social networking presence, particular wine merchants in London. He served as a lower-level court official in a variety under the Twitter handle “LeVostreGC”(https://twitter.com/LeVostreGC). The of roles throughout his life. Chaucer was captured by the French during the blogosphere has adopted Chaucer in sites such as “Geoffrey Chaucer Hath a Hundred Years’ War but quickly released on ransom. Shortly afterwards, he Blog” (http://houseoffame.blogspot.com), which is written in a fake Middle married Philippa de Roet, an attendant to the Queen, and became an esquire English and features entries “written” not only by Chaucer but by his son and at the King’s court. As an esquire, he served as a spy and traveled to Italy and his contemporaries. France, where he likely encountered much of the continental European poetry Chaucer Through the Ages. Since its first publication, The Canterbury Tales has that influenced his writing. Chaucer held several official positions, including never been out of print, and they have inspired countless adaptations and re- the clerk in charge of overseeing new construction for the crown as well as workings. In his Autobiography, Ben Franklin claimed, perhaps as a joke, that his one of the king’s foresters. In addition to The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer wrote last name came from Chaucer’s Franklin. The whole genre of the buddy road- a number of other important poems and prose texts, including Troilus and trip movie can be traced to the structure of the Tales. Some recent adaptations Criseyde, a romantic, mythological tragedy; The Book of the Duchess, a courtly have included the 2001 film A Knight’s Tale, featuring Paul Bettany playing elegy; and a scientific treatise on the astrolabe. Chaucer himself. KEY FACTS Full Title: The Canterbury Tales PLOT SUMMARY Genre: Estate satire GENERAL PROLOGUE Setting: The road to Canterbury, England After a description of the spring, Chaucer the narrator introduces each of the Climax: No climax: each Tale has its own climax, but the Tales as a whole are pilgrims one by one. The form of the General Prologue is an estates satire: unfinished, and though they are interconnected in terms of characters and Chaucer is describing characters from each of the three medieval estates themes, there is not a single plot thread that develops throughout. (church, nobility, and peasantry) with various levels of mockery. Point of View: Many different characters tell their tales, but the whole frame The frame story of the General Prologue is a religious pilgrimage: all of these narrative is told through the eyes of Chaucer the pilgrim. It’s also important to characters have come together to go to the cathedral at Canterbury. Chaucer keep in mind that the Tales are unfinished. Each pilgrim is supposed to get two describes each of the pilgrims’ physical appearance very carefully, and this tales––one for the road to Canterbury, and one for the way back––but several description often gives much insight into each of their characters. of the pilgrims don’t even get one story, and they never actually make it to Canterbury. After Chaucer describes the pilgrims, he apologizes for any harshness or rudeness that might appear: he is simply trying to be as honest a narrator and HISTORICAL AND LITERARY CONTEXT use as clear, simple, unadorned language as possible. He then describes how the tale-telling contest begins. The Host at the Tabard Inn, Harry Bailly, When Written: End of the 14th century proposes that instead of marching toward Canterbury in boring silence, the Where Written: London, England pilgrims tell each other amusing tales on the way there and back. The Host When Published: England says that he will judge the tales and that everyone else will have to pay for the winner’s dinner upon their return. The pilgrims readily agree to this jolly plan. Literary Period: Medieval They draw straws to see who will tell the first tale, and the Knight––the most Related Literary Works: Although Chaucer never refers to it directly, he likely noble of the company––happens to draw the straw to go first. got much of his source material from Boccaccio’s Decameron, a series of linked stories that have a similar structure to The Canterbury Tales: just as the Tales THE KNIGHT’S TALE are told by pilgrims on their way to Canterbury, the stories of the Decameron The Knight is a skillful storyteller: he knows all the tricks of classical rhetoric are told by lords and ladies traveling around Florence as they try to avoid the and uses lots of flourishes in his style. Theseus brings his wife, Hippolyta, and Black Plague. Nearly every great poet writing in English is influenced yb her sister, Emelye, back to Athens. On the way, they meet weeping Chaucer. noblewomen, and Theseus avenges them by conquering the evil tyrant Creon. Related Historical Events: The late 14th century was a chaotic time in After the battle, scavengers find Arcite and Palamon, two knights who are England. The Catholic Church was undergoing huge shifts and changes. After badly wounded but still alive. Theseus takes them back to Athens and the horrors of the Black Death, many people were questioning the Church’s imprisons them for life. Palamon and Arcite are cousins who are sworn by the authority, and groups such as the Lollards rebelled against the power that bonds of chivalry to be brother knights to the death. priests wielded. Medieval society traditionally consisted of three estates: the One morning, Palamon looks out the window, spies the fair Emelye, and falls church, the nobility, and the peasantry. The church represented people who immediately head over heels in love. Arcite is also smitten. The two knights prayed but did not work for a living; this holy sector of society was supported have sworn never to let the love a lady come between them, but this is exactly by the other two and was not supposed to be concerned with material goods. what happens. Arcite gets released on the condition that he never return to The nobility was strictly bound to many rules of chivalry and courtliness. The Athens, and both men pine for Emelye. Arcite sneaks back to Athens in

Background info www.LitCharts.com | @litcharts ©2013-2014 | Page 1 The Canterbury Tales disguise and under a changed name takes a position in Theseus’s court. married, get nervous. The Wife of Bath describes her first three husbands as Palamon drugs his jailer and makes his escape from prison. The two knights good but boring: they were rich old men who were putty in the palms of her end up in the same grove, and they begin to duel for Emelye, but Theseus finds hands. The fourth husband had affairs, but the Wife of Bath, a lusty young them and makes them wait for a year so they can each amass armies and stage thing herself, retaliated by making his life a living hell. Jankyn, her fifth a proper fight. The winner of the battle will win the hand of Emily. husband, is good-looking but poor, and he outrages her by reading a book Theseus builds a huge arena for the battle. Palamon prays to Venus that he about wicked wives. The Wife of Bath tears pages out of the book and punches win the hand of Emelye, and Arcite prays to Mars for victory. Emelye prays to Jankyn in the face, but he hits her back, causing her to go deaf in one ear. The Diana for either chastity or the love of the man who truly desires her. Each Wife of Bath pretends to be dead for a little while on account of the blow, knight interprets the sign from the gods as saying that he has won, and neither which makes Jankyn pliable to her every whim. The Friar and the Summoner is wrong. During the battle, Palamon is captured and Arcite is victorious, but interrupt the Wife of Bath, but the Host shushes them and lets her tell her just as Arcite is doing a victory lap, a fury from hell pops up and scares his tale. horse so much that Arcite is thrown off. Gravely injured, Arcite whispers The Wife of Bath sets her Tale during the days of King Arthur, when fairies, forgiveness to Palamon on his deathbed and says that if he cannot have not friars, roamed England. A young, lusty knight rapes a maid, but instead of Emelye, Palamon should have her. having his head chopped off, the queen gives him the chance to save his life if Arcite dies, the kingdom mourns, and the Knight elaborately describes how he he can find out what women want. The knight receives different answers from is not elaborately describing the funeral rituals. Several years later, Theseus every woman he asks. Finally, he meets an old woman who says that she can gives a speech about how all mortals should submit to the wisdom and will of help him if he promises to pledge his life to her. He agrees and they return to the gods, Palamon and Emelye wed, and all live happily ever after. court, where the queen is assembled with her maids. The knight tells them that women want sovereignty over their husbands, which the women agree is THE MILLER’S PROLOGUE AND TALE the correct answer. The old woman makes the knight marry her, which he does, but very reluctantly. She offers him a choice: either she can remain ugly The drunken Miller interrupts the Host’s order so that he can “quite” the and be faithful, or she can become beautiful but possibly unfaithful. The knight Knight’s Tale, that is, respond to it directly. The Miller tells a fabliau, which is a lets the old woman choose, which, again, is the right answer, as she responds bawdy fable that involves a lot of complicated tricks and dirty jokes. Chaucer by letting him have his cake and eat it too: she transforms into a beautiful and interrupts briefly to tell the reader that if he doesn’t want to read a risqué tale, faithful woman. he should turn over the page. The foolish old carpenter is devoted to his frisky young wife, Alison. Nicholas, THE PARDONER’S PROLOGUE AND TALE a dashing young scholar from Oxford, woos Alison, and they devise a plan to Like the Wife of Bath’s Prologue, the Pardoner’s Prologue is also a literary sleep together. The vain parish clerk Absolon also wants to sleep with Alison, confession. Every sermon that the Pardoner gives has the same theme: “Greed but she rejects his advances. Nicholas pretends that a flood twice the size of is the root of all evils.” However, the Pardoner himself lives a very greedy life. Noah’s flood is going to come and drown them all, and he convinces the He brings pardons and fake relics back from Rome and gets the gullible carpenter that the carpenter, Alison, and Nicholas can save themselves by parishioners to make offerings to these trinkets. The Pardoner doesn’t care sleeping in tubs. Of course, this all turns into an elaborate ruse so that Alison about saving souls: all he wants to do is get rich. and Nicholas can make love under the carpenter’s nose. Meanwhile, Absolon comes to the window to kiss Alison, but she sticks her rear end in his face. The Pardoner tells the story of three young rioters who spend their days Enraged, Absolon gets a red-hot poker from the blacksmith. When he returns, carousing and drinking. They hear a coffin passing outside the tavern and learn Nicholas farts in his face, but Absolon takes revenge by branding Nicholas in that one of their friends has been stabbed by a thief named Death. The the buttocks. Nicholas cries out for water, the carpenter wakes up and crashes revelers pledge a bond of brotherhood among them and declare that they will in his tub to the ground. The tale ends with everyone laughing at the cuckolded slay Death. carpenter. They meet an old man wandering the earth begging Death to let him die. He points them to an old oak, where he says Death is sitting. However, when the THE REEVE’S PROLOGUE AND TALE knights arrive, there are eight enormous bushels of gold in the spot. One of The Reeve, a carpenter by craft, is furious at the Miller’s treatment of the rioters says that they should wait until nightfall to transport the gold, but carpenters and declares that he will “quite” the Miller’s tale with another that one of them should go to town to get provisions so that they can wait all fabliau, this one not about carpenters but about silly millers. day. They draw straws, and the youngest goes into town. While he is gone, the two others plot to kill him upon his return so that they will each have a bigger Symkyn the miller is a fat, pug-nosed scoundrel. Two young scholars, Aleyn share of the money. But the youngest reveler also plots to kill the other two so and John, try to stop the miller from stealing. However, Symkyn catches onto that he can have the treasure to himself. He gets a strong poison from the their plan and releases their horse into a field of wild mares. The scholars apothecary and spikes two bottles of wine. The youngest reveler returns and spend all day chasing their horse, which gives the miller plenty of time to steal the others kill him, but then they drink the poisoned wine and die on the same grain. Aleyn and John end up spending the night at the miller’s house. The spot. miller, his wife, his grown daughter, his infant, and the two scholars all share a bedroom. To take his revenge on the miller, Aleyn has sex with the miller’s Greed, the Pardoner reminds the pilgrims, is the root of all evils. The Pardoner daughter. Not to be outdone, John switches the cradle from the foot of the tries to sell a fake relic to the Host, but the Host gets mad, and the Knight miller’s bed to the foot of the scholars’ bed. Mistaking the beds, the miller’s must step in to break up the fight. wife hops into bed with John, who has sex with her. Aleyn leaves the PROLOGUE TO THE TALE OF SIR THOPAS, THE daughter’s bed and crawls back into what he thinks is his own bed to brag to John about his exploits, but it turns out that he brags to the miller. Chaos TALE OF SIR THOPAS, THE HOST’S INTERRUPTION ensues and everybody ends up beating up the miller. OF CHAUCER THE WIFE OF BATH’S PROLOGUE AND TALE The Host asks Chaucer for a merry tale, and Chaucer replies that he can give a piece of rhyming doggerel from his childhood. The Tale of Sir Thopas is a The Wife of Bath’s long prologue is in the form of a literary confession, or a parody of alliterative, rhyming romances popular during medieval times, and it monologue in which a character freely talks about his or her faults and virtues. is told in a thumping, heavily repetitive meter and rhyme scheme. Sir Thopas is The Wife of Bath says that her authority to tell her tale comes from a young knight who lives in the silly-sounding “Poperyng.” He is a fresh and experience: since she has had five husbands, she is an expert in the realm of lusty, though chaste, youth. Driven nearly mad with desire by birdsong, Sir marriage and the relationships between men and women. The Wife of Bath Thopas dreams of an elf-queen whom he resolves to make his lady-love. also enjoys providing her own interpretations of Biblical and classical literary However, Sir Olifaunt guards the elf-queen, and he and Sir Thopas must duel. allusions. She gives detailed descriptions of how wives wield power and Chaucer describes Sir Thopas’s clothes in great detail. control over their husbands, which makes the Pardoner, who is about to be

