The Canterbury Tales Characters

1. The Canterbury Tales Characters A whole array of different people

2. The ClassesUpper Class Adjectives YOU used to describe: • -Rich -Boasts about themselves -Spoiled -Uptight -Wealthy -Royalty • -Stubborn -Happily married with kids -Highly praised -High Sadity (society) • -Lots of $ -Wealthy -Blue Collar -On the top of the game -Celebrity • -Smart, hard-working -Trusted -Secretary of Defense/President/Admirals • -Gettin’ paid, doesn’t have to work -Millionaire -Committed -Intelligent • -High maintenance -Highly Educated -Good attitude -Has fancy clothes • -Always looks down on people -College degree -Dress-up suit -Nice cars • -Mansion -Black people -White people -Intelligent -Lawyer, cop, nurse • Money-hungry, snobby people

3. Middle Class Adjectives YOU used to describe: • -Equal -Satisfied -Comfortable -Normal -Greedy -Stubborn • -Regular -Blue collar -Pay bills on time -Well off -Pays taxes • -Good paying job -Well groomed -A balanced income Stable • -CEOs, white collar -Average salary -Modern clothes • -Works few hours -Awesome -Casual, simple -Getting by “okay” • -In between -Make money but not at top yet -Lazy -Funny • -White people -Healthy money income -Chinese people • -Someone who has their own house, car, who has name brand clothes, shoes • -A person who has their own house and cat and salary • -Hard worker -Mexican or from other places -Condo

4. Lower Class Adjectives YOU used to describe: • -Struggling -Help needed -Grouchy -Homeless -Poor • -Unfortunate -Cheap -Awful clothing -Dull -Redneck • -Drop-out -Old and raggedy -Lazy -Uneducated • -Poverty stricken -Doesn’t have much -Bad job in normal pay • -Unhappy -Weak -Needy -Helpless -Beneath everyone • -No respect -Not rich -Happy (money isn’t everything) –The Projects • -15 kids -Apartments and motels -Whites and Blacks -Ghetto • -Chinese people -Someone who makes $200/wk and cannot afford their own car and home -Dirty and hungry -People that don’t have anything -Black people “da hood”

5. The Knight • Truth, honor, generousness and courtesy • one of the only characters the narrator respects • Brave, experienced Christian warrior • First one to tell a tale on their journey He never yet a boorish thing had said In all his life to any, come what might He was true, a perfect gentle-knight Speaking of his equipment he possessed Fine horses, but he was not gaily dressed

6. The Squire (son of Knight) • Twenty years of age, curly hair, average height • Wonderful agility and strength Singing he was, or fluting all the day He was as fresh as in the month of May Short was his gown, the sleeves were long and wide He knew the way to sit on a horse and ride He could make songs and poems and recite Knew how to joust and dance, to draw and write

7. The Yeoman • Servant of Knight and Squire • Dresses like a forester (like a forest ranger) • Belt slung over shoulder and chest to hold sword The Yeoman wore a coat and hood of green And peacock-feathered arrows, bright and keen His arrows never drooped their feathers low And in his hand he bore a mighty bow

8. The Nun Modest and quiet Dainty table manners, dresses well Knows French, has good taste Know as Prioress- head of her convent There was also a nun, a prioress (head of a convent of nuns) Her way of smiling simple and coy Her greatest oath was only “By St. Loy!” (Saint known for perfect manners) She was so charitably soliticitous She used to weep if she but saw a mouse Caught in a trap, dead or bleeding And she had little dogs she would be feeding

9. The Monk • A manly man, a hunter • Most monks lived in monasteries because of the Rule that said they should dedicate their lives to “work and prayer” • Was supposed to love all Gods animals, but rather preferred hunting and killing them • Large, loud, clad in fur boots His head was bald and shone like looking-glass So did his face, as if it had been greased He was a fat and personable priest

10. The Friar • Roaming priest with no tie to monastery • Made a living marrying people and by hearing confessions and taking money from anyone For in so eminent a man as he It was not fitting with the dignity Of his position, dealing with a scum Of wretched lepers; no good can come Of commerce with such slum-and-gutter dwellers But only with the rich and victual sellers(merchants) But anywhere a profit may accrue Courteous he was and lowly of service too. For though a widow might not have a shoe So pleasant was his holy how-d’ye-do He got his farthing from her just the same (money) Before he left, and so his income came

11. The Merchant • Forking beard, sat on high horse • Managed people’s money, did exchanges, and gave advice He was an expert at dabbling in exchanges This estimable Merchant so had set His wits to work, none knew he was in debt He was so stately in administration Of loans and bargains and negotiations

12. The Oxford Cleric • Poor student, he and his horse were thin • Rather have 20 books of philosophy by bed than clothes or instruments His only care was study, and indeed He never spoke a word more than was need Formal at that, respectful in the extreme Short, to the point, and lofty in his theme A tone of moral virtue filled his speech And gladly he would learn, and gladly teach

