Canterbury Tales – “General Prologue”
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Why are the pilgrims going to Canterbury?
Where EXACTLY does the pilgrimage start?
How many pilgrims are going? (trick question)
Describe pilgrims:
a. Knight
f. Monk
b. Squire
g. Friar
c. Yeoman
h. Merchant
d. Prioress
i. Oxford Cleric
e. Nun and 3 priests
Main Discussion Questions
1. Discuss the significance of spring setting.
2. Discuss the significance of the starting place.
3. What is Chaucer revealing about how the General Prologue will be organized?
Knight:
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What are some of the places where the Knight has fought?
What does the Knight do to his opponents if he beats them in the tournament ring ("the
lists")?
What is the Knight's conversation and speech like, according to the narrator?
What is the Knight's armor (his habergeon) like in appearance? Why do you suppose it look
like this?
What pilgrim is the son of this Knight?
The Knight has been called one of the 3 “ideal” characters of CT. In what ways does he fall
short? What contradictions exist?
Squire
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How does the Squire's appearance contrast with that of the Knight?
How old is the Squire? What talents does he have and how do they contrast with the Knight?
Why does the Squire sleep so little?
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What's a Yeoman in the medieval world?
Why is the Yeoman so sun-tanned? (What does this trait suggest about him, his activities,
and how he spends a time?)
Why do you suppose the Knight would want a servant who is good with a bow?
Yeoman
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Prioress
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What's a prioress? What is the name of the particular prioress who joins the pilgrimage
company?
What foreign language does the Prioress speak? Where (according to her accent) did she
learn to speak French? What might this detail reveal about her background?
How does the Prioress eat her food? What does this detail suggest about her background?
What is the Prioress's attitude toward animals? What does this suggest about about her?
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What does her golden brooch have written on it? What are two ways of interpreting this
quotation?
What four people accompany the prioress?
Monk.
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The Monk, we hear, is an "outrider." What is an outrider in a monastery?
What noise do people hear as the Monk rides past them?
What is the Monk's attitude toward the Benedictine Rule or the Mauritian Rule (i.e., the
guidelines monks are supposed to obey)?
What does the Monk think of the argument that holy men shouldn't hunt animals?
What does the Monk think about studying books?
What does the Monk think of Saint Augustine's Rule, which requires that monastic clergy work
with their hands at manual labor?
What animals follow the Monk around when he rides?
What's unusual about the sleeves of the Monk's habit (robe)? Why does this seem strange for a
monastic habit?
What sort of pin does the Monk wear in his habit? Why is this pin strange or unusual for a
Monk's clothing?
Monk and Prioress
 What roles do they (should they) have in society?
 How do the Prioress and the Monk contradict these roles?
 What is Chaucer revealing to his readers about church figures?
Friar
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What is the Friar's name?
What does the Friar frequently arrange for young women in his parish? What are two ways of
interpreting this "generosity"?
What sort of absolution does the Friar grant to sinners?
What locations does the Friar know especially well in every town? What sort of people does he
know very well?
We hear that the Friar was particularly of much help on "love-days." What are two ways of
interpreting this phrase, "love-days"?
Merchant
 Explain the ways that the Merchant uses professional terminology.
 Why does Chaucer say that he does not know the Merchant’s name?
Oxford Cleric
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What does the word "Clerk" mean in medieval times?
What does the Clerk of Oxford look like in terms of his physical build? What condition are his
clothes in? What does this suggest about the Clerk?
What does the Clerk apparently spend all his money on?
How talkative is the Clerk? When he talks, what traits characterize his speech?
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What two things would the Clerk "gladly" do?
Serjeant of Law
1. What does the line “But was less busy than he seemed to be” reveal about the Serjeant of Law?
2. Why can the Serjeant of Law feel confident that no one will question his knowledge about the law?
Franklin
1. What class level does the Franklin appear to be?
2. Depending on your answer, how does his portrait, support or contradict this?
3. The Franklin is described in particular detail. What is his beard like? What color are his cheeks? (What
modern legendary figure does he resemble from our holiday season?)
4. What does it mean when the text reads the Franklin "was Epicurus' very son"? Who was Epicurus and
what is Epicurean philosophy?
5. To what saint is the Franklin compared explicitly? Why is this an appropriate comparison?
6. What substances "snow" inside his house?
The Guildsmen
1.
The guildsmen--the Haberdasher, the Carpenter, the Weaver, the Dyer, and the Arras (Tapestry)
Maker--all have eating utensils made of the same metal. What metal is this?
2. Why do the wives of the guildsmen believe that they are due more? Why do they qualify?
3. What does Chaucer mean by “guild-fraternity” (line 366)?
4. Can people change their class levels? (compare with Franklin)
The Cook
1. Who does the Cook apparently work for in the pilgrimage company?
2. What does the Cook have on his shin? What does this indicate about the Cook's health or hygiene?
3. What normal color is the sweet blanc-mange the Cook fixes? [Hint: the word "blanc" provides a clue!] Why
is this particularly gross, given earlier details about the Cook's health?