The Host interrupts Chaucer, saying that his horrible rhymes are not worth a The Monk – The Monk is another religious character who is corrupt. Instead turd. The Host begs Chaucer to say something in prose with a sensible moral, of reading in his cell, the Monk prefers to go hunting, even though this is and he replies with the long and long-winded prose Tale of Melibee. against the rules of the order of St. Benedict. The Monk also wears richly decorated clothing rather than the simple robes that one might expect a monk THE NUN’S PRIEST’S PROLOGUE, TALE, AND to wear. EPILOGUE The Friar – In medieval society, friars were mendicants, or beggars who could The Nun’s Priest Tale is a beast fable, meaning that the tale occurs among not work but had to live off the charity of others. Although they were animals and usually contains a clear moral. However, the Nun’s Priest fable is supposed to be humble and modest, this Friar is jolly and wants to lead a more complex and layered than a typical beast fable, as it contains elements of comfortable life. Instead of ministering to lepers and beggars, as friars are courtly romance, mock epic, and contemporary political satire. supposed to do, the Friar cultivates relationships with rich men so that he can make a profit. Rather than the simple cloaks of a beggar, the friar wears A widow and her two daughters live on a small farm, and their prized expensive clothing. possession is Chaunticleer, a fine rooster. Chaunticleer has seven wives, of which his favorite is the lovely hen Pertelote. One night, Chaunticleer has a The Merchant – The Merchant outfits himself in fashionable attire, with his nightmare about a murderer. Pertelote retorts that he is a coward, cites Cato multicolored cloak and his forked beard. He is a member of the new, rising on the dismissal of dreams, and prescribes a laxative. Chaunticleer gives many middle class that Chaucer the author belongs to. Chaucer says that the literary examples of the importance of interpreting dreams correctly, but Merchant hides being in debt by wearing fancy clothes, but the fact that even despite his instinct and all of his arguments, he ultimately follows Pertelote’s Chaucer, a stranger among the company, knows the Merchant’s financial advice and ignores the dream. Chaunticleer’s rationale for following troubles indicates that the Merchant does not hide his secrets as well as he Pertelote’s advice comes from his total mistranslation of a Latin quotation. thinks he does. One day in May, the fox comes into the chicken yard. At first, Chaunticleer is The Clerk – The Clerk is a poor scholar who can only afford threadbare wary, but when the fox flatters his singing abilities, Chaunticleer forgets to be clothes because he spends all his spare money on books. There are many cautious, closes his eyes, and opens his mouth to sing. At that very moment, scholars through The Canterbury Tales, and though nearly all of them are poor, the fox grabs the cock by the throat. The hens begin to wail like Trojan woman. this does not dampen their spirits. The widow and her daughters wake up, see the fox run off with the rooster, The Man of Laws – Like the Merchant, the Man of Laws is also a member of and everyone in the barnyard chases after the fox as though they are part of the new middle class. He works hard and attempts to pull himself up through Jack Straw’s rebellion. Chaunticleer tells the fox he should turn around and merit rather than simply by birth. The Man of Laws wants to join the ranks of taunt his tormenters. The fox agrees, and when he opens his mouth to speak, the nobility, unlike the Merchant, who wants to rise to prominence in the new Chaunticleer makes his escape and flies to the top of a high tree. The fox bourgeois class. attempts to sweet-talk the rooster down, but Chaunticleer has learned his The Franklin – The Franklin is a free, wealthy landowner, an excellent host lesson and will not go. The moral, says the Nun’s Priest, is to never trust who always keeps his table set for a feast. He provides frequent meals and flatterers. The Host immediately proceeds to flatter the Nun’s Priest. entertainment for the peasants who live on his land. The Franklin leads a pleasant life, following the tenets of the Greek philosopher Epicurus, and his CHARACTERS tale speaks of the merits of a marriage based on trust and faith. The Guildsmen (Haberdasher, Carpenter, Weaver, Dyer, Tapestry-Maker) – GENERAL PROLOGUE Chaucer mentions five specific guildsmen by trade in the Prologue, but none of them gets to tell a Tale. In medieval society, tradesmen organized into guilds Chaucer – Chaucer does not name himself in the General Prologue, but he is to obtain more power and money, and these workers were rapidly gaining one of the characters who gather at the Tabard Inn. All of the descriptions of recognition and influence. the pilgrims in the Prologue are narrated through the perspective of the The Cook – The Cook, Roger de Ware, is one of the pilgrims explicitly based character of Chaucer (which may or may not be the same as that of the author on a real-life figure. The Cook makes tasty food, but his disgusting appearance Chaucer). Although the Chaucer-narrator is not initially preparing to go on and severe lack of hygiene might not make that food the most appetizing of pilgrimage, after describing all the pilgrims, he decides to join the merry options. company on their journey. The Shipman – The Shipman is a scoundrel who skims off the top of the wares The Knight – The Knight is a noble man who fights for truth and for Christ he transports. However, even though he is a crook, the Shipman has a great rather than for his own glory or wealth. He has traveled throughout many deal of experience and is good at his job: he may be a thief, but he’s not a heathen lands victoriously. The Knight is one of the few characters whom hypocrite. Chaucer praises wholeheartedly: he is a genuine example of the highest order of chivalry. The Physician – The Physician, like the Clerk, is well-educated, but he practices his trade for love of gold rather than love of knowledge. He may not The Squire – The Squire is a young knight in training, a member of the noble know his Bible, but he certainly knows all that there is to know about science class. While he is chivalrous and genteel, he is not quite as perfect as his father, and medicine. the Knight, as he wears fine clothes and is vain about his appearance. The Squire is being trained in both the arts of battle and the arts of courtly love. The Wife of Bath – The Wife of Bath comes from the town of Bath, which is on the Avon River. She is a seamstress by trade but a professional wife by The Yeoman – Chaucer does not describe the Yeoman in much detail in the occupation: she has been married five times and presents herself as the Prologue, primarily observing that since he is dressed in green clothing and world’s expert in matters of marriage and the relations between men and keeps his arrows in good condition, he is an excellent forester who takes care women. Chaucer describes her as large, gap-toothed, and dressed in red of the Knight’s land. clothing, which is traditionally the color of lust. The Wife of Bath is a force of The Prioress – The Prioress attempts to be dainty and well-bred, and Chaucer nature, a larger-than-life character who is not afraid to push her way to the makes fun of her by describing how she speaks French with a terrible accent front and state her opinions. and sings the liturgy straight through her nose. Although the Prioress should The Parson – Unlike most of the other religious characters in the Tales, the be devoted to Christ, she is more concerned with worldly matters: her clothes Parson is a sincere and devout priest, devoted to his parishioners. He are richly bedecked, and her coral rosary that says “Love conquers all” serves genuinely practices what he preaches, traveling through rain and shine to the as a decorative piece rather than a religious article. farthest corners of his parish. The Second Nun and the Nun’s Priests – Even though the second nun and the The Plowman – The Plowman, the Parson’s brother, is also a devout Christian, nun’s priests are only mentioned in passing and are not described in the dedicated to his labors. He wears a modest tunic, demonstrating his humble General Prologue, this second nun and one of the priests do get to tell tales. ways, and always pays his tithes in full, showing his devotion to Christ.

Characters www.LitCharts.com | @litcharts ©2014 | Page 3 The Canterbury Tales The Reeve – In medieval society, a Reeve is a manager of an estate. This Reeve THE MILLER’S PROLOGUE AND TALE is slender, old, and crabby. Everyone is afraid of him because he knows all the tricks of the trade. The Reeve squirrels away the money that he earns from his The carpenter – The foolish, gullible old carpenter is very possessive of his landowner; indeed, at this point, he’s wealthier than his boss. The Reeve is also beautiful young wife, Alison. The carpenter criticizes Nicholas, the scholar, for a talented carpenter and is extremely offended when the Miller tells his story looking into “Goddes pryvetee” with all of his astrological studies, but as soon about a foolish carpenter. as Nicholas tells the carpenter about the “vision” that he has had, the carpenter believes him, doing anything he can to save his wife and himself. The Miller – The Miller is a pug-nosed, brawny worker with a red beard and a warty nose. He’s a champion wrestler, a thief––Chaucer says that he steals Nicholas – Nicholas is a poor young scholar from Oxford who studies corn from his bosses––and something of a drunkard. astrology and is much cleverer than the foolish carpenter. Nicholas is lively and lusty and likes to play tricks. He sleeps with Alison directly under the The Manciple – The Manciple supplies a school of law with provisions, but he carpenter’s nose, cuckolding him in his own house, and he farts in Absolon’s is cleverer than the lawyers he works for. He, like the Shipman and the Miller, face. likely steals from his masters, since his accounts always come out ahead and in his favor. Alison – Alison is the beautiful, flirtatious oungy wife of the carpenter. When Nicholas woos her, she thinks nothing of her marital obligations and has no The Summoner – The Summoner is another supposedly devout religious guilt at having an affair with the dashing young scholar. She is also somewhat figure who is actually a ypocrite.h In medieval society, summoners brought temperamental: even though she sings sweetly to Nicholas, she harshly people to the ecclesiastical court to confess their sins. He has a disgusting skin rebuffs Absolon’s advances. disease that makes his face pimpled and scaly. His outside appearance matches his inner corruption: he is very willing to be bribed in exchanged for a Absolon – Absolon is a vain parish clerk who also tries to woo Alison. Unlike full pardon. the poor Nicholas, Absolon is able to shower gifts and money on Alison, yet Alison scorns his advances, and she and Nicholas trick the foolish young clerk. The Pardoner – The Pardoner, with his mincing, feminine ways and long hair, Absolon literally kisses Allison’s ass, and Nicholas farts in his face. However, has been interpreted as potentially homosexual. He carries a full bag of Absolon does get his revenge on Nicholas when he brands him with a hot pardons and fake relics from Rome, which he uses to dupe gullible poker. parishioners into giving him money. The Host – The Host at the Tabard Inn, Harry Bailly, is a jolly, lively tavern- THE REEVE’S PROLOGUE AND TALE keeper. He establishes the main frame narrative of the Tales, since he is the Symkyn – Symkyn the miller, a fat, pug-nosed man, resembles the portrait of one who proposes the tale-telling game and sets the rules that it will follow. the Miller in the General Prologue. Symkyn is a scoundrel who steals grain The Host joins the pilgrimage not as a figure seeking religious guidance but as from his masters. guide and judge to the game. The Host’s presence demonstrate that the main purpose of this pilgrimage lies not so much in the devout religious act but in Aleyn – Aleyn, who comes from the north of England, is one of the two the fun that these tourists will have along the way. scholars studying at Cambridge. When the miller sets the clerks’ horse loose into the field of wild mares, Aleyn takes his revenge by setting himself loose THE KNIGHT’S TALE upon the miller’s daughter and having sex with her. Theseus – Theseus is the noble king of Athens. A powerful conqueror and a John – John, who comes from the north of England, is one of the two scholars fair ruler, Theseus often must make the final judgment throughout “The studying at Cambridge. By swapping the cradle from the foot of one bed to the Knight’s Tale”, but he accepts the counsel of others throughout. foot of the other, John tricks the miller’s wife into sleeping with him. Hippolyta – Hippolyta is Queen of the Amazons, a tribe of powerful women. The miller’s wife – Unlike Alison, the wife in “The Miller’s Tale”, who is much Nevertheless, before the story begins, she has fallen in love with Theseus, and younger than her husband, the miller’s wife is probably at least as old as the he brings her back to Athens as his bride. miller, considering they have a twenty-year-old daughter. The miller’s wife enjoys “swyving” (that is, having sex) and doesn’t seem to have any guilt upon Arcite – One of the two main knights of the Tale. Bound in chivalric sleeping with John. brotherhood to Palamon, Arcite nevertheless falls in love with the same woman, Emelye, while the two are imprisoned in the tower. The miller’s daughter – The twenty-year-old daughter resembles her father, Symkyn, since she also has a pug nose. She is a lusty young creature who Palamon – Brave, strong Palamon, sworn to eternal brotherhood with Arcite, steals grain from her thieving father to give back to the scholars. She sleeps his cousin, falls in love with the maiden Emelye while he and Arcite are with Aleyn. imprisoned for life in the tower. Emelye – The object of both Palamon’s and Arcite’s desire, Emelye, THE WIFE OF BATH’S PROLOGUE AND TALE Hippolyta’s maiden sister, is the lady whom the knights love from afar. She is Jankyn – The fifth and final of the Wife of Bath’s husbands, and the only one pious, virginal, and the epitome of an object of courtly love. whom she names in her Prologue. Unlike the other husbands, Jankyn is not Perotheus – A duke who is a friend of both Theseus and Arcite, he petitions rich and old, but young and poor: the Wife of Bath marries him for looks, not for Arcite’s release from prison. for money. Jankyn infuriates the Wife of Bath by reading books about wicked Venus – Palamon prays to Venus, goddess of love, before battle, asking to win women. the hand of Emelye. The temple of Venus is decorated not only with heroic The knight – The unnamed knight in the Wife of Bath’s tale is a foolish, overly love but also with stories showing the sinful and disastrous effects that love lusty bachelor who breaks the code of chivalry when he rapes a maiden in the can have. woods. He is sent by the queen on a quest to learn his lesson. Once he proves Mars – Arcite prays to Mars, the god of war, asking for victory in battle. Mars’s himself by discovering the answer to the question of what women want and temple is decorated with images of the destruction and havoc that war then by answering the old woman’s question correctly (that is, by letting her creates. decide), he is rewarded by getting to have his cake and eat it too: the old woman turns into a beautiful and faithful wife. Diana – Emelye prays to Diana before the climactic battle. Diana is the goddess of chastity as well as of change. Her temple is decorated with symbols The old woman – The ugly but wise old woman in the Tale is a common of virginity and maidenhead, but Diana’s emblem is the moon, and the temple character in legends: the loathly lady, or the woman who seems to be an also depicts various mythological characters whom she has changed. unimportant old woman but actually contains magical powers. The old woman helps the knight on the condition that he promises to do whatever she wants. Saturn – The father of the gods and the ultimate judge, pale, cold Saturn makes sure that everything turns out as Fortune and the gods have decreed. The queen – The unnamed queen, who is probably Guinevere out of Arthurian legend, wields most of the power in the kingdom: she orders the king to have Egeus – Theseus’s father and the voice of reason in the Tale who instructs mercy on the knight, and she dictates the terms of the punishment. The Theseus to move forward despite his grief.

Characters www.LitCharts.com | @litcharts ©2014 | Page 4 The Canterbury Tales assembly of women gathered to hear the knight’s answer is reminiscent of the giving her own readings of Scripture to back up her view that experience is the major arena that Theseus builds in “The Knight’s Tale”. only authority. THE PARDONER’S PROLOGUE AND TALE Even though the Tales are fictitious, Chaucer draws directly on real people and real events in his satire of human life. Chaucer presents his characters as stock The three rioters – The three rioters spend their days carousing, drinking, types – the greedy Pardoner, the hypocritical Friar, etc. – but he also presents and making mischief. Although they swear brotherhood during their quest to them as individual people who exist in the world around him. The most famous slay Death, as soon as they find the bushels of gold all bets are off and they example of this is Chaucer himself. The author of the Tales does not remove start plotting against each other, to their eventual demise. himself from his own satire. On the contrary, Chaucer depicts himself as a The old man – The old man who cannot die is a typical character from a moral bumbling, clumsy fool. Chaucer also draws on real-life settings and events to fable: he gives the rioters the information that they seek, but it turns out that emphasize the social commentary. In the Nun’s Priest’s Tale, Chaucer he leads them directly into danger. compares the climactic battle among all the farm creatures to the Jack Straw rebellion, a peasants’ revolt that took place in England in 1381. The clash PROLOGUE TO THE TALE OF SIR THOPAS, THE between the nobility and the peasants gets played out in miniature version TALE OF SIR THOPAS, THE HOST’S INTERRUPTION between the fox and the rooster. OF CHAUCER The rigid hierarchy of the medieval estates is frequently inverted and subverted throughout the Tales. Even though the Host sets forth each of the Sir Thopas – Young, brave Sir Thopas is a knight in both the literal springtime characters in order and in a procession in the General Prologue, the whole and the figurative spring of his life, as he is just starting forth on all his company of pilgrims is mixed. Pilgrims of all levels of society respond directly adventures. Although he is chaste, he is full of lust and zest for conquest in to each other. The Miller jumps in right after the Knight to tell his tale instead both love and battle. With his sweet tooth and his fashionable attire, Sir of waiting his place in line. In a pilgrimage, members from all three estates Thopas resembles the Squire. share the same primary function: all of them, great and small, are going to Sir Olifaunt – Sir Olifaunt, that is, “Sir Elephant,” is a huge giant who guards Canterbury. the elf-queen whom Sir Thopas falls in love with in a dream. COMPETITION THE NUN’S PRIEST’S PROLOGUE, TALE, AND The premise of The Canterbury Tales is a tale-telling competition between EPILOGUE pilgrims on their way to Canterbury. In the General Prologue, the Host introduces the structure: each pilgrim will tell two tales on the way to The widow and her daughters – The widow and her two daughters are the Canterbury and two on the way home. Many of the tales that the pilgrims tell only humans who appear in this Tale: all of the other characters in this beast are about competition. In the Knight’s Tale, for example, the climactic battle fable are animals. The widow and her daughters act like animals in the scene expands an individual competition into a contest between Mars, god of climactic scene of the Tale, when the entire barnyard chases the fox. war, and Venus, goddess of love. Chaunticleer – Chaunticleer the cock, the widow’s prized possession, is the Competition occurs both in the tales the pilgrims tell and among the pilgrims lord of the barnyard: he has seven hen wives, and his plumage is described as themselves. After the Knight tells his tale, the Miller jumps in: “By armes and though it were made of jewels. Although Chaunticleer is a rooster, he is well- by blood and bones, / I kan a noble tale for the nones, / With which I wol now educated and makes lots of literary allusions, even if he doesn’t know what all quite the Knyghtes tale” (I.3125-27). “Quiting” means paying back or requiting, of them mean. and the quiting game becomes an important part of the ordering principle of Pertelote – Chaunticleer’s favorite hen-wife, Pertelote, is also well-educated, the Tales. After the Miller tells his tale featuring a foolish carpenter, the angry quoting Latin authors and physician’s remedies. She is quite bossy and is an Reeve––a carpenter––blurts out, “‘So theek,’ quod he, ‘ful wel koude I thee example of the kind of authoritative wife that the Wife of Bath champions in quite / With blerying of a proud milleres ye.’” her Prologue. Though competition is the driving force of the frame narrative and spurs on Russell the Fox – The fox is the wily villain of the story, the murderous threat the Tales, competition can also halt the action. Between the Wife of Bath’s that Chaunticleer sees in a dream. The fox also is an allusion to the threat of Prologue and her Tale, the Friar and the Summoner interrupt and begin royal power disrupting peasants’ lives, as Chaucer hints when he describes the arguing with each other. The Friar complains about the Wife of Bath’s barnyard chase as being like the Jack Straw rebellion. rambling, and the Summoner complains about the Friar’s complaining. The Host has to step in and moderate the fight so that the Wife of Bath can get on THEMES with her story. COURTLY LOVE AND SEXUAL DESIRE SOCIAL SATIRE Courtly love is the medieval concept of expressing admiration and love in a Medieval society was divided into three estates: the Church (those who noble, chivalrous fashion. This type of love exists outside marriage: true prayed), the Nobility (those who fought), and the Peasantry (those who courtly love exists on a spiritual, idealized plane, and does not need to be worked). The General Prologue to The Canterbury Tales is an estates satire. In physically consummated. The Knight’s Tale centers on courtly love: the two the Host’s portraits of the pilgrims, he sets out the functions of each estate knights compete for the hand of a fair maiden. In the General Prologue, the and satirizes how members of the estates – particularly those of the Church – Host’s description of the Squire, a young knight, has all the trappings of a fail to meet their duties. By the late fourteenth century, the rigid organization traditional courtly lover: he wears fancy clothes, takes care of his appearance, of these three estates had begun to break down. A merchant class had begun writes music, jousts, dances, and is so passionate in his love that he can barely to rise and was quickly gaining money and power throughout secular society. sleep. An intellectual class was also rising – people trained in literature but, unlike Courtly love is satirized in many of the tales that do not take place among the monks, not destined for church life. As the son of wine merchants and clerk to nobility. The Miller’s Tale turns ideals of courtly love into a rude fart joke. The the king, Chaucer belonged to both of these new suborders of society. Nun’s Priest’s Tale, a beast fable about a rooster and a fox, puts courtly love in Chaucer puts all of society on parade, and no one escapes his skewering. the henhouse: Chaunticleer the cock is devoted to Pertelote, his favorite hen. The social satire that the Host sets up in the General Prologue continues Just like a noble knight, Chaunticleer uses classical references and is inspired throughout the tales that the pilgrims tell. The Nun’s Priest’s tale satirizes by dream visions, and Chaunticleer’s crazy misreading of the message that he courtly love by putting chivalry in the setting of a barnyard. Supposedly pious gets in the dream is what lets him get tricked by the fox. religious figures are shown to be corrupt and greedy just underneath the In contrast to idealized courtly love, sexual desire also plays a large role in The surface. In her Prologue, the Wife of Bath presents a parody of religious logic, Canterbury Tales. Many of the tales are bawdy and focus on physical lust. The

