Geoffrey Chaucer’s
The Prologue to the
Canterbury Tales
The pilgrims are travelling in the month of April. They are
headed to Canterbury (hence the title) to worship at the shrine
of St. Thomas à Becket. This was quite a common trip in the
Middle Ages though not as solemn and devout for everyone as it
should have been. The trip was usually more like a vacation
filled with alcohol and frequent stops for entertainment.
.
St. Augustine
In 597, Augustine and 40 monks were sent by Pope Gregory to
evangelize the Anglo-Saxons in England. In the territory of Kent,
Augustine was received by King Ethelbert, a pagan who was
married to a Christian, Bertha. Ethelbert gave Augustine a small
church in Canterbury and within a year, the king was converted
to Christianity. Augustine commissioned the construction of
Canterbury Cathedral, and in 602 he became the first
Archbishop of Canterbury. After a massive fire, the cathedral
was rebuilt in 1070.
St. Thomas à Becket
Because of St. Augustine, Canterbury became an archdiocese, but
it was more than 500 years later that Canterbury became the site
of a massive pilgrimage. In 1170, Thomas à Becket, who was the
Archbishop in Canterbury at the time, was murdered inside the
Cathedral walls. Becket quarreled with King Henry II over the
power of the church and the rights of the clergy. The king is said to
have cried out in rage, “Who will rid me of this troublesome
priest?”
• Thomas à Becket (1120-1170) was born
in Cheapside in London. Had Norman
blood, but was respected by the English.
• King Henry II, (1133-1189) ruled 11541189, father of the Richard and John
mentioned in Robin Hood. He was the
son of Geoffrey of Anjou and Matilda,
daughter of Henry I of England. He
married Eleanor of Aquitaine.
Understood English, but spoke only
Latin and French.
Four knights, taking the king at his word, entered the cathedral during
vespers (evening prayers), confronted Becket as he was praying, and
murdered him at the altar. Three days after his murder, there were
accounts of several miracles, which were attributed to his martyrdom,
and after Pope Alexander III canonized Becket in 1173, pilgrims
flocked to Canterbury to visit Becket’s shrine and make prayers for
miracles of their own.
• The knights were
either too hotheaded or not very
smart—probably
both! Tell me why.
• Who made the first
pilgrimage? King
Henry II. Tell me
why in class.
The Pilgrims' Way
About 200 years after the death of Thomas àBecket, Geoffrey Chaucer
began writing The Canterbury Tales, the stories of individual pilgrims
in a group journeying to St. Thomas à Becket’s shrine. Pilgrims traveled
many roads to reach Canterbury. Many pilgrims journey to Canterbury,
either as a destination or as a stop during a pilgrimage to other sites,
such as Santiago de Compostella in Spain or the Via Francigena to
Rome.
The Pilgrims
THINGS TO CONSIDER
1. Who are these people? Why were they chosen?
2. What do they represent?
3. What is each character’s social position?
4. What is expected of him/her b/c of the social position?
5. To what extent does he/she meet these expectations?
6. What personality traits are suggested for him/her by
the narrator? What lines imply this?
7. What is the narrator’s tone towards him/her?
The Knight (Feudal Class)
A devout
and
dedicated
Christian
soldier: he
kills, but
for a cause.
The Squire (Feudal Class)
About twenty
years old,
young,
good-looking,
able to fight
when
necessary,
but also a
romantic.
The Knight’s Yeoman (Feudal)
Neat,
efficient,
skilled, a
credit to
his lord
and craft.
Nun (Ecclesiastical Class)
Quite pretty, isn’t she?
Also, she loves pretty
things like her little dog,
her schoolgirl French, her
pretty manners, and
medieval “bling”.
Chaucer
displays an
amused attitude
towards the vain
and shallow
nun, but he only
tolerates her;
this is not
approval.
The Nun has three priests and another
nun in her company; they are clothed
nicely and have disposable income. What
about Christian charity for the poor?
Monk (Ecclesiastical Class)
Note the pin at his
waist fashioned into
a love knot. Look at
the spurs on his
sandals. What does
he have in his
purse? Why does he
need a sword?
Where is his Bible?
Has he heard of St.
Augustine?