13. The Lawyer • Wise lawyer who met people outside of court by the church He upholds justice in matters large and small and and knows every statute of England’s law by heart His fame and learning and his high position Had won him many a robe and many a fee There was no such conveyancer as he All was fee-simple to his strong digestion *Conveyancer- person who draws up documents transferring ownership of land. The Lawyer transferred all ownership to himself *Fee-simple: Absolute ownership of real property aka he took absolute possession of everything

14. The Franklin • Name means “free man” • Not royalty or involved in church • This Franklin was well-to-do landowner who really loved eating and drinking His bread, his ale, were the finest of the fine And no one had a better stock of wine His house was never short of bake-meat pies Of fish and flesh, and these in such supplies

15. The Guildsmen • English guilds were a combination of labor unions and social fraternities; craftsmen joined together in a brotherhood • Five of them all aldermen (heads of their guilds) Haberdasher-seller of men’s clothes and accessories Dyer- dyed clothes Carpenter Weaver Carpet-maker

16. The Cook • Stood alone • Could distinguish different flavors of ales (beers) and could make a tasty pie But what a pity, it seemed to me That he should have an ulcer on his knee As for blancmange, he made it with the best *Blancmange- French for “white food”; sweet dish containing diced chicken, sugar and almonds

17. The Skipper • Sailor from far out West (near what is now US) • Dagger hanging on cord from neck, tanned from sun • Been all over the world The nicer rules of conscience he ignored If, when he fought, the enemy vessel sank, He sent his prisoners home; they walked the plank

18. The Doctor • Expert on medicine and surgery • Could tell people’s mental and physical conditions by studying their fluids (blood, phlegm, bile) He was a perfect practicing physician These causes being known for what they were He gave the man his medicine here and there. All his apothecaries in a tribe (pharmacists) Were ready with the drugs he would prescribe And each made money from each other’s guile They had been friendly for a goodish while.

19. The Wife of Bath • Wealthy woman who had five husbands • Wore red tight garter and stockings • Had gap-teeth which were considered a sign of boldness at the time, and indicated an aptitude for love and travel She had a flowing mantle that concealed Large hips, her heels spurred sharply under that In company she liked to laugh and chat And knew the remedies for love’s mischances An art in which she knew the oldest dances WE WILL READ HER TALE!

20. The Parson • The only good religious churchman • Lives in poverty, but rich in holy thoughts and deeds • Practices what he preaches, unlike the Monk, the Friar and the Pardoner He hated cursing to extort a fee Nay rather he preferred beyond a doubt Giving to poor parishioners round about Both from church offerings and property

21. The Plowman • Parson’s brother and equally good-hearted • Even though a peasant, pays his tithes to church and leads a good Christian life • Wore a short jacket and rode a small mare For steadily about his work he went To thrash his corn, to dig or manure Or make a ditch; and he would help the poor For love of Christ and never take a penny If he could help it, and as prompt as any

22. The Miller • A chap of sixteen stone (14lb= 1 stone) • Broad, could “heave any door off hinge and post, or take a run and break it with his head” • Big wart on nose with red hair poking out His was a master at stealing grain He felt it with his thumb and thus he knew Its quality and took three times his due A thumb of gold, by God, to gauge an oat! *In other words, he pressed on the scale with his thumb to change the weight of the grain

23. The Manciple • In charge of buying supplies/ food for a group of lawyers • Uneducated, but smarter than all of the lawyers Now isn’t it a marvel of God’s grace That an illiterate fellow can outpace The wisdom of a heap of learned men? His masters- he had more than thirty then All versed in the abstrusest legal knowledge (most complex) …and yet this Manciple could wipe their eye… *”wipe their eye” means “steal their thunder” or “show them up”

24. The Reeve • Took care of another man’s property (steward to a manor) and the animals • Bad-tempered and thin, beard and hair shaved closely to skin • Does his job well on the surface, but… He had a lovely dwelling on the heath Shadowed in green by trees above the sward A better hand at bargains than his lord He had grown rich and store of treasure Well, tucked away, yet it came out to pleasure…

25. The Summoner • Delivers summonses to people to deliver them to church court • Described as ugly physically and as a person • Physically: had carbuncles and whelks (pus-filled sores and skin inflammations) Black scabby brows he had, and a thin beard Children were afraid when he appeared • Bad moral standing He was a noble varlet and a kind one (scoundrel) You’d meet none better if you went to find one Why-he’d allow-just for a quart of wine Any good lad to keep a concubine

26. The Pardoner • “He (The Summoner) and a Gentle Pardoner Rode together, a bird from the same feather” • Pardons people’s sins for money • Long greasy yellow hair and is beardless (characteristics associated with shiftiness and gender ambiguity at this time) • Excels at fraud, claiming to have relics that he doesn’t; selling people fakes of things In church he was a noble Ecclesiast (practicer of church ritual) How well he read a lesson or told a story! For well he knew that when that song was sung He’d have to preach and tune his honey tongue And (well he could) win silver from the crowd That’s why he sang so merrily and lous WE WILL READ HIS TALE!