Miller’s Tale, among several others, centers on sexual rivalry. The Wife of Bath relics to parishioners. Though the Prioress supposedly wears a rosary in is very frank about her relations with her five husbands. devotion to Christ, her ornate token seems much more like a flashy piece of The opening to the General Prologue introduces both noble love and carnal jewelry than a sacred religious object. lust: men long to go on pilgrimages, Chaucer says, both when they feel WRITING AND AUTHORSHIP religious zeal and physical desire. The birds singing and flowers blossoming are emblematic of both poetic and sexual awakening. Misplaced or Chaucer is considered to be the father of English poetry. Even though the disproportionate sexual desire drives many of the tales. Cuckolding is a major premise of the Tales is that they unfold organically throughout the course of theme in many of the more vulgar tales. Chaucer uses lots of double entendres the pilgrimage to Canterbury, Chaucer is highly conscious of the fact that he is and thinly veiled dirty jokes to portray lust. conducting a literary project with readers as well as listeners. When the Miller introduces his tale, for example, he says that if the reader doesn’t like it, he Sexual desire and courtly love both feature prominently in the debate over should simply “turn over the leef and chese another tale” – in other words, what makes a good marriage, which is a question that many of the pilgrims ask turn the page and read another story. Chaucer himself appears as one of the themselves throughout their tales. Both male and female roles are considered pilgrims. He depicts himself as a bumbling, clumsy, foolish sort, and the two in the question of what makes successful and sustained relationships. The tales he tells are ironically awful, given that we know he is the mastermind knight in the Wife of Bath’s Tale must answer the question, “What do women behind this whole enterprise. want?” The concept of a framing narrative that surrounds a group of tales is itself is a FRIENDSHIP AND COMPANY common literary convention, seen, for example, in The Thousand and One Friendship can be seen on two scales throughout the Tales: the brotherly Arabian Nights. Chaucer most likely based his frame narrative on Boccaccio’s connection between two men, and the ties that exist among members of a Decameron, in which ten ladies and gentlemen, traveling around the Italian company. Friendships between knights were an extremely important part of countryside to avoid the plague, tell each other stories. chivalry, or the code of conduct that knights were supposed to follow. In The In this tale-telling competition, the pilgrims are very interested in what makes Knight’s Tale, Palamon and Arcite must choose between their chivalric bond for good and bad literature. Are the best tales the ones that give the best to each other or their rival love for Emelye. For a knight, choosing a beloved moral lessons, or the ones that provide the most entertainment for the over a brother jeopardizes the chivalric code. company? The Canterbury Tales contain a vast array of subjects and literary Friendship between two individuals that turns into rivalry plays a key role in genres, from noble depictions of courtly love to bawdy jokes to beast fables to many of the tales. The Miller, responding directly to the Knight’s Tale, also stories of saints’ lives. Almost all the pilgrims introduce themselves and their gives a story involving a love triangle of two friends competing for the same tales through a prologue, in which they typically explain who they are and why woman. The Pardoner tells the tale of three friends who find buried treasure, they are going to tell their tale. but whose greed corrupts their friendship: they all plot against each other to The pilgrims have several different theories about what makes a good story gain more wealth for themselves. and what it means to have the authority to tell it. The Wife of Bath claims that The concept of the company is also a form of friendship that has its own social authority comes through experience, saying she is qualified to tell a tale of love and economic rules. Several of the pilgrims that the Host introduces in the and marriage because she has been married five times and using her own General Prologue are guildsmen. Medieval guilds were organizations of interpretations of Scripture as evidence. The Pardoner unapologetically members of a specific trade (for example, carpenters) and formed the describes how he cons foolish men out of money by selling them false religious backbone of the economy. If there was fighting among members of a guild, or relics. He rejects a monastic life, declaring that he lives for greed rather than between rival guilds, the whole town would suffer. Even though each of the celestial love. But even though he himself is vicious, he says, he knows how to pilgrims comes from a different group, they all come together as one joint tell a moral tell with the lesson that greed is the root of all evils. company on the pilgrimage. Many of the pilgrims end their tales by addressing Chaucer uses a huge variety of styles and forms in the tales. Each pilgrim has a the company at large, and the host often addresses all of them as a single distinct voice. The Knight uses genteel, formal language, while the Miller and group. Reeve speak in coarse, rude double entendres. Although the majority of The Canterbury Tales are in rhymed couplets of iambic pentameter, some of them CHURCH CORRUPTION use different verse forms. The Prioress tells her story of a pure-hearted The frame narrative of the Tales itself is religious: everybody is on pilgrimage Christian boy in rime royal, which is a rhyming form in seven-line stanzas. to Canterbury. But these are not necessarily the most pious pilgrims in the Chaucer’s Tale of Sir Thopas is told in comic doggerel with a thumping, world: for many of the travelers, that the pilgrimage is a tourist expedition irregular rhythm. rather than a devout religious quest. The Catholic Church was an enormously powerful force in medieval society, SYMBOLS and extremely wealthy. The elaborate, ornate, gilded cathedrals built to enshrine saints’ relics were very costly, and the Church also collected regular SPRINGTIME tithes from its members. By the late fourteenth century, people had begun to become deeply suspicious of the Church’s ostentatious wealth. After the Black The pilgrimage begins in April, when all of nature is starting to flower and Death, which wiped out at least a third of the population, many people no people are experiencing reawakening of both religious and sexual zeal. longer trusted the Church’s authority. Church official were often seen as Springtime appears as a symbol of both courtly and erotic love throughout corrupt, bribing and coercing people to obtain money for the church under many of the Tales. Both the Knight’s Tale and the Nun’s Priest’s Tale are set in false pretences. Since members of the church were not allowed to work for a May, the time of courtly love and wooing. living, they had to gain money by other means. Friars took a vow of poverty LITERARY ALLUSIONS and roamed the countryside, relying on charitable donations for their livelihood. Summoners brought sinners to the church court for punishment. Many characters use literary allusions from the Bible and classical mythology. People bought indulgences from pardoners to purchase forgiveness for their The pilgrims use literary allusions to make themselves seem more sins. authoritative as tale-tellers. Chaucer also uses this effect to enhance the The religious figures in The Canterbury Tales highlight many of the problems literariness of his Tales and to emphasize his role as the father of English corrupting the medieval Church. The Monk, who is supposed to worship in poetry. Sometimes, the effect is serious, as in the Knight’s Tale, when confinement, likes to hunt. Chaucer’s Friar is portrayed as a greedy hypocrite. Olympian gods arrive. Often, the effect is comic, as when the rooster He tells a tale about a summoner who bribes an old innocent widow. The Chaunticleer and the hen Pertelote begin quoting classical authors in the Summoner, in retaliation, skewers friars in his tale, satirizing their long- Nun’s Priest’s Tale. windedness and their hypocrisy. The Pardoner openly admits to selling false

Symbols www.LitCharts.com | @litcharts ©2014 | Page 6 The Canterbury Tales CLOTHING AND APPEARANCE THE KNIGHT’S TALE What the pilgrims wear is often a very important sign of their characters. Whilom, as olde stories tellen us, Outward appearance indicates who one is in medieval society. The Knight’s Ther was a duc that highte Theseus; armor is stained from battle, indicating that he not only talks the talk, he walks Of Atthenes he was lord and governour, the walk. The Prioress wears fussy, heavily ornamented clothes, showing that And in his tyme swich a conquerour she is more preoccupied with her earthly appearance than her devotion to That gretter was there noon under the sonne. God. Similarly, the Friar is supposed to be a poor beggar, yet he wears rich Ful many a rich contree hadde he wonne; clothes. The red clothing that the Wife of Bath wears signifies her lusty What with his wysdom and his chilvalrie. nature. An overemphasis on clothes and physical appearance usually indicates —The Knight the hypocritical nature of that vain pilgrim.

QUOTES He cast his eye upon Emelya, And therwithal he bleynte and cride, “A!” GENERAL PROLOGUE —The Knight Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote The droghte of March hath perced to the roote, And bathed every veyne in swich licour Of which vertu engendered is the flour; And there, at the kynges court, my brother, ... Ech man for himself, ther is noon oother. Thanne longen folk to goon pilgrimages —Arcite ... And specially from every shires ende OF Engelond to Caunterbury they wende, The hooly blissful martir for to seke, The Firste Moevere of the cause above, That hem hath holpen whan that they they were seeke. Whan he first made the fair cheyne of love, Greet was th’effect, and heigh was his entente. —Narrator (Chaucer) Wel wiste he why, and what thereof he mente, For with that faire cheyne of love he bond The fyr, the eyr, the water, and the lond He was a verray, parfit gentil knyght. In certeyn boundes, that they may nat flee. —Narrator (Chaucer) —Theseus

Ful weel she soong the service dyvyne THE MILLER’S PROLOGUE Entuned in hir nose ful seemly, I kan a noble tale for the nones, And Frenssh she spak ful faire and fetisly, With which I wol now quite the Knyghes tale. After the scole of Stratford atte Bowe, For Frenssh of Parys was to hir unknowe. —The Miller —Narrator (Chaucer)

And therefore, whoso list it nat yheere, Turne over the leef and chese another tale; He yaf nat of that text a pulled hen, For he shal fynde ynow, gret and smale, That seith that hunters ben nat hooly men, Of storial thing that toucheth gentilesse, Ne that a monk, whan he is recchelees, And eek moralitee and hoolynesse. Is likned to a fissh that is waterlees–– Blameth nat me if that ye chese amys. This is to seyn, a monk out of his cloystre. The Miller is a cherl, ye know wel this. But thilke text heeld he nat worth an oyster. —Narrator (Chaucer) —Narrator (Chaucer)

Nowher so bisy a man as he there nas, THE MILLER’S TALE And yet he semed bisier than he was. This Nicholas anon leet fle a fart —Narrator (Chaucer) As greet as it had been a thonder-dent. —The Miller

For May wole have no slagardie anyght. The sesoun priketh every gentil herte, Thus swyved was this carpenteris wyf, And maketh it out of his slep to sterte. For al his kepyng and his jalousye, —Narrator (Chaucer) And Absolon hath kist hir nether ye, And Nicholas is scalded in the towte. This tale is doon, and God save al the rowte!

—The Miller —The knight

THE REEVE’S PROLOGUE For gentilesse nys but renomee Of thyne auncestres, for hire heigh bountee, This dronke Miller hath ytoold us heer Which is a strange thing to thy persone. How that bigyled was a carpenteer, Thy gentilesse cometh fro God alone. Peraventure in scorn, for I am oon. Thanne comth our verray gentilesse of grace; And, by youre leve, I shal him quite anoon. It was no thing biquethe us with our place. —The Reeve —The old woman

THE REEVE’S TALE And eek I praye Jhesu shorte hir lyves That noght wol be governed by hir wyves, Thus is the proude miller wel ybete, And olde and angry nygardes of dispence, And hath ylost the gryndynge of the whete, God sende hem soon verray pestilence! And payed for the soper everideel —The Wife of Bath Of Aleyn and of John, that bette hym weel. His wyf is swyved, and his doghter als. Low, swich it is a millere to be fals! And therefore this proverbe is seyd ful sooth, “Hym thar nat wene wel that yvil dooth.” THE PARDONER’S PROLOGUE —The Reeve But shortly myn entente I wol devyse: I preche of no thing but for coveityse. Therfore my theme is yet, and evere was, Radix malorum est Cupiditas. THE WIFE OF BATH’S PROLOGUE —The Pardoner Experience, though noon auctoritee Were in this world, is right ynough for me. —The Wife of Bath THE PARDONER’S TALE “Now,” quod oure Hoost, “I wol no lenger pleye With thee, ne with noon oother angry man.” Men may devyne and glosen, up and doun, But right anon the worthy Knyght bigan, But wel I woot, expres, without lye, Whan that he saugh that al the peple lough, God bad us for to wexe and multiplye, “Namoore of this, for it is right ynough!” That gentil text kan I wel understonde. —The Host, The Knight —The Wife of Bath

PROLOGUE TO THE TALE OF SIR THOPAS By God! if women hadde written stories, As clerkes han withinne hire oratories, He in the waast is shape as wel as I; They wolde han writen of men moore wikkednesse This were a popet in an arm t’embrace Than all the mark of Adam may redresse. For any woman, smal and fair of face. —The Wife of Bath —The Host

And whan I saugh he wolde never fyne THE TALE OF SIR THOPAS To reden on this cursed book al nyght, Al sodenly thre leves have I plyght Listeth, lordes, in good entent, Out of his book, right as he radde, and eke And I wol telle verrayment I with my fest so took hym on the cheke Of myrthe and of solas, That in our fyr he fil bakward adoun. Al of a knight was fair and gent —The Wife of Bath In bataille and in tourneyment; His name was sire Thopas. —Chaucer

THE WIFE OF BATH’S TALE Wommen desiren to have sovereynetee THE HOST’S INTERRUPTION OF CHAUCER As wel as over hir housbond as hir love And for to been in maistrie hym above. Thy drasty rhyming is nat worth a toord!

