The Prologue
As you begin to read the translation of "The Prologue," remember that you should read following the punctuation, not line by line. Some extra explanation has been highlighted in brackets to help you throughout your reading of "The Prologue."
Read the first part of "The Prologue" to The Canterbury Tales.
The Host
Notice that the pilgrimage began at the Tabard Inn in Southwark, a surburb of London at the time. The Tabard Inn was a real place and was owned by Harry Bailey, a friend of Geoffrey Chaucer's. Harry becomes the character known as the Host. He is the only real person described in the story. The other characters are probably a combination of other people Chaucer saw around him.
Human Nature
Geoffrey Chaucer was a keen observer of human nature, and he was quick to see the corruption within the Catholic Church, the sometimes inappropriate actions of the new middle class, and the abuse of privilege within the upper class. As you read, pay close attention to Chaucer's tone as he describes each character. Here's a hint: there are only three characters that Chaucer admires. In all the rest we see inconsistencies, character flaws, and, in some cases, immoral behavior.
Chaucer includes ten pilgrims in "The Prologue" who represent the church. This is more than one-third of the total number of characters and shows us how the church reached into every aspect of life.
In this lesson, you will meet four of the church group, and you may be amazed at some of the jobs these "religious" people held.
After Chaucer finishes describing all the pilgrims on the trip to Canterbury, the pilgrims are ready to begin telling their stories. The group decides that the pilgrim who tells the story with the best moral will win a free dinner when he or she returns to London.
As the pilgrims ride toward Canterbury, the Knight, the Miller, the Reeve, and the Nun each tell a tale. Next, it is the Pardoner's turn.
As you read Chaucer Pilgrim's description of the Knight, the Squire, the Plowman, and the Miller, you will continue to find explanatory notes that will help you better understand what you read.
Also, notice how Geoffrey Chaucer uses irony to help the reader see the character flaws in some of the pilgrims that show them to be less than admirable. Later, we'll draw some conclusions about each of these characters. Remember to let the punctuation guide your reading.
The Knight
Let's read about the Knight's description first. It will help you a great deal at the end of the unit if you will be an active reader with the graphic organizer provided. Complete one organizer for each character described in our reading.
The Squire
Now, we meet the Knight's son, the Squire. There is an old saying in the South: "The acorn doesn't fall very far from the tree." This means that a younger family member is very much like his father or male role model. As you read the following description of the Squire, decide how far this "acorn" has "fallen" from the "tree."
The Plowman
At this point we meet several other characters, and then we come to a country Parson and his brother, the poor Plowman. Next, read about the Plowman.
The Miller
Again, we meet a few other characters, and then the Miller is described. A miller is very important in the community because without him the people have no way to grind their grain into flour for cooking.
Remember that Chaucer was popular in his day and that he wrote in the language of the common people. He could have written in Latin, the language of the church and most of the educated people, or he could have written in French, the language of the royal courts. But, he chose plain, everyday English, speaking directly to the plain, everyday people.
The Nun
Read about the Nun's description and determine if she's like a nun you've ever seen.
The Monk
Following the Nun was the Monk. As you probably know, monks in Chaucer's time lived in a monastery locked away from the world to live a life of prayer and service. People assumed that these monks were so unworldly that they couldn't get along outside the Abbey walls. They were supposed to live lives of poverty and chastity. But, you don't have to worry too much about how hard our Monk's life is!
The Parson
We meet many more characters, including many corrupt religious leaders. Then, we meet the Parson, a pilgrim who stands in sharp contrast to the other clergy on the trip.
The Summoner
The final member of the church group we'll meet is the Summoner. He was a man who everyone hoped to avoid because if he came to your door, you were in big trouble. His job was to call people before the church court for not paying their tithe or committing some other crime against the church.
The Wife of Bath
The Wife of Bath is our next pilgrim in our tale.
The Merchant
Proceeding onward, we meet the Merchant who is a very wealthy man. However, if you read closely, you'll notice that he is having a little trouble with his money. He also complains about the Harwich-Holland range, which was an area that experienced many problems with pirates.
The Skipper
The next character is the Skipper, but don't get him confused with the good-hearted skipper on Gilligan's Island. Here's a hint: This guy might be found sailing with Jack Sparrow on the Black Pearl!
The Guildsmen
The final group we'll meet are called the Guildsmen. They are a group of five members of the same trade guild who are riding together with their wives. They are introduced individually by their occupation but are always referred to as a group.
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