The Canterbury Tales
Characterization Chart
In this box write
the character and
the page number
where the
information is
found.
Knight
pg.5
Squire
Pg. 7
Use this box to
categorize each of the
pilgrim’s roles in 14th
century English
society:
 Church
 Trade or
Professional
(Common)
 Feudal System
(court)
Feudal System
Feudal System
In this box tell how Chaucer characterizes them, directly,
or indirectly? Use the following as a guide to record his
descriptions:
 Possessions
 Physical Features
 Personality Traits
 Clothing
 Behavior
 Attitude
Finally, what is the author’s
tone? Write whether you
think Chaucer regards this
character with admiration, or
criticism; explain why you
think so.
DIRECT:
 Horses
 Chain mail armor
 Rough tunic
 Embroidered clothing
 Nice to everyone
 Good guy
 Admirable man
 Coming directly from battle
 Has a son
DIRECT:
 Energetic knight
 Junior status (inexperienced and young, unmarried,
lusty bachelor)
 Curly locks
 20 years old
 Average height, agile, strong
 Embroidered clothing with white and red flowers
(clean)
 “Fresh as the month of May”—smelled good
Admiration:
 “admirable man”
 “highly reputed”
 “he was wise”
Admiration”
 “agile and strong”
 “refined manners”
 “lover and energetic
knight of junior status”

Yeoman
Pg. 7-9
Feudal System
Prioress (Nun)
Madame Eglantine
Pg.9
Church
Nun and Three
Priests
Pg. 11
Church
Loved so much that he never slept (modern day
player)
DIRECT:
 Servant to knight
 Green cloak
 Carried a horn, shield, dagger, and arrows that were
made of peacock and kept them perfect in a quiver in
his belt
 Game keeper
 Tanned skin (worker)
 Land owner ($)
-----On the verge of laborer/wealth (modern day middle
class)
 St. Christopher’s Medallion (putting on a front of being
religious)
DIRECT
 Smiles
 Shy
 Sings
 Manners
 speaks French
 educated, sensitive
 cares about animals/life
 gray-blue eyes
 red lipstick
 courtly
INDIRECT
 Prioress secretary
 attendants
Admiration
 “cropped hair”
 “groomed peacock
feathers”
 “shiny dagger”
ADMIRATION
 “she had been well
instructed in table
manners”
 “she was full of love and
pity”
 “Her strongest swear
word was …”
CRITICISM-uses sarcasm and
doesn’t elaborate author doesn’t
seem to care about their
existence
Monk
Pg. 11
Church
DIRECT
 Responsible for affairs
 Smile
 Fat
 Wealthy
 disagreed with church
 modern thinking
 progressive
 good hunter
 horses
 bald
Friar (Hubert)
Pg. 13-17
Church
Merchant
Pg. 17
Trade or professional
(common)
DIRECT (SARCASM)
 Hood full of broaches and daggers to give pretty wives
 Charming
 Paid for others to stay out of his area
 Strong like a champion
 Easy going
 Liked to sing
 Gave money to the poor only when he knew there was
a reward for him involved
 License to beg-people came to him to confess their sins
“Atonement”—in exchange for $
 Smooth talker-kept company with maidens
 Neck was white as lilies (loose morals)
 Good poet, good singer
 Wide cloak
 Frequents pub
 Setting up women for marriages (has an affair and then
arranges marriages to get rid of them)
DIRECT
 Colorful clothes
 Wears beaver skin hat
 Name unknown
 He is in debt
 Boots are fastened neatly
 Smart man—“cunning, cleverly, worthy”
ADMIRATION
 “outstandingly handsome
fellow”
 “manly man”
 “I agreed with his views”
CRITICISM
 “well-breed horses in
their stables”
 “Intricate pin made of
gold”
 “he was a fat and very
healthy lord”
Criticism: (Hypocrite)
 “dispensed penances
when he knew there
would be a generous gift”
 “wide cloak”
 “license to beg”
 “easy going and
cheerful”
 “boasted”
 “acquainted with pubs of
the town”
 “Hubert”
 “most efficient beggar”
ADMIRATION:
 “wealthy man employed
his intelligence”
 “admirable”
 “no one knew that he was
in debt”
 “all together an