—The Host The narrator begins by describing the The narrator is sincere in his description Knight, a noble man who loves of the Knight as a noble, chivalrous man, chivalry and fights for truth and honor. determined to fight for the glory of God The knight has travelled through and always victorious. Unlike many of THE NUN’S PRIEST’S TALE Christian and heathen Chaucer’s portraits, which satirize the territories––Alexandria, Prussia, figure being shown, Chaucer is genuine in For al so siker as in principio Russia, Lithuania, Granada, Morocco, his praise for the Knight. Mulier est hominis confusio,–– Turkey––and has been victorious Madame, the sentence of this Latyn is, everywhere and universally praised “Womman is mannes joye and al his blis.” for his valor. But his exploits are —Chaunticleer always conducted for love of Christ, not love of glory. In addition to being worthy and brave, The Knight’s stained, modest clothes Certes, he Jakke Straw and his meynee says the narrator, the Knight is show that he truly fights well and is not Ne made never shoutes half so shrille modest and meek as a maid. He never showy or vain. Whan that they wolden any Flemyng kille, speaks ill of anyone. He wears modest As thilke day was maad upon the fox. clothes, and his mail is stained with rust. —The Nun’s Priest The narrator next describes the The Squire is not yet as noble and Knight’s son, a Squire, who is a lively experienced as his father: though he is and lusty young knight in training. The learning all the proper ways to be a good For seint Paul seith that al that writen is, Squire has curled hair and, though knight, he is still youthful and somewhat To our doctrine it is ywrite, ywis; only of moderate height, is vain. Taketh the fruyt, and lat the chaf be stile. marvelously agile. He has taken part in —The Nun’s Priest chivalric expeditions in Flanders and northern France. The Squire, says the narrator, wants Unlike the Knight, who dresses modestly to find favor with his lady. His tunic is so as not to show off, the young Squire embroidered with flowers, as if he had wears elaborately decorated clothing SUMMARY & ANALYSIS gathered a meadow and sewn it to his that reveals him as a lusty youth as well clothes, and his gown is short with as a fighter. He displays all the skills of a GENERAL PROLOGUE wide sleeves. The Squire is constantly courtly lover. But although the Squire is a singing and playing the flute. He can bit vain, he does always act in The General Prologue opens with a The first sentence of the General also joust, dance, draw, and write well. accordance with his social position. description of April showers and the Prologue, is one of the most important The Squire is so passionately in love return of spring. “Whan that Aprill 18 lines of poetry in English. Writers ever that he sleeps no more than a with his shoures soote / The droghte since Chaucer’s day have used and nightingale. He is always courteous, of March hath perced to the roote,” he responded to this expression of humble, and modest. begins, and writes about the springtime. The combination of the burgeoning flowers and singing birds. awakening physical landscape with the The only servant the Knight has with Even though the Knight is noble, he is The sun has gone through the second desire to go on pilgrimage mixes bodily him is the Yeoman, who wears a green shown as humble, as befits a good knight, half of the zodiacal sign Aires, the lust with religious zeal. The pilgrims seek hood and coat. The Yeoman takes because he only travels with one servant. “Ram.” Budding, lust-filled springtime help from the martyr St. Thomas à great care of his bow and sharp, keen The fact that he has a Yeoman also is also the time when people desire to Becket. peacock arrows. He has closely shows that the Knight owns land go on pilgrimage, and travelers from cropped hair and tanned skin. On his because he needs a forester to maintain all corners of England make the arm he wears a bright arm guard and it. journey to Canterbury Cathedral to carried a sword as well as a dagger. seek the help of the blessed martyr. The Yeoman also wears a badge of St. Christopher. The narrator guesses Chaucer, the narrator, who is The diversity of the company traveling to that, according to the Yeoman’s dress, preparing to go on pilgrimage, is Canterbury emphasizes that people from he is a forester. staying at the Tabard Inn, a tavern in all levels of medieval society take the Southwark. A diverse company of same journey. The narrator next describes the The narrator’s fawning description of the twenty-nine other pilgrims enter the Prioress, a nun named Madame Prioress is mocking, emphasizing her inn, and the narrator joins their group. Eglentyne. She sings the liturgy fastidious airs and her affected through her nose. She speaks French mannerisms. She believes she sings well, The narrator and the other pilgrims Not only does the narrator of the story elegantly, though in an English accent. but she intones in straight through her drink, and they decide they will start become one of the characters in it, he She has excellent table manners: she nose. The fact that the Prioress speaks their journey together the next also makes the reader aware of his never lets a morsel of meat fall from French shows her desire to adopt the morning. But before they begin, the presence as an author: these are his her mouth onto her breast, nor does behaviors of a noble lady, since French narrator pauses the story to introduce individual perceptions and judgments of she dip her fingers into the sauce. She was the language of the court. the reader to the array of travelers in appearance. wipes her lips so clean that not a the company, saying that he will speck of grease remains after a meal. describe how each one of them The Prioress takes pains to imitate seemed to him. courtly manners and to remain dignified at all times.

The Prioress is so charitable and The narrator sarcastically portrays the The Friar is an excellent singer and Saint Francis, the founder of the Order of compassionate, the narrator says, that Prioress as a wimp, squealing every time knew every innkeeper and barmaid in Friars, famously spent his life treating whenever she sees a mouse caught she sees a dead mouse. In the name of every town. He disdains lepers and lepers and beggars. This hypocritical and bleeding in a trap, she weeps. She her compassion, she also spoils her little beggars as unworthy: instead, he Friar abuses his office to make money keeps small dogs, feeding them roast pet dogs. deals with rich men with whom he can instead of concentrating his efforts on meat, milk, and fine white bread, and make a profit. Whenever he can make helping those who need aid. Instead of she weeps if any of them are trampled money, there is no man so virtuous. remaining pious and true to his vows, the or if men beat them with a switch. On days when conflicts are resolved, lusty Friar cavorts in expensive clothes. the Friar behaves not like a cloistered The detail of his lisp turns him into an The Prioress wears a wimple draped The Prioress pretends to be dainty, but cleric but like a master or pope, even more ridiculous figure. to show off her well-formed nose, the narrator sardonically observes that donning an expensive cloak and gray eyes, and small red mouth. The she is a rather large woman, which frolicking. This friar, whose name is narrator observes that she has a wide explains why he knows her table Hubert, also has a lisp. forehead and that she is hardly manners so well. Her fancy rosary underfed. Her cloak is very elegant. suggests that the Prioress is more A Merchant with a forked beard is The narrator says that the Merchant She wears a coral rosary with green devoted to earthly possessions than to also among the company. He is hides being in debt with his flashy boots beads, on which there is a gilded A, for Christ. dressed in a multicolor cloak, fur hat, and nice hat, but the fact that even the Amor vincit omnia: “Love conquers all.” and boots. He speaks slowly, weighing narrator knows about his debt shows the profit of xpressinge his opinions. that everyone else must know about it He is good at borrowing money and too. The narrator notes that a second nun Although only mentioned in passing here, was so dignified in business that no rides with the Prioress as well as a the Second Nun and one of the Nun’s one can tell he was in debt, the chaplain and three priests; however, Priests later tell their own tales. narrator claims. these characters are only mentioned The Clerk is an Oxford University The narrator is satirizing the stereotype in passing in the General Prologue. student, thin and dressed in of the poor, emaciated scholar who threadbare clothes. He would rather spends all his money on books rather Next there comes a handsome Monk The narrator satirizes the contemporary have books than fine clothes or than on practicalities like food and who conducts business outside the non-devout life of monks through his money. Though he is a philosopher, he clothing; however, the narrator does monastery. When he rides through portrait of the jolly huntsman. By has not found the philosopher’s stone: admit—and seem to admire—that the the country, men can hear his bridle pretending to agree that monks should what little money he has, he spends on student truly loves knowledge. jingling as loud as the chapel bell. This abandon the commands of their orders books. He takes his studies very monk is of the old, somewhat strict and go hunting instead of studying in seriously, and whenever he speaks, his Benedictine order, but he lets the old cloisters, the narrator mocks the speech is full of moral virtue. ideas pass away to follow new corruption he sees in medieval customs. The Monk scoffs at the monasteries. The wise and prudent Man of Laws is The Man of Laws is a social climber, a notion that monks cannot be holy if very well respected and highly sought hard worker attempting to climb up the they go hunting and scorns the text after for his legal assistance. He is an ranks through skill and networking. that claims that a monk out of his excellent buyer of land. The Man of cloister is not worth an oyster. The Laws is extremely busy and pretends narrator claims to agree: why waste to be even busier than he is. No one away indoors, and do as Augustine could ever find a flaw in his legal ordained? Let Augustine do his own documents. work! Next in the company comes the A franklin, or gentleman landowner, was The Monk is a good horseman and The plump, robust Monk resembles a Franklin, a white-bearded, cheerful expected to provide generous meals and rides along with a pack of swift prosperous lord rather than a scholar landowner whose main goal in life is entertainment in medieval society. His greyhounds. His sleeves are trimmed who spends his days pouring over his pleasure and delight. He gives such actions are in line with the Greek with expensive squirrel fur, and his books. Instead of dressing in modest, elaborate meals that it seems to snow philosopher Epicurus, who said that hood is fastened with a gold pin into pious attire, the Monk wears fine furs meat and drink in his house. He offers happiness comes through pleasure. an elaborate knot. Hs head is bald, and and shows off his material wealth. any dainty treat that men could think his face glows as if he had been of. The food changes with the seasons, rubbed with oil. He is a plump, lively but it is always abundant. man whose eyes gleam like fire under a cauldron. Five guildsmen are among the The guildsmen only appear in the company: a Haberdasher, a General Prologue. Even though they The merry, wanton Friar is licensed to Medieval friars were mendicants: they Carpenter, a Weaver, a Dyer, and a fancy themselves to be important town beg in a certain district. Of all the took a vow of poverty, were not allowed Tapestry-Maker. They are dressed personages, the narrator does not give orders of Friars, his is the most to work, and had to rely on the charity of well, with brightly polished belts and them individual personalities, and they inclined to gossip. The Friar has others for their livelihood. Arranging knives. Any one of them, says the don’t tell their own tales. arranged and paid for many marriages young ladies’ marriages suggests that the narrator, could have been an of young ladies. He is well known to all Friar did so because he first made the alderman, as their wives would agree. the rich landowners and wealthy women pregnant. The wily Friar hears women in town, as he has full powers the confessions of the wealthy The guildsmen hired a Cook for the Roger de Ware is one of several pilgrims of confession and could absolve any landowners and gives them easy journey. The Cook, Roger de Ware, is in the Tales who is based on a real sins sweetly and pleasantly. Many a penance to make more money, twisting very skillful, but the narrator is person. man is so hard of heart, says the the spiritual intention of his office to his repulsed by the pus-filled ulcer on his narrator, that he cannot weep for his own material well-being. shin. sins: instead of tears and prayers, these men give silver to poor friars.

A Shipman rides as well as he could on The Shipman is not a good horseman The Parson’s brother, the Plowman, is Chaucer’s Plowman falls in a long line of a carthorse. He wears a dagger because he is not used to traveling on a faithful worker who worships God literary Christian plowman, including around his neck. When he was on his land. Although it is his job to transport and loves his neighbor as he loves William Langland’s book Piers Plowman, ship, he stole wine from the merchant, goods safely, he shows no scruples at himself. He threshes hay for Christ’s which was written slightly before the whose goods he was transporting, skimming a little off the top for himself. sake and always pays his tithes fully; Canterbury Tales. while the merchant slept. The he wears a loose workman’s tunic and Shipman knows all about navigation rides on a mare. and the tides: his beard has been shaken with many a tempest. The rest of the company is a Reeve, a By assuring the reader that he is almost Miller, a Summoner, a Pardoner, a done describing the company the The Physician bases his medical The narrator’s portrait of the Physician is Manciple, and the narrator himself: narrator asserts his authorial control. practice on principles of astronomy neither uniformly complimentary nor besides these, “ther were namo.” and diagnoses the cause of every entirely satirical. The Physician is malady based on the four humors: hot, genuinely a man of learning and cold, moist, and dry. He can quote all practices a moderate lifestyle, yet he the ancient medical texts but knows pursues his career not for love of The Miller is a burly workman who The Miller is a rough, bawdy peasant very little about the Bible. The knowledge but for love of gold. always wins prizes at wrestling. He with none of the fine airs of daintier Physician practices moderation in his has a head and beard of thick red hair pilgrims in higher stations. The “thumb of diet. Though he wears taffeta robes, and a hairy wart on his nose. His gold” is an ironic reference to a proverb: he saved much of what he earned: nostrils and mouth are enormous. The the narrator is implying that there are no gold is the best medicine, the narrator Miller is a buffoon who told dirty honest millers. says, and the Physician therefore stories and played the bagpipes; he loves gold best. steals corn, yet has a “thombe of gold.”

The slightly deaf Wife of Bath, an The Wife of Bath, one of the few female The Manciple, a businessman who The lawyers serve the people, and the excellent seamstress, is always first in pilgrims, is one of Chaucer’s most supplies a school of law with Manciple is supposed to serve the line at parish offerings. If anyone entertaining and lively characters. She is provisions, is always ahead in his lawyers, but he is so shrewd and brings alms before her, she becomes proud and quick-tempered. Her red face dealings: even though he is conniving that the lawyers unknowingly extremely angry. On her way to and stockings come from medieval uneducated, he is more clever than end up serving the Manciple. Sunday mass, she wraps her head in stereotypes that red is the color of lust. the lawyers he serves and is able to scarves that the narrator says must deceive them all. weigh ten pounds. Her stockings are as bright red as her face. The Reeve is a slender, choleric man The miserly, wily Reeve knows all the The Wife of Bath has been married The Wife of Bath speaks from the voice with a closely cropped beard and tricks of servants and managers because five times (not to mention her other of authority, and although she is no stick-thin legs. No auditor can ever he uses them himself. Instead of working “company”) and has gone on three longer young and beautiful, she has a catch him: he knows the accounts of for his master’s gain, he steals from the pilgrimages to Jerusalem; she has also wealth of worldly knowledge. She is his lord’s estate extremely well, and all master and jealously hoards all the visited Rome, Cologne, and other probably a widow, because only women the farm-managers, herdsmen, and money that he skims off the top of his foreign pilgrimage sites. She is gap- who have been widowed would have the servants fear him. The miserly Reeve dealings. That he rides last indicates the toothed; sits easily on her horse; and money and power to travel as widely and has hoarded so much money that he is way he surveys others and sits in the wears a wimple, an overskirt over her freely as she does. wealthier than his lord. He is a shadows, gathering money and power. broad hips, and sharp spurs. The Wife talented carpenter, and he always of Bath gives excellent advice in rides last among the company. matters of love, having a great deal of expertise. The Summoner has a disease that The Summoner is another one of the makes his face bright red and pimpled, religious figures in the Tales who is not as A Parson from a small town is also In contrast with the satirical portraits of gives him scaly skin, and makes his devout as one would expect someone in among the company. He is poor in the mincing Prioress, the hunting Monk, beard fall out. No medicine or his office to be. Summoners were wealth but rich in holy thoughts and and the hypocritical Friar, the Parson is ointment can treat the pustules. He supposed to call people before the deeds. The Parson devotedly teaches described in sincere terms as a devoted loves onions and garlic, and when he church court to confess their crimes, but the members of his parish, but he is servant of the Lord. Unlike the Friar, who drinks, he speaks only in Latin––at this Summoner can be bought off easily loathe to tithe them. Neither rain nor takes money from rich landowners, the least, the few Latin phrases he knows. because he cares primarily about his own thunder nor sickness prevents him Parson is reluctant to make poor people He is a buffoon, a good fellow: for a pleasures. from visiting his parishioners: he picks pay, instead covering the tithes himself if quart of wine, he will allow a man to up his staff and walk to all corners of necessary. keep his mistress for a year and his parish. In words and deeds, he excuse him in full. gives his flock a noble xample.e He is even kind to sinners. He is a shepherd, The Summoner also knows how to The Summoner is just as unappealing on not a mercenary. The Parson wants to swindle people. If a man’s soul is in his the inside as on the outside: he swindles draw people closer to God through purse, he says, in his purse he should people by taking their money instead of graciousness and kindness. He never be punished. But the narrator knows sending them before the church court, adopts a fussy manner and always that wicked men need to fear and he is also lecherous, making himself stays true to Christ’s teachings. execution as well. The Summoner also the “counselor” of all the local young is the sole counselor for all the young ladies. women of his diocese. His staff is the sign of an ale-house, and his shield is a cake of bread.

