PROMPT: Chaucer’s vivid characterization does more than just create stereotypes that
represent medieval English society. Chaucer was both an observer and a critic of his society.
Analyze how Chaucer reveals his characters through description of appearance, profession,
attitudes, behaviors, dress, manner of speech, interactions with other characters, and the
tales. Then analyze how the characterization develops Chaucer’s message. Avoid plot
summary.
THESIS:
The vivid characters of The Canterbury Tales reflect social class, religious order, and trade, and
although these pilgrims often make shrewd and insightful observations about medieval
England during their pilgrimage, the primary purpose of their tales, which is also Chaucer’s
message, is to entertain and delight, thus showing the power of storytelling to transform,
uplift, or merely amuse society.
BODY:
Paragraph 1
 The frame story set up in the General Prologue primarily includes colorful and
amusing descriptions of the pilgrims, which often hint at the irony of their
behavior and demonstrate Chaucer’s careful attention to character development.
o The Reeve: “No one had ever caught him in arrears. / No bailiff, serf or
herdsman dared to kick, / He knew their dodges, knew their every trick; ”
(19).
o The Wife of Bath: “Bold was her face, handsome, and red in hue. / A worthy
woman all her life, what’s more / She’d had five husbands, all at the church
door, / Apart from other company in youth. . .” (15).
o The Pardoner: “There was no pardoner of equal grace, / For in his trunk he
had a pillow case / Which he asserted was Our Lady’s veil” (22).
 For each character, explain the irony of the description and how the effect is
more entertaining than critical.
Paragraph 2
 The pilgrims are introduced in the General Prologue and then the storytelling
contest that takes place on their pilgrimage to Canterbury develops the
framework for the tales that follow. The individual tales develop from the
pilgrims’ particular characters.
 The purpose of the storytelling contest is framed as a way to pass the time, thus
suggesting Chaucer’s own view of the power of storytelling to affect reality and
mood and even time.
 The Host’s character also brings out the emphasis on pleasure associated with the
storytelling contest that he proposes.
o The Host is described as “He served the finest victuals you could think / The
wine was strong and we were glad to drink. / A very striking man our Host
withal, / And fit to be a marshal in a hall. / His eyes were bright, his girth a
little wide;/ There is no finer burgess in Cheapside. / Bold in his speech, yet
wise and full of tact. . ./ After our meal he jokingly began / To talk of sport,
and, among other things. . .” (23)
 The Host persuades the other pilgrims to join in the fun of storytelling because it
will make the journey more enjoyable.
o “Each one of you shall help to make things slip / By telling two stories on
the outward trip / To Canterbury, that’s what I intend. . ./ And then the
man whose story is best told, / That is to say who gives the fullest measure
/ Of good morality and general pleasure, / He shall be given a supper, paid
by all . . .” (24).
 Even though the Host includes both morality and pleasure as his criteria for the
storytelling contest, his own emphasis on pleasure in life and his comment about
how the stories will help to pass the time suggest that this is the Host’s priority as
well as Chaucer’s in entertaining his audience.
Paragraph 3
 Chaucer characterizes the Wife of Bath as a scandalous woman with five
husbands who exposes the paradoxes and contradictions of marriage and other
sacred ideals of society for what they are. She tells it like it is.
o “Had God commanded maidenhood to all / Marriage would be condemned
beyond recall, / And certainly if seed were never sown / How ever could
virginity be grown?” (260).
 Chaucer also shows the Wife of Bath’s frankness when she explains her
storytelling.
o “But still I hope the company won’t reprove me / Though I should speak as
fantasy may move me, / And please don’t be offended at my views; /
They’re really only offered to amuse” (263).
 The Wife of Bath’s long history of her five marriages does include criticism of
marriage and her manipulation of her husbands for her own use, but she even
directly states that she only means to entertain.
Paragraph 4
 Even Chaucer’s Retractions suggest his concern for the storytelling power of his
tales.
o “And if there be anything that displeases them, I beg them also to impute it
to the fault of my want of ability, and not to my will, who would very gladly
have said better if I had had the power” (489).
 Clearly, Chaucer’s intention was to please, or entertain, his audience, so much
that he apologizes for and retracts anything that fails to do so.