The Clerk
Pg. 17-19
(oxford scholar)
Trade or professional
(common)
Student/
philosopher
Forked beard-well groomed
wanted seas to be protected
DIRECT
 Skinny horse
 Thin and serious
 Wore short coat that was threadbare
 Hadn’t yet earned a church living
 Wasn’t interested in business
 Books on philosophy
 Violin, harp
 Used $ on books and study
 Prayed for souls who gave him scholarship
 Didn’t speak unless necessary
 Spoke only of moral and virtue
 Teacher

admirable man”
“overly protective of
seas”
ADMIRATION



“virtuous man”
“delved deeply in study
of logic”
“greatest care and
concern was study”
CRITICISM
 “skinny horses”
 “only had $ from
relations”
 “hadn’t yet obtained
church living”
Sergeant of the law
Pg. 19
Court
DIRECT:
 Prudent, wise
 Most excellent man
 Dignified
 Colorful, silk clothing
 Great reputation
 Sophisticated
 Great at buying property
ADMIRATION:
Franklin
Pg. 19-21
Trade
ADMIRATION:
(Guild) Drapery
Dealer, Carpenter,
Weaver, Dyer,
Tapestry/Carpet
maker
Pg. 21
Trade
Cook
Pg. 23
Trade
DIRECT
 White as a daisy
 Land owner
 Wealthy
 Rosy cheeks (cheerful)
 Collecting taxes
 Worthy land holder
 Eats meat, pies, fish, finest food
 Hospitable
DIRECT
 Dressed similarly
 like things orderly
 work neatly and with craftsmanship,
 owned knives
 wives,
 wisdom suitable to be city officials
INDIRECT
 Pustule on his shin
 cooks well
Admiration:
Criticism:
Sailor
Pg. 23
Trade
DIRCECT
 Lives in West Country
 good sailor (knows where everything is,
knowledgeable about sailing and seas in
general
 lets opponents go home by sea
 woolen gown
 knee length
 dagger
 rides a cart horse
 sunburned
Admiration/Criticism:
Doctor of Medicine
Pg. 25
Trade Professional
DIRECT
 Excellent doc
 Informed in astrology
 Expensive silk clothing
 Didn’t throw his money around
 Survived the Black Death
 Didn’t eat a lot
 Well studied
 Understood every sickness
 Right hand man was a chemist-helped each other
ADMIRATION:
Wife of Bath
p. 25-27
Parson/Priest
p.27-31
Trade
Church
DIRECT/INDIRECT
 Deaf
 Weaver
 Alms-giving
 Finely woven clothes
 Red stockings
 Supple shoes
 Confident face with gaps in teeth
 Thick
 Admirable woman
 She had five husbands
 Visited Jerusalem 3 times
 Hat
 Good company
 Good “dancer”
DIRECT:
 Poor
 Rich in holy thoughts and deeds
 Learned scholar
 He preaches the Gospel and makes sure to practice
what he preaches.
 Would not excommunicate someone for failure to pay
their tithes
 Gave his own money to his parishioners
 Content
 Large parish
 Did not go around despising sinful men
 There isn’t a better priest anywhere
Admiration
Criticism
ADMIRATION
Ploughman
Pg. 31
Trade
Miller
Pg. 31-33
Professional
Manciple
Pg. 33
Professional
Reeve
Pg. 33-35
Professional
ADMIRATION
DIRECT
 Honest and good worker
 Lived peaceably
 Love God with all his heart
 Loved his neighbors as himself
 Paid tax to the church in full
 Wore a sleeveless jacket
 Rode on a mare
DIRECT
 Large man
 wart on his nose and a big mouth
 Red hair
 Skillful in stealing corn
 Charged triple price
 White tunic with a blue hood
 Bagpiper
DIRECT
 Refined manners
 Paid in cash
 Chose to buy when it was most profitable to him
 Limited education
 Lived within own means and without debt
 Could come to the assistance of a whole country is a
lawsuit were to occur
 Outwitted everyone
CRITICISM
DIRECT
 Thin, choleric man
 Closely shaved beard
 Cropped hair
 Long and skinny legs
 Could accurately forecast how much his lord’s crop or
cattle would yield
 Controlled all of the Lord’s livestock
Admiration
Admiration


Summoner
Pg 35-37
Church
Pardoner
Pg. 37-39
Church
No one could deceive him
People were as scared of him as they were of the Black
Death
 Owned his own home
 Good at purchasing
 Excellent carpenter
 Fine horse
 Long blue overcoat
 Rusty Sword
 From Norfolk
 Rode at the end of the procession
DIRECT
 Fiery red face
 Hot and lustful
 Scabby black eyebrows and a patchy beard
 Children were scared of his face
 Nothing could help the white lumps and pustules he
had on his cheeks
 Liked garlic, onions and leeks
 Liked strong drink
 Spoke only in Latin when he was drunk
 Refined and kind rascal
 Could not find a better friend
 Knew secrets of the young people in his diocese
 Had a wreath on his head
Criticism
DIRECT
 Yellow hair
 Straight hair that hung sparsely
 Prominent eyes
 Wallet was full of pardons
 High pitched voice
 Had no beard no would he ever have one
 Enuch or homosexual
 Said to have relics that were of religious nature, but
really they were nothing
 Hypocrite/Liar (scam artist)
Criticism
Criticism


Narrator
Host
Earned more money in one day than the parson earned
in a whole month
Sang cheerfully and loudly (charismatic…silver
tongue…spoke well but didn’t use it for good)
Scammer