The Pardoner, coming straight from The Pardoner’s mincing, vain, feminine Delighted, the Host explains the The narrator presents the Canterbury the court of Rome, rides with the appearance have led many game: Each pilgrim will tell two tales Tales through the frame narrative of the Summoner. He has thin yellow hair commentators to speculate that on the way to Canterbury and two Host’s game. The Canterbury Tales as that he loops over his shoulders in Chaucer is painting a picture of him as a more on the way home. Whoever tells they stand today appear, by the Host’s long, elaborate strands, and to show it homosexual. The Pardoner gleefully the best stories––that is to say, the explanation of the game, to be off, he rides bareheaded. His voice is exploits the poor, gullible people in his ones that give the most significance incomplete: each pilgrim is supposed to as high as a goat’s. The Pardoner has a parish, showing them cheap trinkets and and most pleasure––will have a free tell two tales on the way there and on the wallet stuffed full of pardons from bones from Rome and pretending that meal at the tavern upon his return, way back, yet not every pilgrim gets even Rome as well as many religious they are valuable relics. paid for by all the rest of the pilgrims. one tale, and they don’t make it to trinkets, such as veils, goblets, and The Host decides that he will ride with Canterbury, let alone back. decorated crucifixes. He also has pigs’ the pilgrims, at his own cost, to serve bones in a glass reliquary, which he as their guide in this merriment. Any tells poor people are relics from holy pilgrim that disagrees with his saints. He uses false flattery to make judgment will have to pay all the fools of both priests and laypeople. expenses of the journey. However, the Pardoner is a good singer and storyteller. The pilgrims agree to the plan and beg The pilgrims are uniformly delighted to the Host to serve not only as their treat the expedition to Canterbury as a After providing descriptions of all the The narrator poses as simply an innocent guide but as governor, tale judger, and form of entertainment rather than a pilgrims who have assembled at the bystander, a reporter dedicated to record-keeper. pious religious journey. tavern in Southwark, the narrator presenting as fair and honest a portrait begs the reader’s forgiveness for of each of the pilgrims as possible. anything unseemly in the tales, as the Chaucer presents his narrative style as narrator is simply trying to report the being as clear as possible so that all The next morning, the Host, like a Even though the system of choosing pilgrims’ words and characters as readers will be able to understand what rooster, wakes up all the pilgrims and straws is supposedly democratic, it is plainly and truthfully as he can. he is saying. This pose of humility also gathers them together. After they ride perhaps not entirely by chance that the Whoever tells a tale about a man, he allows Chaucer as the narrator to a mile or two, the Host reminds them Knight begins the tale-telling game. says, must repeat it word for word so present each of the pilgrim’s stories in a of the agreements of the night before. While the pilgrims are from all different that he does not tell falsehoods or very different narrative style according to The Host says that they must draw socioeconomic backgrounds, medieval make up words. As Plato says––for the type of character he or she portrays. straws to see who will tell the first society is still very hierarchical, with the those who can read Plato––the word tale. He gives the privilege of drawing knight at the top. It seems likely that the must be cousin to the deed. The the first straw to the Knight, in Host rigged the game. narrator says that he has described deference to his rank. The Knight the people to their full degree in plain draws the short straw and nobly language so that the reader will accepts the challenge. understand. THE KNIGHT’S TALE The narrator returns to the story of The Host is a somewhat separate figure the first night he spent with the from the rest of the pilgrims: though he is Once upon a time, the legendary The Knight sets his tale among ancient pilgrims. The merry Host, an excellent an important character, he is not one of Theseus, duke of Athens, had royalty, immediately situating himself as master of ceremonies and a fine the tale-tellers and does not get his own conquered the country of the a member of the noble class. citizen of Cheapside, puts everyone in portrait in the General Prologue. Amazons. He brings home their a cheerful mood by serving a merry queen, Hippolyta, as his wife, and he supper. After supper, when everyone also brings her younger sister, has paid their bills, the host tells the Emelye. pilgrims that they are the merriest If the story were not so long, says the The Knight first introduces his company he has had under his roof all Knight, I would tell you all about how characteristic tale-telling style of year and that he will add to their mirth Theseus defeated the Amazons, and occupatio, or pretending he will not talk free of charge. what a great battle it was, and what a about the very thing he immediately The Host proposes that instead of The Host serves as yet another layer of glorious wedding––but I have a long proceeds to describe. riding dumb as a stone to Canterbury, narrator: we have Chaucer the author of road ahead to plow, and so I will begin. the pilgrims should tell each other all the Tales; Chaucer the narrator, one of tales along the way to keep each other the pilgrims on the journey who both amused. The Host says that he would observes all the other pilgrims and gets As Theseus is riding into Athens, he The Knight provides an elaborate frame judge the tales, and that if they play to tell tales himself; and the Host, the sees a group of women in black narrative for his story: before he reaches the game he has invented, he sears by guide to the tale-telling game. clothing weeping and wailing by the the heart of the tale (that is, the story of his dead father’s soul that they will be side of the road. He asks them why the two knights), the Knight spends a lot entertained. By a unanimous show of they are grieving, and they tell him of time setting the stage and describing hands, the company agrees to take his that they are noblewomen from the backstory of Theseus’s world. advice. Thebes who have come to Athens to seek Theseus’s help against the tyrant Creon. After his victory in a recent war, Creon has barred the women from burying the bodies of their vanquished husbands.

Theseus is deeply moved by their sad Theseus is shown to be the noble One day, Duke Perotheus, a close Perotheus’s defense of Arcite story and vows, as a true knight, to conqueror: he is both a powerful warrior friend of Theseus, visits Athens. demonstrates the strength and avenge the noblewomen. He sends and a just ruler, invested in maintaining Perotheus, as it turns out, had known importance of chivalric bonds in Hippolyta and Emelye ahead to power over his lands and avenging evil and loved Arcite at Thebes, and he medieval society: even though Arcite is Athens and leads his army to Thebes. tyrants’ wrongdoings. petitions Theseus to free Arcite. Theseus’s sworn enemy, Perotheus’s Theseus quickly slays Creon, Theseus agrees on the condition that defense makes Theseus alter the terms of conquers the city, and returns the if Arcite is ever found on Theseus’s punishment. bones of the slain husbands to the lands, he will be killed. grieving women. After the battle, as scavengers are The purpose of the Knight’s description As Arcite leaves Athens, he bursts Arcite’s and Palamon’s complaints follow taking armor and treasures from the of Theseus’s accomplishments becomes into a complaint, lamenting that he the traditional medieval form: both slain armies, they find two oungy clear when Palamon and Arcite, the two must leave his prison––which now knights bemoan their current state and knights lying side by side named main protagonists of the story, arrive on seems a paradise––because he will no explain in great detail why the other’s Arcite and Palamon. Though both are the scene. Again, Theseus’s justice is longer be able to see Emelye. When position is more desirable. The dueling badly wounded, they are not quite demonstrated by the fact that he lets the Arcite departs, Palamon is thrown into complaints emphasize the contest dead yet. By their coat of arms, the knights live (albeit as permanent a fit of despair and complains that he between the knights for love of Emelye, scavengers can tell that they are of prisoners). will never have the chance to go to and the reader must decide which knight royal Theban blood. Theseus Thebes and gather his army so that he is in the worse situation. proclaims that the knights should be might win Emelye’s hand. The Knight brought to Athens to be held prisoner poses the rhetorical question of perpetually and with no possibility of whether Palamon or Arcite is worse ransom. off. One morning in May, Palamon is The theme of knights falling in love When Arcite returns to Thebes, he Arcite’s release to Thebes puts him in a looking out the window of the tower through a single glance at the object of suffers from “loveris maladye.” He sort of catch-22 situation: even though where the knights have been their desire is common in chivalric tales. cries “Alas!” constantly, stops eating, he has his freedom, the one thing that he imprisoned when he spies Emelye, The ritual of the gaze forms the basis of grows so gaunt and sickly that he is wants to do––marry Emelye––is denied who has risen early to pay her courtly love, which does not need to unrecognizable, and moans to the to him because the one condition of his respects to nature. She is even lovelier involve physical consummation. stars. After spending a year or two in freedom is that he not return to Athens. than all the fresh flowers. Ah!”“ cries this lovesick condition, Mercury visits Palamon, as if he had been struck him in a dream and tells him to return through the heart. to Athens, where he will find the end The cry awakens Arcite, who asks Palamon’s cry that awakens Arcite is to his woe. Palamon what ails him. Arcite thinks both a demonstration of how strong his Arcite determines to go to Athens Arcite has pined away so much for that Palamon is bemoaning their feelings are for Emelye as well as a despite the danger of death. He looks Emelye that he no longer looks like imprisonment, but Palamon replies foreshadowing of the rift that their in the mirror and realizes he has himself, with suggests the danger of a that he has received a wound through rivalry over the lady will drive between become so thin that he can disguise knight having an excess amount of love. his eye straight to the heard: he has them. Arcite takes Palamon’s description himself as a poor laborer and He can wear different clothing to appear seen woman below who is so beautiful of Emelye as a goddess literally, which therefore have the chance to see to be a different person. that he does not know whether she is will later come to haunt Palamon. Emelye every day. a woman or a goddess. He guesses that she is Venus and prays to her to release himself and Arcite from captivity. In Athens, Arcite takes the name Even disguised as a commoner, Arcite’s Philostrate and finds a job as a page noble, knightly upbringing shines Meanwhile, Arcite looks at Emelye According to the chivalric code, the bond working for Emelye. He is so courtly through, which both emphasizes the and is just as love-struck as Palamon. between brother knights should be and well-mannered that within a few hierarchies of medieval society and also They quarrel over who has the right to stronger than courtly love: no love for a years’ time, he becomes one of suggests the possibility of some love her. Palamon reminds Arcite that woman should come between these men. Theseus’s favorite squires. Theseus meritocracy. they have sworn to be faithful first to However, because they have let Emelye gives him gold, and Arcite has money each other and never to let the love of come between them, the social balance secretly brought to him from Thebes. a lady come between them. Because has been disrupted. Arcite takes he loved her first, claims alamon,P he Palamon’s figurative description of Meanwhile, Palamon has pined away While Arcite has at least had his has the right to her hand. Arcite Emelye as Venus and interprets them in prison for seven years, living as a freedom, even if he has been separated replies that Palamon thought she was literally for his own advantage. martyr in an unimaginable hell. Finally, from Emelye, Palamon has been forced a goddess, not a woman. Arcite also one night in May, he drugs his jailer to stay within sight of his love but never points out that neither one of them and flees the city. Palamon finds a able to speak to her. His escape may not will ever be able to claim Emelye, since grove to hide in during the day so that be entirely noble, but his brave intentions they are sentenced to a lifetime of at night he can return to Thebes and toward his lady love are certainly imprisonment. Strife builds between amass an army to wage war against chivalric, if somewhat foolish. the knights. Theseus and win Emelye’s hand.

By chance, Arcite comes to the very Since the Knight’s Tale is a romance set Theseus builds an elaborate, ornate, The Knight gives an extremely long, same grove to pay respects to May. in a mythological time, the coincidence mile-wide amphitheater for the detailed account of every aspect of this Arcite weaves himself a garland, sings of Arcite and Palamon arriving in the tournament. The lavish stadium fantastic theater to show off his very praises to the spring, lapses into a very same grove on the same day after contains three temples to three best rhetorical flourishes and powers of melancholy stupor, then laments his seven years apart is accepted within the different gods: a temple to Venus, description. tragic fortunes. At first, Palamon, terms of the tale. goddess of love, above the eastern hearing but not seeing Arcite, thinks gate; a temple to Mars, god of war, that the fields have eyes and the above the western gate; and a temple woods have ears, but then he realizes to Diana, goddess of chastity, to the that it is his old companion. north. Palamon leaps out from his hiding The rivalry between Palamon and Arcite The walls of the Temple of Venus Venus’s temple shows both the heroic place, calls Arcite a traitor, declares has only grown stronger since they have portray allegorical figures from and the sinful sides of love. The temple of himself to be Arcite’s mortal foe, and been apart, especially since they are now various love myths. There are also Mars is more focused on the terrifying challenges him to a duel. Arcite each forming elaborate, separate plans portraits of historical figures who destruction that comes of war rather renounces the bond of brotherhood to woo the hand of the same lady. have been victims of seduction. In the than the glory. Diana’s temple shows that they had previously pledged to Temple of Mars, a terrifying forest is both symbols of chastity and symbols of each other and says that he is ready to painted on the wall, in front of which change. fight for the hand of the lady. They stands a statue of omnipotent Mars. agree to meet the next morning. The Temple of Diana features pictures from myths about the goddess as well The next morning, Palamon and Even though the knights are sworn rivals, as the image of the goddess as a Arcite return to the woods, Arcite they still abide by the codes of chivalry, moon. having gone back to Athens to get and since Palamon cannot obtain his weapons for both of them. The two own weapons, Arcite outfits them both. Finally, the day of the battle arrives. The Knight’s description of Palamon’s knights fight each other so fiercely Palamon and Arcite come to Athens and Arcite’s armies shows the structure that they are up to their ankles in with their armies of a hundred of a properly staged, full-blown duel blood. knights. Palamon and Arcite have also between two knights: rather than solving each brought a king to lead their the battle impromptu in the forest, the That morning, Theseus, Hippolyta, When Theseus and his hunting party find armies: Palamon has brought Lygurge, contest becomes a form of and Emelye are riding through the Palamon and Arcite, the two knights king of Thrace, while Arcite has entertainment for the kingdom. woods to go hunting. They happen to demonstrate their noble, chivalrous Emetreus, king of India. All the knights ride into the grove where Arcite and nature by immediately confessing the are received by Theseus with great Palamon are fighting. Astonished, truth (though Palamon does emphasize hospitality. Theseus cries for the fight to come to the fact that Arcite has been deceiving a halt and demands to know who Theseus as a page under a false name). On the Sunday night before the battle, Palamon rises at two in the morning these two knights are. Palamon Both knights at once subject themselves Palamon rises at two o’clock in the because this is supposed to be the most answers, revealing that Arcite has to Theseus as a higher power. morning with the lark and goes to the auspicious hour to pray to Venus. been living in Theseus’s court as temple of Venus to pray. He asks the Palamon does not pray to win the battle Philostrate and admitting that he goddess for the possession of Emelye, but only to win Emelye. The shaking of broke out of prison, but that praying specifically that he might win Venus is ambiguous, but Palamon sees everything they both did was for love the lady rather than asking for victory what he wants to see in it. of Emelye. The knights admit that they in battle. The statue of Venus shakes, deserve death. which Palamon interprets as a sign that his prayer has been granted. Hippolyta and Emelye, moved to Just as the noblewomen’s tears had tears by the knights’ misfortune, beg moved Theseus to pity earlier in the The third hour after Palamon rises, Unlike Palamon and Arcite, who see and Theseus to spare their lives. Theseus Knight’s Tale, so Hippolyta and Emelye’s Emelye goes to the temple of Diana. hear signs from the gods but do not decides that mercy is the best policy pleading make him merciful in his Emelye cleanses herself, performs interact with them, Emelye sees the and forgives Palamon and Arcite, judgment of the two foolhardy knights. sacred rites, and prays to Diana to goddess directly. Diana informs Emelye declaring that they have been led into keep her maidenhood and to live that she cannot remain a virgin forever their folly by their allegiance to the forever as a virgin. She asks Diana to but does not tell her which knight will god of love. Theseus makes Palamon cure Palamon and Arcite of their love win her hand, suggesting either that and Arcite swear never to wage war for her and to restore the bonds of mortals cannot know everything about against him. friendship between them. If she must their fates or that the gods themselves marry one of them, however, Emelye do not yet know the outcome. Theseus orders Palamon and Arcite As knights, the only acceptable way to asks that she marry the one who to return in exactly fifty weeks’ time vie for Emelye’s hand is not just to duel, desires her the most. One of the with a hundred knights each, ready to but to show knightly valor in battle. sacrificial fires suddenly goes out, and do battle for the hand of Emelye. Diana appears in an image to Emelye. Diana tells her that the gods have decreed she must marry one of the knights, but that she cannot say which one.

