Drahouzal/Finizio
Sophomore English
Periods 7/8 & 11
Quiz Date: 2/9/05
The Canterbury Tales Prologue
Study Guide
(KEY)
I.
Fill in the Blank
*Fill in the blank with the best possible answer. Use all your notes and handouts to
help you.
1. A prologue is an introduction to a work.
2. Geoffrey Chaucer is the author of The Canterbury Tales.
3. There are Twenty-Nine pilgrims who are making a pilgrimage to Canterbury to
see the shrine of St. Thomas Becket.
4. In the beginning of the Prologue, Pilgrims meet in Southwark at the Tabard Inn.
5. The season that this pilgrimage occurs in is spring.
6. In the Prologue, the author introduces the pilgrims.
7. The narrator decides to join the group of pilgrims and begins to
describe/introduce each pilgrim.
8. In order to make their trip to Canterbury go quicker, each pilgrim will tell two
stories on the way there and two stories on the way back.
9. The host sets the rules for the story telling contest.
II.
Who am I?
*From the description of each pilgrim try to guess who is being described.
1. This pilgrim is one of the highest ranking on this trip. He serves as an ideal, and
is the epitome of chivalric code honor. This pilgrim is still dressed in battle
clothes.
The Knight
2. This pilgrim is not what we would expect his kind to be. He is fat and is
describes as a “Manly Man.” He is said to live “High on the Hog.” This pilgrim
loves hunting and is always dressed in expensive clothes. He also wears a lover’s
knot.
The Monk
3. This character is perhaps the most corrupt clergyman on the pilgrimage. This
pilgrim found husbands and dowries for women he himself seduced. This pilgrim
is familiar with all the taverns in the area, and parties quite a bit for a religious
man. He is a good beggar because he makes people feel guilty, so they give him
money
Friar
4. This pilgrim is articulate and opinionated. He studies all the time. He is a typical
starving student in threadbare clothes; even his horse is skinny.
Oxford Cleric
5. This pilgrim knows his stuff but is dishonest. He prescribes medicine that
patients don’t need so his apothecary friends make money.
Doctor
6. This character is a connoisseur of food and wine. “His house was never without
baked dishes, both fish and meat, and these so plenteous that it seemed to snow
food and drink in his house.” No one seems to know where he gets the money for
his occupation, but judging from his waistline, it is not in short supply.
Franklin
7. This character upholds justice in matters large and small. He is an officer of the
court.
Sergeant of the Law
8. This pilgrim is a clergyman who lives in the country. This pilgrim is meant to be
seen as a model of good religious conduct. He takes very good care of his flock
and lives humbly. Important quote: “If gold rusts, what will iron do?”
Parson
9. This pilgrim is very dishonest. He is a big sloppy man with a hairy wart on his
nose and a red beard. He loves to hang out in taverns and tell dirty stories.
Miller
10. This pilgrim works for the church court handing out violations. His face is
covered with puss-filled sores and pimples (suffering from syphilis). This pilgrim
is “with the Pardoner.
Summoner
11. This pilgrim is the manager of a large estate. He is shrewd but somewhat
dishonest. This character is a cranky, skinny estate manager (accountant) who
steals money from his bosses.
Reeve
12. This pilgrim works for lawyers as a kind of manager at the Inns of Court.
Manciple
13. This pilgrim sells church indulgences and fake religious relics. He has a high
voice, long blond curls, and very little facial hair. He is very good at convincing
people to give him money.
Pardoner
14. This pilgrim is the brother of the Parson. He is another truly good character. He
works very hard as an honest farmer. He always pays his tithe (10% of income
that is given to the church).
Plowman
15. This pilgrim lives in the city of Bath and is a wealthy weaver. This pilgrim has
been married 5 times and has had many boyfriends. She has a gap between her
front teeth (a sign of a highly sexual person).
Wife of Bath
16. This pilgrim is dressed in multicolored clothes, which suggests affluence. He is
in debt because he is a poor businessman, but no one knows it. He believes in the
government protecting small businesses.
Merchant
17. This pilgrim seems to defy her vows of: Obedience, Chastity, and Poverty. This
pilgrim dresses in nice clothing and is very pretty. She has fancy manners and
speaks French with an English accent. She looks and acts like a fine lady even
though she is not. Her nickname is “Madame Eglantyne.” She has a pack of little
dogs that she spoils with rich expensive foods. She wears a brooch that says
“Love conquers all.”
Prioress
18. This pilgrim is the knight’s servant. This pilgrim wears a St. Christopher’s medal
and is well armed. He is clothed in green and carries a great bow along with his
sword, dagger and horn
Yeomen
19. This pilgrim is the Knight’s son. He’s passionate, vain, and talented in jousting.
He is a combination of virtues and vices.
Squire
Be sure to review the following web site to review Geoffrey Chaucer
http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0857256.html