4. Aside from cooking, what other skill does the Cook have? What does this tell us about his
character?
The Shipman
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What town is the sailor possibly from? [Lecture question: What is the area around this town famous
for in the medieval period?]
What does the Sailor keep on a cord around his neck? What does he keep "under his arm?" What
does he keep hidden under his clothing {i.e., "and down")? Why do you suppose he keeps three of
these items? What does it suggest about what sort of "sailor" this man is?
What does the Sailor steal while the traders on his boat are asleep?
If the Sailor gets involved in a naval battle, what does he do with the people he captures, according
to the narrator? What does that mean?
What is the name of his vessel?
Doctor of Physik
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Why are the stars important for the Doctor of Physick's medical treatments? (i.e., what
"science" of the stars does the Doctor ascribe to?)
What profitable business arrangement does the Doctor have with "apothecaries"? (What are
apothecaries?)
What sort of books is the physician well versed in?
What book does the physician not know very well?
What material does he like best of all as a "cordial"?
Wife of Bath
1. What physical disability does the Wife of Bath have?
2. What does the Wife of Bath wear on her head? How much does this weigh? Why do you
suppose she wears this?
3. What color are her stockings?
4. How many husbands has she had?
5. What are two ways of interpreting that line about "not counting other company in youth"?
6. How many times had the Wife of Bath journeyed to Jerusalem? What other places has she
traveled to? What do these wide travels suggest about her as a character?
7. What are the Wife of Bath's teeth like? What is the significance of this?
8. What does the Wife wear on her feet/boots to help steer her horse? Why is this unusual for
the period?
9. What is the difference between the Wife of Bath and women of the Middle Ages?
Parson
1. According to the narrator, the Parson is hesitant to "curse [his parishioners] to get a tithe."
(line 488) Instead, what does the Parson do with his own income and goods?
2. Why does the narrator note that the Parson's parish was "wide" with "houses far asunder"
(493) before describing the Parson's travels? How does this characterize the Parson?
3. What does the Parson do first before he teaches his flock?
4. When the Parson asks allegorically, "if gold rust, what shall poor iron do?" (502) what is he
talking about? Who or what is the gold and who or what is the iron?
5. When the narrator speaks about a "shiten shepherde, shepherding clene sheep," (506) what
is he talking about?
6. Why does the Parson refuse promotion to London or Saint Paul's Cathedral?
7. This is another one of the “ideal” characters in CT, where is there evidence that he is not the
perfect parson?
Class Discussion Topic
1. I believe that this character is not a bad parson, but he does appear to be highlighting what
the bad parsons were guilty of doing. Provide examples.
Plowman
1. To whom is the Plowman related? What sort of work does this Plowman do all day?
2. What does the Plowman wear and how does this connect to the early setting of The Canterbury
Tales?
3.
This is the third and final “ideal” character in CT. If we had to point out one facet of his personality
(from the portrait) to criticize, what would it be?
The Miller
1. Explain the subtle stab that Chaucer makes in lines 552.
2. What crime is the Miller skilled at doing?
The Manciple
* The Manciple would have been a purchasing agent for over 30 lawyers.
1. What apparently is the Manciple's attitude to "learned men" in comparison to his own wit?
The Reeve
* A steward for an estate
1. What do the humours reveal about the Reeve?
2. The narrator states that "Yet no man ever found him in arrears." What are two ways of
interpreting this statement about the Reeve's skills in managing?
3. Where does the Reeve ride? Why does he ride in this position?
The Summoner
* One paid to summon sinners to trial before an ecclesiastical court.
1. What physical signs exist that tell readers that the Summoner is not a “good guy”?
2. What proof do we have that the Summoner’s physical problems are incurable?
3. What happens when the Summoner gets drunk?
4. In illustrations of this character, the Summoner is carrying a letter of excommunication. He
had the right to tell individuals that they were going to be excommunicated (forgotten by
the church/God – means everlasting damnation.) Why is it ironic that THIS Summoner
carries this letter?
The Pardoner
* One who has the authority to sell pardons and indulgences for the church. (not necessarily
ordained.)
1. Riding with whom?
2. Once again, what physical proof is there that shows that the Pardoner is not a “good guy”?
3. What “relics” does the Pardoner use to offer salvation?
The Summoner and The Pardoner
1. Both men are given responsibility of the souls of men and women. What is Chaucer telling
us about the true crime of these two men?
Chaucer’s plans for the tales
1. How does Chaucer plan to set up the Tales?
2. Why does Chaucer apologize to the reader? Why does he act as though he is not the
author and merely a recorder for the pilgrims?
The Host
1. What is ironic about the Host acting as the leader? (include how he comes last in the
General Prologue)
2. The Host comes up with idea of how to pass the long trip to Canterbury. What is it?
3. What will the winner get?
4. How is the prize ironic coming from the Host?
5. What is the consequence to anyone who breaks their word and refuses to play?
6. How is the order of the speakers established?
7. How should the order of the speakers been established?
8. What is ironic about the winner? What is your reaction to this?