During the next hour, Arcite goes to Arcite goes to the temple of Mars at the None of the other knights have been The spectacle that Theseus has arranged the temple of Mars to pray. He hour meant to be most auspicious to killed in the tournament. Theseus among the knights has served its purpose reminds Mars of the pain he suffered that god. He prays only to win the battle, makes sure that their wounds are for entertainment and art and has not for the love of Venus and begs for not to win the love of Emelye, because he tended to, and he declares that caused unnecessary death. Theseus victory in battle. Arcite offers to cut assumes that the two are one and the Palamon has not lost his honor by makes it clear that honor is not just a his previously uncut hair and beard as same. being captured at the stake in front of matter of victory but rather of a a sacrifice and swears to serve Mars the crowd. willingness to face an adversary with for the rest of his life if the god grants courage. him victory. The statue of Mars shakes and murmurs, “Victorie!” The scene shifts to the heavens, Mars wants Arcite to win the battle, Arcite’s body is paralyzed and Even though Arcite and Palamon had where Venus and Mars are having a which would mean that he would win beginning to rot, and it is clear that he become mortal foes, in his moment of disagreement over the outcome of the Emelye’s hand, but Venus wants will shortly die. On his deathbed, death, Arcite allows the old chivalric battle. Saturn, father of the gods, Palamon to win Emelye. Finally, Saturn Arcite sends for Emelye and Palamon. bonds of brotherhood to triumph, must step in to settle the dispute. He steps in and explains that both of these He tells Emelye that his ghost will declaring that if he cannot live, Palamon tells Venus that Palamon will win the outcomes will be true. continue to serve her after he dies ought to marry Emilye. hand of the lady, but that Mars will and that he will always love her. He help Arcite keep his honor. also tells Emelye that if she marries after he dies, she should marry After a magnificent feast, with much Even though two hundred knights will be Palamon, as there is no worthier man jousting and lusting, the knights rise fighting in the mile-wide arena, the main than he. The last words he breathes early the next morning and go to the show is the duel between Palamon and are “Mercy, Emelye!” theater for the battle, looking Arcite. Because this battle is a spectacle, splendid in their finest armor. A herald not an out-and-out war, knights are Emelye, Palamon, and Theseus weep Theseus’s father serves as the voice of announces the battle rules to supposed to tag each other out instead and wail inconsolably as all Athens reason: even though men may mourn, life minimize loss of noble life: no of kill each other, and the end of all mourns Arcite’s death. Egeus, and the kingdom must go on. weapons other than long swords, fighting should occur along with the Theseus’s father, consoles Theseus by maces, and a few spears; no secret defeat of either one of the two main reminding him of the inevitability of short swords; captured knights should knights. death. be taken to stakes rather than killed; and that when Palamon or Arcite has Theseus conducts an extremely The elaborate description of the funeral been captured or killed, the fight is elaborate funeral ritual for Arcite. ritual is a lot like the elaborate over. Arcite is buried in the same grove description of the arena that Theseus where he and Palamon battled, and builds for the heroic duel between the With Theseus, Hippolyta, and Emelye Palamon has adopted Venus as his there is a long funeral procession. knights. The Knight again shows off his in the stands, Palamon rides in under guardian deity, and Arcite, Mars. This has While claiming that he not going to occupation, claiming that he will not tell the gates of Venus, Arcite under the turned into a battle of love vs. war. describe the whole scene, the Knight us all about the funeral pyre that he then gates of Mars, and the battle begins. launches into a very detailed describes in great detail. description of Arcite’s funeral pyre, describing all the types of wood used All the knights joust in the great According to the rules of the battle, the to build it, depicting what Arcite’s battle. After much brave fighting, spectacle ends when Palamon has been body looked like, and explaining the twenty opposing knights, led by overpowered. When Theseus ends the rites of the ceremony. Arcite’s king Emetreus, wound and battle, the fight is over: they only need to Several years later, there is a Theseus’s “First Moevere” (“First Mover”) capture Palamon, thus ending the duel symbolically, not literally, to the parliament in Athens to discuss which speech contains many of the main fight. Theseus declares Arcite the death. lands must have obedience to Thebes, morals of the Knight’s Tale: people winner and says that he shall have the and Theseus calls Palamon and should trust in the will of both their king hand of Emelye. Emelye to attend. Theseus delivers and their gods, allowing themselves to be his “First Moevere” speech, which governed by wisdom greater than their Venus whines to Saturn that she has The fury from hell shows that Fortune’s describes how the course of life own. The Knight ends his romance been disgraced, but Saturn tells her to wheel is inescapable: just when Arcite is moves in the intent of the great chain happily: even though Arcite has died, watch and wait. As Arcite prances on top of the world, he tumbles and falls. of love that the universe’s first mover Palamon can continue the chivalric around the amphitheater in victory, Also, the fury from hell serves as a has set into motion. We should trust tradition and legacy, and even though the ground opens and a fury from hell warning to be careful what you wish for: in Jupiter’s wisdom, says Theseus. We Emelye does not get to remain a maiden scares his horse, causing Arcite to be Arcite prayed only for victory in battle, can honor Arcite, but we must move as she wished, she does end with the thrown to the ground. Arcite is still not for Emelye. forward with our lives. Theseus urges knight who truly loved her. alive, but terribly injured, and he is Palamon and Emelye to wed, and they taken to a bed in the palace. all live happily ever after.

THE MILLER’S PROLOGUE All the pilgrims agree that the Knight The Miller’s interruption of the Host’s has told an excellent, noble story. The order establishes the “quiting” principle Host turns to the Monk for the next of the Tales: pilgrims respond directly to tale, but the Miller, who is drunk, the previous tale told rather than waiting interrupts and declares that he will their turn. “quite” the Knight’s tale.

The Miller says that he will tell a The Miller presents his tale as though he When the carpenter returns on While the Knight’s Tale is set among legend about a cuckolded carpenter will be describing the life of a saint, but Sunday, he wonders about Nicholas ancient mythological characters who and his wife. The Reeve, himself a the story he tells is bawdy and full of and asks a servant to check on him. take their interactions with the gods and carpenter, angrily protests, but the raunchy jokes. The Reeve thinks that the After knocking and receiving no reply, goddesses seriously, the Miller’s Tale Miller says that the Reeve should not Miller is directly insulting him because the servant peeks through a hole in parodies Biblical stories—in this case, the take the tale so personally––unless, of the tale is all about carpenters. the door that the cat uses to get in and tale of the Flood. course, the Reeve has reason to do so. out and sees Nicholas sitting upright, Indeed, says the Miller, he himself has gaping at the moon. a wife, but he doesn’t ask her too many questions. The carpenter is convinced that The Miller often speaks about the danger Nicholas has gone mad due to his of looking into “Goddes pryvetee,” or The narrator apologizes for the The description of the tales being on study of astronomy and declares that God’s private affairs, too closely. bawdy, raunchy nature of the Miller’s pages that the reader can flip through this is what men get for inquiring too “Pryvetee” is also a pun on physical tale and tells the reader that if he does demonstrates that Chaucer was very closely into “Goddes pryvetee.” private parts. not want to hear it, he can turn over aware of the literary, written nature of the page and read the next story. his stories.

The carpenter and the servant break While the knights in the Knight’s Tale down Nicholas’s door and find the pray sincerely to the gods and receive THE MILLER’S TALE scholar sitting still as a stone, gazing direct communication with deities, In Oxford there lives a rich old The rich old carpenter is a parody of the into the air. The carpenter shakes Nicholas only pretends that he is having carpenter. Boarding at his house is a Knight’s noble Theseus. Unlike Nicholas, saying prayers and calling on a vision so that he can hoodwink the poor young scholar, Nicholas, who is Hippolyta, an extremely powerful Christ to arouse him from his trance. carpenter. very learned in astrology and can also woman who submits willingly to Finally, Nicholas speaks, telling the sing well. The carpenter is very jealous Theseus, Alison is a young flirt who carpenter that he has had a vision of his eighteen-year-old wife, Alison, deliberately slips from the carpenter’s from God. who is pretty and flirtatious: the control. Nicholas says that he has discovered Nicholas’s false use of astrology to fool Miller describes her as a frisky young through his astrology that on the next the carpenter is a direct parody of the flower. Monday night, there will be a wild Knight’s obsession with astrological rainstorm twice as great as Noah’s timing throughout the Knight’s Tale: One day, Nicholas begins to flirt with Unlike Palamon and Arcite, who only flood. All mankind, he says, shall die. every visit to the deities’ temples in that Alison. Nicholas grabs her, and though worship their lady love from afar, The carpenter cries out, “Allas, my story, for example, was charted to occur she cries out at first in protest, he Nicholas immediately demonstrates his wyf! / And shal she drenche?” precisely at the appropriate time. coaxes her sweetly and she gives in. affection crudely and physically, grabbing Nicholas replies that he knows a However, since the carpenter is such at Alison and wooing her with caresses remedy, and that if the carpenter a jealous man, they agree to wait until rather than only sighing from afar. follows his orders, they will they can make love in secrecy. all––including Alison––survive the Nicholas is confident that, as an flood. educated clerk, he will be able to outwit a carpenter. After swearing the carpenter to After making the carpenter believe that secrecy, Nicholas tells him to get he is receiving communication from God, On the next holiday, Alison goes to With his curly hair and fashionable three tubs, instructing him to fill them Nicholas engineers the whole plan very the parish church, where another attire, Absolon is a parody of a vain with enough food to survive for a day specifically so that the carpenter will not young clerk, Absolon, spies her. young squire. The rich but silly Absolon (the water, he explains, will subside be close enough to Alison to hear when Absolon is vain and finely dressed, also serves as a foil to the crafty but poor the next day) and to hang them high she leaps out of her tub to join Nicholas with curled hair and fashionable tunic. Nicholas. Unlike Arcite and Palamon, from the roof. The carpenter must in bed. His one fault, the Miller says, is his who are virtually interchangeable in also bring an axe so that when the squeamishness: Absolon doesn’t like many respects, Absolon is much more waters subside, they can cut the tubs to fart in public. Absolon is smitten ridiculous than Nicholas. loose and float waa y. with “love longynge”: if Alison had been a mouse and he a cat, he would They will climb into the tubs before Although Nicholas’s scheme is ridiculous, have pounced. nightfall, says Nicholas, and they will the carpenter is so blinded by his jealous not speak a word to each other the love for his wife that he falls for the trick. Absolon serenades Alison Absolon’s actions are parodies of the entire time. The carpenter and Alison, Nicholas’s overly complex scheme is underneath her window, brings her traditional methods of wooing that a Nicholas says, must not hang next to traditional for a fabliau, the type of gifts, and showers her with money, but courtly lover would use (singing, gift- each other so that they will not be bawdy fable that the Miller is telling. to no avail––Alison loves Nicholas, giving, etc.), but Alison prefers the tempted to sin. Weeping and wailing, and Absolon might as well be her pet physical advances of Nicholas. the gullible carpenter leaves to make monkey. his preparations, telling Alison everything in strictest confidence (although she, of course, knows the One Saturday, the carpenter travels Alison and Nicholas openly plot their whole plan already). to nearby Osney, and Alison and infidelity, playing off the fact that the Nicholas form a plan to spend the carpenter is a foolish old cuckold. Alison On Monday night, the carpenter, Nicholas has arranged his whole night together. Nicholas tells Alison to feels no qualms about remaining loyal to Nicholas, and Alison climb into their complicated plan so that he and Alison have a day’s worth of meat and drink her doddering husband when the tubs and say their prayers. The can sleep together and cuckold her brought to him in his room and to tell dashing Nicholas is present. carpenter falls asleep, and Nicholas husband right under his nose. her husband, if he asks, that she does and Alison promptly hop out of their not know where he (Nicholas) is. tubs and tumble into bed with each other.

