THE PROLOGUE TO THE
CANTERBURY TALES
The Serjeant at the Law
The Franklin
The Haberdasher
The Dyer
The Carpenter
The Weaver
The Carpet-maker
The Cook
Geschke/British Literature
The Canterbury Tales
The Serjeant at the Law
Geschke/British Literature
The Canterbury Tales
The Serjeant at the Law
•
Characterization
– Diction
• “There also was, of noted excellence
Discreet he was, a man to reverence,
Or so he seemed, his sayings were so
wise.”
(315-317)
– Suggests a false appearance
Geschke/British Literature
The Canterbury Tales
The Serjeant at the Law
•
“His fame and learning and his high
position
Had won him many a robe and many a
fee.”
(320-321)
– His wisdom resulted in this gain of materials
Geschke/British Literature
The Canterbury Tales
The Serjeant at the Law
•
“Though there was nowhere one so busy
as he,
He was less busy than he seemed to
be.”
(325-326)
– Again, a suggestion of a false appearance
Geschke/British Literature
The Canterbury Tales
The Serjeant at the Law
•
•
•
Serjeants-at-the-Laws are the most
prominent members of the legal
profession from whose ranks the king
would select judges.
The lawyer uses his wisdom to make
money, gain materialistic things and
increase his self-importance
The repetition of the word “seemed”
suggests a false appearance of the
lawyer
Geschke/British Literature
The Canterbury Tales
The Serjeant at the Law
• Our Reaction
– Relatively similar to the modern,
stereotypical societal/comedic view of a
lawyer
• Greedy
• Phony
Geschke/British Literature
The Canterbury Tales
The Franklin
Geschke/British Literature
The Canterbury Tales
The Franklin
•
Characterization
– Diction
• “white as a daisy-petal was his
beard” (336)
– Old man
– Wise?
Geschke/British Literature
The Canterbury Tales
The Franklin
•
“He loved a morning sop of cake in wine.
He lived for pleasure and had always done,
For he was Epicurus’ very son,
In whose opinion sensual delight
Was the one true felicity in sight.”
(338-342)
– Epicurus
• Greek philosopher who taught that
happiness is the goal of life
Geschke/British Literature
The Canterbury Tales
The Franklin
•
“His bread, his ale were finest of the fine
And no one had a better stock of wine.
His house was never short of bake-meat
pies,
Of fish and flesh, and these in such supplies
It positively snowed with meat and drink
And all the dainties that a man could think.”
(345-350)
Geschke/British Literature
The Canterbury Tales
The Franklin
•
Many of Chaucer’s characters are guilty
of one or more of the seven deadly sins
•
The Franklin’s sin is gluttony.
Geschke/British Literature
The Canterbury Tales
The Franklin
• Purpose of the Diction
– Demonstrate the sin the Franklin is
guilty of
Geschke/British Literature
The Canterbury Tales
The Franklin
• Our Reaction to the Franklin
– No dramatic opinion
– Significance of gluttony from a social
perspective
• Not always looked down on
Geschke/British Literature
The Canterbury Tales
The Guild Members
•
•
•
•
•
The Haberdasher
The Dyer
The Carpenter
The Weaver
The Carpet-maker
Geschke/British Literature
The Canterbury Tales
The Guild Members
•
Characterization
– Diction
•
“…were
Among our ranks, all in the livery
Of one impressive guild-fraternity.
They were so trim and fresh their gear would
pass
For new. Their knives were not tricked out
with brass
But wrought with purest silver, which
avouches
A like display on girdles and pouches.”
(366-372)
Geschke/British Literature
The Canterbury Tales
The Guild Members
•
•
Guilds are professional organizations for
craftsmen
The characters are proud of their wealth
and display it with ornate objects
Geschke/British Literature
The Canterbury Tales
The Guild Members
•
“Their wisdom would have justified a
plan
To make each one of them an
alderman”
(375-376)
–
Alderman
•
•
In England and Ireland, a senior member of a
county or borough council
The chief officer in a shire
Geschke/British Literature
The Canterbury Tales
The Guild Members
•
“They had the capital and revenue,
Besides their wives declared it was their due.
And if they did not think so, then they ought;
To be called “Madam” is a glorious thought,
And so is going to church and being seen
Having your mantle carried like a queen.”
(377-382)
– The wives enjoyed the status of the
husbands
– Gave the women social recognition
Geschke/British Literature
The Canterbury Tales
The Guild Members
•
Purpose of the Diction
– Demonstrate the prosperity of the guild
members
– Demonstrate the pride associated with being
a guild member
Geschke/British Literature
The Canterbury Tales
The Guild Members
•
Our Reaction to the Guild Members
– not a dramatic reaction
– we recognize that these are successful
people
Geschke/British Literature
The Canterbury Tales
The Cook
Geschke/British Literature
The Canterbury Tales
The Cook
•
Characterization
– Diction
• “And he could roast and seethe and broil
and fry,
Make good thick soup and bake a tasty
pie.”
(387-388)
– Talented cook
Geschke/British Literature
The Canterbury Tales
The Cook
•
“But what a pity—so it seemed to me,
That he should have an ulcer on his
knee.”
(389-390)
–
Ulcer
•
An open sore on the skin or some mucous
membrane, as the lining of the stomach,
characterized by the disintegration of the tissue
and, often, the discharge of pus
Geschke/British Literature
The Canterbury Tales
The Cook
•
Purpose of the Diction
– Adds a humorous aspect to the tales
– Reflects the gullibility of the Guild Members
•
“They had a Cook with them…”(383)
Geschke/British Literature
The Canterbury Tales
The Cook
•
Our Reaction to the Cook
–
–
–
we laugh at him
a little “grossed-out”
no strong reaction about his personality
Geschke/British Literature
The Canterbury Tales