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.

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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?”

• King Henry II, (1133-1189) ruled 1154-1189, 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.

• Thomas à Becket (1120-1170) was born in Cheapside in London. Had Norman blood, but was respected by the English.

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 hot-headed 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?

A devout and

dedicated Christian

soldier: he kills, but

for a cause.

The Knight (Feudal Class)

About twenty years old,

young, good-looking, able to fight

when necessary, but also a romantic.

The Squire (Feudal Class)

The Knight’s Yeoman (Feudal)

Neat, efficient, skilled, a credit to his lord

and craft.

Nun (Ecclesiastical Class)

Chaucer displays an

amused attitude towards the vain

and shallow nun, but he only

tolerates her; this is not approval.

Quite pretty, isn’t she? Also, she loves pretty

things like her little dog, her schoolgirl French, her

pretty manners, and medieval “bling”.

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 self-

indulgent. 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, good-natured 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.