Summary & Analysis www.LitCharts.com | @litcharts ©2014 | Page 16 The Canterbury Tales That same Monday, Absolon happens Absolon is a parody of the traditional THE REEVE’S PROLOGUE to be in Osney, and, inquiring after the courtly lover who comes to woo his lady carpenter is told that he is either out love by singing songs underneath her Everyone laughs at the Miller’s Tale The Reeve, a carpenter, takes the Miller’s of town gathering timber or at home. window. except Oswald the Reeve, a carpenter Tale not as a parody of the Knight’s Tale Absolon, who has been by the by craft, who takes the story but as a personal insult against all carpenter’s house and has not seen personally. The Reeve retorts that if carpenters. him there, decides that he will go he wanted to, he could tell a dirty there at dawn and confess his love to story about millers, but that since he is Alison. an old man, there isn’t much point. Absolon chews cardamom and Unlike Arcite, who is so lovesick that he The Host makes fun of the Reeve for The Reeve’s Tale follows the “quiting” licorice to sweeten his breath, and at grows gaunt and unrecognizable, giving the company a sermon of self- structure that the Miller started, where a the first cock’s crow, he knocks on Absolon is vain and takes care of his pity. The Reeve changes his mind and teller responds directly to the tale last Alison’s window and begs for a kiss. appearance while he woos Alison. The decides to tell a dirty story about told. She rebuffs him, saying that she loves trick that Nicholas and Alison have millers in retaliation. another. Absolon begs her, and she plotted against the carpenter turns into a opens the window, telling him to come trick against Absolon. quickly. He carefully wipes his mouth THE REEVE’S TALE dry, but in the pitch-dark, he kisses her “naked ers” that she has stuck out the Symkyn is a bald, pug-nosed miller Fat, pug-nosed Symkyn’s resemblance to window. Alison and Nicholas laugh as who lives near Cambridge and the portrait of the Miller in the General the furious Absolon rubs his lips with swindles all his customers. He has Prologue is––although the Reeve does dust and woodchips. married a wife raised in nunnery, who not point it out––most likely not stinks with pride at her expensive accidental at all, considering that the Screaming and cursing, Absolon goes The angry Absolon attempts to use upbringing. They have a fat, pug- Reeve is directly and angrily responding to his friend the blacksmith and Alison’s and Nicholas’s own trick against nosed twenty-year-old daughter and to the Miller’s Tale. borrows a hot iron. He returns to the them in order to get his revenge. a six-month-old infant. The miller window, knocks, and tells Alison that intends to marry the daughter into a he has brought her a gold ring and family of worthy ancestry. that he will give it to her in exchange for a real kiss. One day, the manciple of a school in Angry at the Miller’s depiction of the Cambridge, who regularly grinds carpenter as a rich, old, foolish cuckold, Nicholas, who has gotten out of bed Chaucer makes lots of fart jokes in the Symkyn’s grain, gets sick. Symkyn the Reeve paints the Miller as a to urinate, sticks his rear end out the Canterbury Tales, and this is probably takes this opportunity to steal all conniving, outrageous thief. window. Absolon tells Alison to speak the best one: Nicholas describes kinds of corn and wheat: where he had so that she can let him know where Absolon’s empty speeches, quite literally, once stolen “but curteisly”, he now is a she is, and Nicholas lets fly a fart as as hot air. “theef outrageously.” loud as thunder. Two young scholars, John and Aleyn, The Reeve’s Tale is one of the first who come from a town in northern examples of English writing to use dialect Though nearly blinded, Absolon Nicholas’s two tricks converge: his rear England, get permission from the as a way of creating characters. John and strikes Nicholas’s rear with the hot end is on fire, so he wants water, but he headmaster to try and stop Symkyn Aleyn use vocabulary and speech poker and brands the skin. Nicholas has told the carpenter that there is going from stealing more grain. The scholars patterns that mark them as being from cries for help and for water. The to be a massive flood, so the carpenter ask the miller to explain every step of Northern England. The horse who goes carpenter wakens at the cry of takes the cry for water as a warning. the grain-grinding process. The wily crazy in the field of wild mares is a “water!” and, thinking that the flood is miller realizes that they’re policing his symbol for all of the rampant sexual play coming, cuts the cord, and his tub activities, and he unties their horse that will happen later in the Tale. crashes to the floor. and looses it into a field of wild mares. When the clerks realize that their The carpenter lies in a swoon, his arm Although the carpenter is telling the horse is missing, they spend all day broken. The neighbors rush in to see truth, he has been proven to be such a chasing it in the field to get it back, the spectacle. Nicholas and Alison tell fool that Nicholas wins the day and no which gives Symkyn plenty of time to everyone that the carpenter is crazy, one is punished for infidelity. steal flour from them. and no one will listen to the carpenter’s story about Noah’s flood. Since they have spent the whole day The Miller thinks that he has tricked The townspeople all laugh. trying to catch their horse, Aleyn and Aleyn and John and now is getting them John pay Symkyn to lodge for the to pay for their lodging. But, in fact, the The Miller sums up the tale: the The Miller merrily concludes his jolly night at his house. Everyone goes to Reeve puts everyone in the same room to carpenter’s wife has been “swyved” fabliau without any sort of moral or his or her respective beds in the same ensure that sexual mishaps can occur. by Nicholas, despite the carpenter’s ethical takeaway: this is a tale of pure room. The miller, who is drunk, and his Though everyone starts out in their jealousy; Absolon has kissed her pleasure. wife go to bed with the infant’s cradle respective places, readers familiar with lower regions; and Nicholas has been at their feet. The miller’s daughter, the genre of a raunchy fabliau know scalded in the buttocks. “God save al Aleyn, and John also go to bed. what is to come. the rowte!” says the Miller.

To take revenge against Symkyn, Chaucer did not invent the plot device of The Wife of Bath challenges anyone The Wife of Bath is unabashedly lustful Aleyn decides to have sex with the switching the infant’s cradle to fool the to prove that God commanded and physical. Her Prologue takes the miller’s daughter. John, not to be wife into getting into the wrong bed: the virginity: though it is great for some form of a literary confession, in which she outdone, takes the cradle and puts it cradle-swap is a trick seen in many people, she says, it’s not for her. God openly admits and defends her sins. at the foot of his own bed. The miller’s similar raunchy fables. made sexual organs, she claims, for wife wakes up to urinate, and when both function and for pleasure, and she comes back, she climbs into the she does not envy any maiden her bed with the cradle at the foot of it. Of virginity. The Wife of Bath uses her course, this is John’s bed, and John sexual power to control her husbands. and the miller’s wife have sex. The Pardoner interrupts, worried In the General Prologue, Chaucer Early in the morning, Aleyn creeps out Not only do the scholars trick the miller because he is about to be married. describes the Pardoner as feminine and of the miller’s daughter’s bed, but first by sleeping with his wife and daughter, The Wife of Bath tells him to shut up anxious, which makes sense with his the miller’s daughter tells him about the miller’s own daughter conspires and have another drink: when she, the nervousness about being wed to a half a bushel of meal that she has against him by stealing his grain. The expert in marriage, has told him her woman much stronger than himself. helped to steal from her father for the miller only learns about his cuckolding tale, he will be able to make his own clerks to have. Aleyn then gets into not by figuring it out himself, but because decision about whether or not he how own bed, or thinks he does—he, the scholars accidentally trick each should marry. too, is tricked by the cradle and ends other. up getting in bed with Symkyn instead Of her five husbands, the Wife of Women in medieval society could only of John. Bath says, three were good and two gain power and money through their were bad. The first three were good husbands. The Wife of Bath both goes because they were rich, old, and against and conforms to stereotypes: Thinking he is talking to John, Aleyn All the sexual shuffling escalates into a obedient to her every whim. Once though she takes power over her brags that he has slept with the dramatic fight, where everyone is they had given her their money and husbands, she also admits to marrying miller’s daughter. However, he is punching everyone else. This is the land, she no longer had any use for solely for money. actually talking to Symkyn himself. opposite of the well-orchestrated duel in them. She would make her husbands The miller, outraged, punches Aleyn in the Knight’s Tale. bring her presents and put them the nose. As the men fight, the miller through torments. tumbles onto the bed that his wife and John are in. The Wife of Bath tells all the wives to Though men may have all the tangible listen to her carefully: Always, she power in society, women are better at The miller’s wife wakes up and tries to The sexy comedy turns somewhat brutal says, be mistress in your own lying and deceiving than men are: though help her husband by hitting the clerks at the end, when all the characters start household, for women are twice as a man may be the head of the household, with a staff, but she mistakes bludgeoning each other. It has gone from good as men at lying and cheating. The the woman, according to the Wife of Symkyn’s bald head with their white finding laughs in sex to a darker humor Wife of Bath recounts how she used Bath, is the neck, turning him wherever caps and end up hitting her husband that finds laughs in violence. to accuse her husbands of having she likes. by accident. Aleyn and John beat up affairs with the neighbors’ wives. She Symkyn, grab the grain that the would launch into a tirade, firing an miller’s daughter had told them about, array of all kinds of accusations. and make their escape. For example, says the Wife of Bath, in The Wife of Bath gives a typical rant that Thus, says the Reeve, the proud miller Like the Miller’s Tale, the Reeve’s Tale such a rant, she would ask why the she might launch into against one of her is bested: Aleyn and John have slept ends without a moral. It is for enjoyment neighbor’s wife looks so pleased with husband. She gives a long list of what with his daughter and wife and have and revenge—the Reeve’s revenge herself. Some men, she claims, only men want in a woman, which swindled the swindler, and the Reeve against the Miller. want women for their looks, some for foreshadows the long list of answers to has gotten his revenge against the their money, some for their figure, the question of what women want that Miller. some for their gentleness. An ugly the knight in her Tale seeks to answer. woman lusts for any man she sees and THE WIFE OF BATH’S PROLOGUE will jump on him with animal lust. To The Wife of Bath announces that she The Wife of Bath claims authority for her the man who claims that he does not is an authority on marriage because of tale from her own experience. She need to marry, the Wife of Bath cries, her experience, having had five interprets Scripture her own way, reading may thunder and lightning strike him husbands. She does not follow Jesus’s against the grain to find different down! example of only marrying once, nor meanings in the text than the generally The Wife of Bath rants against the old It is useless, says the Wife of Bath, to try does she heed his reproach to the accepted ones. Some literary scholars proverb that women only show their and keep jealous tabs on a wife’s woman at the well with five husbands. argue that Chaucer has her misread the vices after they are married. She also activities: either she will love her Instead, the Wife of Bath interprets Bible, but others argue that Chaucer is argues against the complaint that the husband and be faithful, or she will find Scripture in her own way. She prefers actually empowering her, that she husband is expected to flatter and some way to cuckold him behind his to go forth and multiply, defending her deliberately finds new ways to eadr it. praise his wife in public. It’s also back. Husbands, she argues, must trust position by pointing to King Solomon, ridiculous, she says, that the husband their wives. And in so arguing, she argues who had many wives, among other makes a jealous fuss about the against the norms society that gives men Biblical figures who married often. handsome young apprentice boy. The the right to believe they can and should husband should trust the wife to go control their wives. wherever she likes.

The wise astrologer Ptolemy, says the Not only does the Wife of Bath re- The Friar interrupts the Wife of The interruption of the Friar and Wife of Bath, knew best: Ptolemy interpret the Bible, she also finds her own Bath’s prologue to complain about its Summoner remind the reader that this is advises men to mind their own textual authorities who agree with her length. He and the Summoner begin a frame narrative, and the other pilgrims business. What good is it to spy on ideas about morality. to quarrel. The Friar starts to tell a are always present in every tale. her? If she will stay, she will stay; if she nasty tale about summoners, but the will stray, she will stray. Host steps in and lets the Wife of Bath tell her tale. The Wife of Bath boasts that through The Wife of Bath uses both the power of her sexual and verbal powers, she her physical presence and her verbal THE WIFE OF BATH’S TALE kept control over her five husbands. If skills to make her husbands submit to In the days of King Arthur, Britain was Even though the Wife of Bath sets her they ever accused her of anything, she her will. filled with fairies and elves, unlike fable in the romantic realm of Arthurian would call them drunk, and she could now, when lecherous friars roam legend, she takes the opportunity to make them admit to crimes they never around the land. Although the friars retaliate against the Friar, who has just committed in their lives. rape women, just as incubi used to do rudely interrupted her. Women, says the Wife of Bath, are Again, the Wife of Bath reiterates how in the days of fairies, women only lose born with the tricks of deceiving, women can take control within their their dishonor: the friars don’t make weeping, and spying. She also claims households even though men have all the them pregnant. that everything in the world is for sale power in medieval society. A lusty young knight in Arthur’s court In the context of the tale, King Arthur is a and that she has endured the is riding through the forest when he wise king because he bows to his wife’s lovemaking of old husbands to satisfy spies a beautiful maid. Overcome with counsel, practicing mercy at her decree her purse, even though she doesn’t desire, he rapes her. The court is rather than overruling her. The knight like old meat. outraged, and according to law, the gets the opportunity to learn from his The Wife of Bath tells about her The Wife of Bath ascribes to knight should be beheaded. But the mistakes and to become more humble fourth husband, who took a mistress. Hammurabi’s code of an eye for an eye: if queen and her ladies intervene to through an educational journey. Back in those days, the Wife of Bath her husband makes her jealous, she will spare him, and King Arthur bows to was still a young, lusty maid, and she make him jealous in return. his wife’s counsel. The queen tells the was so angry that she decided to give knight that if, in a year’s time, he can the husband a taste of his own answer the question of what women medicine and made his life a living hell. want, his life will be spared. The Wife of Bath took her fifth As the Wife of Bath tells the story of her The knight sets forth sorrowfully Though the knight seeks his answer far husband, a clerk named Jankyn, not fifth husband, she loses her place several through the countryside and asks the and wide, women don't come to for his money but for his looks and times, growing lost in reverie as she question of every woman he meets. consensus. The only shortcoming that charms. Jankyn boarded at the house reacts to her own story. Rather than just Everyone answers differently. Some women have according to the Wife of of a friend whom the Wife of Bath a silly, pompous character who brags say riches; some say honor; some, Bath––that is, their inability to keep gossiped with. The Wife of Bath wears about her sexual exploits, the Wife of jolliness; lust; clothes; etc. Some say secrets––is the only thing that can save her special red robes to the house. Bath is revealed to have depths to her that women want to be free. Some say the young knight. Although the Wife of When she first meets Jankyn, she is character. Red is typically the color of that women’s greatest desire is to be Bath primarily relies on her own still married to her fourth husband lust. The friendship and gossip that the able to deceive and keep secrets. As experience to give her authority, she can and tells Jankyn that she has had a Wife of Bath and the other woman have proof of this last point, the Wife of also use literary examples like the story of dream in which the fourth husband show glimpses of what the female sphere Bath tells Ovid’s story of King Midas, King Midas to back up her claims. has enchanted her; however, this is a of medieval society might have looked whose ears were turned into ass’s pack of lies. A month after her fourth like. ears. Midas begged his wife not to tell, husband’s funeral––during which the but the secret burned inside her so Wife of Bath lustily watches Jankyn much that she couldn’t bear it and she carry her husband’s casket––the two whispered it to the marsh water. are married. The day comes when the knight must The disappearing dancers signify the The Wife of Bath is upset to learn The Wife of Bath’s hatred of Jankyn’s return to court. As he is riding past the presence of magic in the area. The ugly about Jankyn’s book of wicked wives terrible book is another reminder of the forest, he sees a group of women but wise old hag is a stock character in that he spends his time studying. She importance of the written word and text dancing and decides to ask them his Arthurian legends: although she appears tears a leaf out of the book. The book, to Chaucer. The Canterbury Tales are question. But before he can come to be a doddering old fool, she is actually called “Valerie and Theofraste,” explicitly written to be read, even though close, the dancers vanish, and only an a powerful witch. The knight, who has contains tales of all the unfaithful the pilgrims tell the stories to each other ugly old woman remains. She asks him thus far failed in his quest, has no choice women of history and legend: Eve, orally. what his question is, and he promises but to submit to her demands if he has Delilah, Clytemnestra, etc. Jankyn to reward her if she can tell him what any hope of keeping his life. reads the tales aloud to the Wife of women want. The old woman says Bath, who hates these stories that she can help him, but he must passionately. pledge his life to her. The knight agrees, and she whispers a message in Out of frustration, the Wife of Bath The Wife of Bath’s violence against the his ear. tears three leaves out of the book and book itself is the equivalent of punching punches Jankyn in the face. Jankyn Jankyn in the face: books in medieval retaliates by smacking her on the society were rare and precious, and even head, which causes her to become though Jankyn’s book is objectionable, it deaf in one ear. She pretends to be is still a treasure. dead so that he will feel guilty and then do anything she wishes.