Friar (Ecclesiastical)
All he wants is money, mead, and maidens!
He’s not helping the poor, sick, or elderly,
only himself!
The Merchant (Middle Class)
Dressed in the
latest fashions of
his day, you’d
never guess he
was deeply in
debt. But, image
is everything.
You have to look
like you have
money to make
money,
don’t you?
The Oxford Cleric (Middle)
Will spend his last
half-penny on a
book over a meal. A
perpetually starving
student who will
gladly pray for the
souls of those who
financially support
him and enable his
love of learning and
philosophy.
Sergeant at Law (Middle)
Higher level lawyer.
Well-dressed,
confident, thinks he
knows it all--could
be chosen by the
king to be a judge
one day, bills highly,
spends freely, and
gives the impression
of being busier than
he is.
The Franklin (Middle)
Country
landowner,
freeman, not
bound by feudal
system. Loves to
enjoy life and eat
good food, could
be called
epicurean, but
sometimes is
rather selfindulgent. It’s
good to be well off.
Haberdasher, Dyer, Carpenter, Weaver,
Carpet-maker (Rising Middle)
The guildsmen
are part of the
rising middle
class. Their
growing
affluence is
shown by the
fact they have
their own cook.
Cook (Lower)
Yes, they have a
cook, but he has an
open sore on his leg!
The cooking is not
sanitary. The
guildsmen may have
money, but they are
gullible to have
hired this particular
cook.
Skipper (Middle)
Not a good
horseman, but
professional
and skilled on
the sea. Makes
enemy sailors
walk the plank,
but it is either
they or he.
The Doctor of Physic (Middle)
Knowledgeable
and skilled, but
his heart is
concerned with
gold not healing:
“Gold stimulates
the heart, or so
we’re told./He
therefore had a
special love of
gold.”
The Wife of Bath (Middle)
Has outlived five
husbands, been to
Jerusalem, Rome,
Boulogne, Santiago, and
Cologne--with a few
dalliances along the
way! Well-travelled,
skilled cloth maker,
financially secure,
lovely, lusty, proud. A
medieval woman? A
modern woman? Just a
woman? She has gapped
teeth and flashes her red
tights. Why?
The Parson (Ecclesiastic)
A well-educated and
caring country
parson who helps
the poor: “…if gold
rust, what shall poor
iron do?”
Exemplifies the
virtues of the
Christian church.
Hands folded in
prayer and piety.
The Plowman (Feudal)
The plowman
works hard and
is kind to his
neighbours in
need. He loves
God most. Called
the parson’s
brother. Is this
supposed to be
literal or
symbolic?
The Miller (Lower class)
Chaucer points
out the hairy wart
on his nose. Why?
Lecherous,
greedy, a cheat.
Physically
repellant
description is a
medieval
stereotype of the
lower class.
The Manciple (Middle Class)
This manciple is
a business
manager for
lawyers, but he
can run circles
around the more
educated men.
He is in a
position of trust
and authority
and he can be
deceptive.
Reeve (Middle)
The superintendent of an estate or
farm. But, he is sneaky, devious, and
skims the profits. Is this why he rides
last? To keep an eye on the others?
Summoner (Ecclesiastic)
His job is to call
people to
ecclesiastical
court, but he will
forgive their
summons if they
pay him off. Has
pimples and
abscesses on his
face. Frightens
children, stinks of
garlic and onions.
Pardoner (Ecclesiastic)
Sells “pardons,”—to
shorten the time
spent in purgatory. Is
sanctioned by the
church, but the
practice invites
corruption. Peddles
relics, and false
hopes to the
unsuspecting poor
who cannot afford
his false offerings.
Has no conscience.
The Pilgrims leave The Tabard:
the tavern owned by the host—
as warm and welcoming as the host
himself.
The Host (Middle)
A hearty, goodnatured man
with a zest for
life, fun, and
entertainment.
He decides to
accompany the
pilgrims to
Canterbury.
Narrator (Middle)
The narrator
claims he is not
bright. This is
ironic because
his description of
the characters in
the Prologue is
outstanding.
Agree or
disagree?
1. What is a pilgrimage?
2. Why do the pilgrims go to
Canterbury? Ie. Why is it
significant?
Images from Google Images.