The knight and the old woman go to The women gathered in assembly to hear The Pardoner says that every sermon The Pardoner always gives the same court, where a large audience of the the knight are reminiscent of the he gives is always on the same theme: sermon––Greed is the root of all queen and her maids is assembled, townspeople who gather in the Knight’s “Radix malorum est Cupiditas,” or evils––yet he himself is unashamedly waiting to hear the knight’s answer. Tale to watch Palamon and Arcite duel. “Greed is the root of all evils.” In these greedy. He's all "do what I say, not what I He tells them that women desire Though no women agreed throughout sermons, he shows his bag of fake do," with an added twist of trying to get sovereignty over their husbands and the knight’s yearlong journey, all the relics to the congregation. He claims paid for getting people to do what he lovers. The women in the audience woman concede that he now has the that sheep bones can cure ailments. says. His Prologue, like the Wife of Bath’s, agree that this is the right answer, and right answer. The parishioners always believe him, takes the form of a literary confession. his life is spared. and he tricks them into buying The Pardoner admits that he dupes his trinkets and hocus-pocus charms. It gullible parishioners and that he doesn’t doesn’t bother the pardoner that care if he saves souls so long as he makes At that moment, the old woman Even though the knight begs to get out of when his congregation has been a profit. comes forward and demands that the his contract to marry the ugly old buried, their souls are left to wander: knight marry her. The knight recoils in woman, everybody involved or he is in the business of making money, horror, begging her to take his witnessing––the old hag, the queen, even not absolving sins. possessions instead of his body, but the knight himself––know that the knight In his sermons, the Pardoner always Even though the Pardoner is guilty of the old woman insists, and he is forced is bound by his promise. preaches about greed, the same sin greed and covetousness, he is not guilty to wed and bed her, and the knight is that he himself freely admits of lying about it. He has the authority to miserable the whole time. possessing. Do as I say, not as I do, the tell tales warning against the dangers of Pardoner preaches: although he is greed because he himself lives a life While they are in bed, the old woman The old woman is not ashamed of her guilty of avarice, he warns people dictated by avarice. asks the knight why he is so ugliness, nor is she angry at the knight’s about the dangers of covetousness despondent, and the knight replies superficiality. She takes it for granted through lots of examples. However, he that he is repulsed by her “loothly” that he would be unhappy with an ugly himself would rather take a penny and “oold” appearance. The old woman, but reminds him that beauty is from a starving widow than give up his woman reminds him that true on the inside. creature comforts. Having finished his gentleness and character are on the ale, the Pardoner begins his tale. inside, not the outside. Sons of noble blood may be villainous; true poverty, THE PARDONER’S TALE she says, is in greed and longing for what you do not have. In Flanders, there were three young Although the Pardoner himself hardly men who loved to amuse themselves leads a spotless life, he bashes the The old woman gives the knight a It is unclear whether or not the knight by singing, reveling, and drinking. The protagonists of his tale for their sinful choice. She can remain ugly but genuinely, deep in his heart, wants to give Pardoner launches into a long ways, spelling out all the various reasons faithful and virtuous; or she can be the old woman the choice or whether he criticism about their sinful lives, citing why gluttony, drunkenness, gambling, beautiful, but he must take his recognizes her question as a riddle and many Biblical examples as support. and cursing are so terrible. He himself is chances that she may stray and gives her the answer she wants to hear. First, he denounces their gluttony, a hypocrite, but he uses his Tale as a cuckold him. The knight thinks for a Perhaps it doesn't matter, as he does give which he says caused the fall of Man. moral example. while, then says that the choice is her the choice, which is what she wants. He next decries their drunkenness, hers, thus granting her sovereignty. which makes men witless and lecherous. He then denounces their gambling: dice, he says, are the Since the knight gives her the The Wife of Bath’s tale of the loathly lady mothers of lies. The Pardoner authority to choose for herself, the old who turns into a beautiful maid is a very criticizes the swearing of false oaths, woman says that she will be both common plot. However, the Wife of saying that cursing and perjury are beautiful and true. She tells him to kiss Bath’s twist is that at the end of the day, wretched. her, and when he does so, she women must have sovereignty over their transforms into a young woman, and husbands, and that a woman's Finally, after his long tirade, the The revelers’ belief that they can slay they live happily ever after. The Wife faithfulness in fact depends on being Pardoner returns to the three young Death himself demonstrates their of Bath concludes with a plea that given freedom. rioters, who are drinking at a tavern extreme hubris. Rather than mourning Christ send all women meek, young, when they hear the bell signaling the their friend, they rashly seek their own and fresh husbands who will not sound of a passing coffin. A servant glory. Although they here pledge that outlive their wives. tells them that the dead man was a they will be brothers in their quest, as the friend of the revelers who had been story progresses it doesn't take much to THE PARDONER’S PROLOGUE stabbed in the night by a thief called dissolve their own bond. "Rioters" was a Death. The revelers declare that they term for rambunctious young men. Deeply moved by the Physician’s sad Even though the Host wants to hear a will seek and slay this false traitor story, which the company has just jolly story, he gets overruled by the Death. They pledge to be true to each heard, the Host turns to the Pardoner company’s demand for a story with a other as brothers in this quest. for a merry tale. The company, moral; the Pardoner, a man with no however, wants to hear a story with a principles, will give them whatever they good moral, and the Pardoner says he want—after he satisfies his personal will give them what they want after he desire for a drink. has a drink.

Summary & Analysis www.LitCharts.com | @litcharts ©2014 | Page 20 The Canterbury Tales The revelers meet an old man in rags The old man in rags is a typical character PROLOGUE TO SIR THOPAS who says that he must wander the in a parable, a prophet-like figure who earth restlessly because Death will gives the travelers information that turns “What man artow?” says the Host to Chaucer gives a modest, ugly depiction not take his life. He makes a move to out to be dangerous. Instead of the figure Chaucer the pilgrim. The Host makes of himself as a shy, bumbling, fat little leave, but the rioters demand that he of Death that they expect to find, the fun of Chaucer for staring at the man who doesn’t have any sort of tell them where they can find Death. three revelers find bushels of gold that ground all the time and for being a fat backbone around women. His tale is The old man says that he has just left ultimately lead them to their deaths little doll for ladies to toy with. The similarly lame: it's a foolish childhood Death a moment ago sitting under an through their greed. Host asks Chaucer to tell the tale. oak tree. The youths run down the company a merry tale, and Chaucer crooked path to the tree, where they says he will give them a rhyme he find not Death but eight bushels of learned long ago. gold. THE TALE OF SIR THOPAS The worst of the rioters speaks first, The revelers immediately decide to keep saying that this is their lucky day, but if the treasure for themselves rather than Chaucer’s Tale of Sir Thopas is told in Chaucer tells the tale of Sir Thopas in a they take the treasure down to the try to find out if it belongs to anyone, and a thumping rhyme scheme and song- bob-and-wheel rhyme scheme, which town by daylight, they will be accused this first greedy action sets off a chain like meter. Fair Sir Thopas, says makes it sound like childhood doggerel as thieves, and therefore they must reaction of escalating greed. Chaucer, lived in Flanders. He was a ("doggerel" is low-quality poetry). Young wait for nightfall to move the gold. He brave knight, with a white face and lips Sir Thopas is a fair, handsome knight, proposes that they draw straws, and red as a rose. His beard was bright much like the Squire, and he is trained in whichever one gets the short straw yellow and he wore expensive clothes. the general arts of a knight, including must go to town to get food and drink He is good at hunting, archery, and chastity. so they can wait out the day. wrestling. All the young ladies swoon over Sir Thopas, but he remains The youngest draws the short straw A third of the treasure is not enough for chaste. and leaves. While he is away, the other the rioters: even though the third will two rioters plot to kill the third when make each of them far richer than he Sir Thopas goes out riding with his Even though Sir Thopas is chaste, all the he returns so that the two of them will was before, they each immediately see sword by his side one day in flowering and birdsong of springtime each get a bigger share of the ways to become richer still. The bonds of springtime, when all the flora and make him half-crazy with unfulfilled love treasure. Meanwhile, the youngest brotherhood that they swore to each fauna are in heat, and he is filled with and, presumably, lust. decides to poison the other two other disappear in the face of their greed. “love-longynge” when he hears revelers so that he can keep all the birdsong. Thopas rides until he is money for himself. He goes to an weary and falls asleep on the grass. apothecary, buys the strongest poison Sir Thopas dreams of an elf-queen None of the mortal women who pursue available, and pours it into two bottles, who will be his mistress, since no Sir Thopas are worthy of his charms: the keeping a third clean for himself. earthly woman is worthy of his only lady he wants to pursue is the elf- When the youngest reveler returns, All of the rioters meet their demise due to affections. Upon awakening, he queen. This childlike rhyme, like the Wife the two others slay him. Then, their gluttonous, avaricious ways, giving determines to find this queen and of Bath’s Tale, is set in fairyland in the celebrating, they drink the poisoned the Pardoner the chance to remind the rides onward through the woods. Sir time of King Arthur. wine. Thus, all three of the revelers listeners (and reader) yet again that Thopas runs into the giant Sir die. Everyone must therefore beware greed is the root of all evils. Olifaunt, who says that he protects sins, says the Pardoner, especially the elf-queen. They agree to fight the greed, which is the root of all evils. next day, and Sir Thopas returns home. The Pardoner shows his relics and At the end of the Pardoner’s Tale, the Chaucer describes in great detail Sir The description of how Sir Thopas pardons to the pilgrims and asks for Pardoner practices the exact opposite of Thopas’s preparations for battle. prepares for battle is a parody of the contributions, even though he has just what he preaches: although he has just First, he eats sweets, and then he puts battle preparations in the Knight’s Tale, admitted that they are all fakes. The argued that greed is the root of all evils on layer after layer of fine clothes and though this parody operates at the level Pardoner first offers his relics to the and that lying is terrible, he himself armor. of the author rather than Chaucer/ Host, as the man “moost envoluped in attempts to swindle the company, and narrator. In other words, it's just a part of synne,” and the Host reacts violently the Knight must restore the social order. the Chaucer/narrator's story, but in the to the suggestion. The Knight must The pardoner is a complicated larger context of the Tales it operates as a step in to resolve the conflict, telling character—the morals spouting and yet parody. the Host and the Pardoner to kiss and gleefully immoral man of the church. And make up. as such it speaks volumes about the church that such a man would be associated with it. Lords and ladies, says Chaucer, listen Chaucer excitedly describes Sir Thopas to my story! Men speak of all the as the most daring, noble knight of them knights of Arthurian legend, but Sir all, but just as he beginning to launch Thopas is the most chivalrous of all. back into his adventure, the Host He has so many adventures that he interrupts him… barely ever sleeps in his house. One day––

Summary & Analysis www.LitCharts.com | @litcharts ©2014 | Page 21 The Canterbury Tales HOST’S INTERRUPTION OF CHAUCER Chaunticleer praises Pertelote’s Chaunticleer completely mis-translates beauty, saying that “In principio, the Latin that he quotes, which really The Host tells Chaucer to stop his Chaucer the author makes Chaucer the mulier est hominis confusion,” which means “In the beginning, woman is man’s horrible doggerel, saying that his pilgrim one of the worst tale-tellers on he translates as “Womman is mannes ruin.” His misinterpretation of the Latin terrible rhymes are “nat worth a the pilgrimage. The Host’s comparison of joye and al his blis.” Therefore, in spite foreshadows his misinterpretation of his toord!” Instead, he advises Chaucer to the tale of Sir Thopas to a “turd” is also of all his evidence that dreams are dream and the negative ramifications of tell a tale in prose that contains some Chaucer’s way of making fun of doggerel important, Chaunticleer decides to listening to his wife. (The Wife of Bath, sort of value. “Gladly,” says Chaucer, romances written in heavily alliterative abide by his wife’s advice and ignore probably, isn't a fan of this tale.) and says that he can tell a tale in prose verse. his dreams. He then makes love to with deep meaning just as well as Pertelote. anybody can. One day in May, just as Chaunticleer The Nun’s Priests uses many of the THE NUN’S PRIEST’S PROLOGUE has declared his perfect happiness, an conventions of both courtly romance and inexplicable wave of sorrow comes Homeric epic to describe his barnyard After the depressing Monk’s Tale, the The Nun’s Priest is barely mentioned in over him. That very night, Russell the scene, lifting his story from a simple fable Knight begs that no more tragedies be the General Prologue, yet he gets to tell fox comes into the yard and lies in to the genre of mock epic and social told, saying that they need some one of the most memorable and lively of wait till morning. The Nun’s Priest satire. By taking noble concepts and pleasure to set the balance right. The the Tales. laments the inevitable fate of the ideas and putting them in mouths of Host agrees and turns to the Nun’s rooster to the murderous fox, but says chickens and foxes, the tale suggests that Priest, who is travelling with the it is his duty to tell the tale. Just like perhaps these high ideas, or those who Prioress and the Second Nun, and Adam, the cock has obeyed his wife’s talk about them, are not as noble or asks for a merry tale. The Nun’s Priest counsel at his own peril. serious as they seem. says that he is happy to oblige the company. THE NUN’S PRIEST’S TALE The next morning, Chaunticleer is The fox uses Chaunticleer’s own powers A poor widow lives a simple life in a The Nun’s Priest’s Tale is a beast fable. watching a butterfly when he sees the against him: Chaunticleer is the best little cottage with her two daughters. The most direct source text of the Tale is fox watching him. Terrified, the cock is singer in the barnyard, and the fox crafts Her greatest possession is her noble a fable by Marie de France. Although it about to run away, but the sweet- his own sort of song to coax the rooster rooster, Chaunticleer, who is the best appears to be a simple animal fable with talking fox flatters him. The fox says to lose his focus. The reference to singer in the land. Chaunticleer crows a moral, the Tale ends up being much that Chaunticleer’s father was the Chaunticleer’s father also places this the time more accurately than the more complicated, with lots of allusions best singer he ever heard, and he story in the tradition of many cock-and- church clocks. His coxcomb is red as and plot twists. coaxes Chaunticleer to sing for him. fox beast fables. coral, his beak black as jet, and his Chaunticleer puffs out his chest, beats feathers shine like burnished gold. his wings, closes his eyes, and Chaunticleer has seven hens, and his stretches out his throat, and just as he favorite is the lovely Pertelote. begins to sing, Russell darts out and grabs him by the throat. One morning, Chaunticleer awakens Chaunticleer and Pertelote argue over from a terrible nightmare. He tells the correct interpretation of dreams, The hens in the barnyard wail louder The Nun’s Priest uses mock-Homeric Pertelote that a savage, reddish, beast each citing literary authorities to back up than the woman of Troy did when similes in his comparison of the hens to was about to swallow him. Pertelote their claims. Pertelote says that bad their city was captured. When the the Trojans’ wives. In one of the only chides him, saying that she cannot dreams are simply a physical reaction widow and her daughters hear the direct allusions to current events, love such a coward. The Roman and that Chaunticleer should just take crying, they rush in to the barnyard. Chaucer compares the barnyard to the philosopher Cato, she says, tells men some medicine to set his humors in order. Together with all the farm animals, 1381 peasant’s revolt in England, lead not to be scared of dreams. She says they all run after the fox, just like Jack by Jack Straw. that the dream comes from some Straw leading the peasants in physical melancholy and urges him to rebellion. take a laxative to get rid of this black bile. Chaunticleer suggests to the fox that Usually, the clever fox defeats the rooster Chaunticleer argues that men of even Chaunticleer cites many different textual he stop and taunt his pursuers. The in this type of beast fable, but here, greater authority than Cato argue sources to prove to Pertelote that dreams fox likes this idea. But as soon as the Chaunticleer tricks the fox at his own that dreams are extremely important. are matters that should be taken fox opens his mouth to do so, game and foils Russell. The moral of the He sites authors who describe seriously. He uses complex literary Chaunticleer flies waa y and perches in story, says the Nun’s Priest, is to never premonitions of murders in dreams in allusions to make his point. However, in a high tree. The fox tries to flatter the trust flatterers––perhaps a subtle jab at order to prove to Pertelote that the end, Chaunticleer doesn’t follow his rooster again, but Chaunticleer has some of his fellow pilgrims. Though it is “Mordre wol out” through dreams own advice, foolishly abandoning his learned his lesson. The moral of the also worth noting that there is a moral of that show the truth. Chaunticleer own wisdom for the sake of his wife. story, says the Nun’s Priest, is never not trusting women or wives, either, that continues to cite many books and to trust flatterers. the Nun's Priest does not explicitly legends that tell about men who have mention here. portentous dreams, referring to Macrobius, Scipio, Joseph, and Croesus, among others.

Summary & Analysis www.LitCharts.com | @litcharts ©2014 | Page 22 The Canterbury Tales NUN’S PRIEST’S TALE EPILOGUE The Host praises the Nun’s Priest for In the Nun’s Priest’s Tale, the animals act his merry tale. He says that the Priest like humans, and after the tale, the Host would have made for an excellent turns the tables and compares the Priest rooster, with his strong muscles and himself to the rooster hero of his story, great neck––all he would need would while also getting in a nice dig about how be hens, which, of course, he cannot the clergy are bound to lives of chastity. have, being a member of the clergy.