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    The Prologue

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    Noor Khan
    The document provides a summary and analysis of the prologue of The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. It summarizes that the narrator joins a group of pilgrims at the Tabard Inn in Canterbury who are traveling to receive blessings from St. Thomas Becket. The host suggests that each pilgrim tell stories along the way to pass the time. The analysis then discusses how Chaucer uses the prologue to portray characters from all levels of English society and to establish their social ranks and backgrounds.

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    The Prologue

    Uploaded by

    Noor Khan
    369 views4 pages
    The document provides a summary and analysis of the prologue of The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. It summarizes that the narrator joins a group of pilgrims at the Tabard Inn in Canterbury who are traveling to receive blessings from St. Thomas Becket. The host suggests that each pilgrim tell stories along the way to pass the time. The analysis then discusses how Chaucer uses the prologue to portray characters from all levels of English society and to establish their social ranks and backgrounds.

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    The document provides a summary and analysis of the prologue of The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. It summarizes that the narrator joins a group of pilgrims at the Tabard Inn in Canterbury who are traveling to receive blessings from St. Thomas Becket. The host suggests that each pilgrim tell stories along the way to pass the time. The analysis then discusses how Chaucer uses the prologue to portray characters from all levels of English society and to establish their social ranks and backgrounds.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    369 views4 pages

    The Prologue

    Uploaded by

    Noor Khan
    The document provides a summary and analysis of the prologue of The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. It summarizes that the narrator joins a group of pilgrims at the Tabard Inn in Canterbury who are traveling to receive blessings from St. Thomas Becket. The host suggests that each pilgrim tell stories along the way to pass the time. The analysis then discusses how Chaucer uses the prologue to portray characters from all levels of English society and to establish their social ranks and backgrounds.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 4

    Summary and Analysis The Prologue

    Summary

    One spring day, the Narrator of The Canterbury Tales rents a room


    at the Tabard Inn before he recommences his journey to
    Canterbury. That evening, a group of people arrive at the inn, all of
    whom are also going to Canterbury to receive the blessings of "the
    holy blissful martyr," St. Thomas à Becket. Calling themselves
    "pilgrims" because of their destination, they accept the Narrator
    into their company. The Narrator describes his newfound traveling
    companions.

    The Host at the inn,


    Harry Bailey, suggests
    that, to make the trip to
    Canterbury pass more
    pleasantly, each
    member of the party
    tell two tales on the
    journey to Canterbury
    and two more tales on
    the journey back. The
    person who tells the
    best story will be rewarded with a sumptuous dinner paid for by
    the other members of the party. The Host decides to accompany
    the pilgrims to Canterbury and serve as the judge of the tales.

    Analysis

    The primary function of these opening lines is to provide a physical


    setting and the motivation for the Canterbury pilgrimage.
    Chaucer's original plan, to have each pilgrim tell two stories on the
    way to Canterbury and two more on the way back, was never
    completed; we have tales only on the way to Canterbury. In The
    Prologue are portraits of all levels of English life. The order of the
    portraits is important because it provides a clue as to the social
    standing of the different occupations. The pilgrims presented first
    are representative of the highest social rank, with social rank
    descending with every new pilgrim introduced.

    Highest in the social rank are representatives of the aristocracy or


    those with pretensions toward nobility. First in this group are the
    Knight and his household, including the Squire. The second group
    within those of the highest social standing includes the Prioress,
    the Monk, and the Friar, who ought to be of the lower class, but
    who, as a pious beggar, has begged so well that his prosperity
    ironically slips him into the company of the nobles. Of these
    pilgrims, probably only the Knight and his son, the Squire, qualify
    as true aristocrats, both outwardly and inwardly. The "gentilesse"
    — refinement resulting from good breeding — of the Prioress and
    the Monk is largely external and affected.

    Following this class are pilgrims whose high social rank is mainly
    derived from commercial wealth. Included in this group are the
    Merchant, who illegally made much of his money from selling
    French coins (a practice that was forbidden in England at the
    time); the Sergeant of Law, who made his fortune by using his
    knowledge as a lawyer to buy up foreclosed property for
    practically nothing; the Clerk, who belongs with this group of
    pilgrims because of his gentle manners and extensive knowledge
    of books; and the Franklin, who made enough money to become a
    country gentleman and is in a position to push for a noble station.
    (It is evident both from the relationship of the Franklin's portrait
    to that of the guildsmen, presented next, and from Harry Bailey's
    scornful remarks to him, however, that he is not yet of the noble
    class).

    The next class of pilgrims is the guildsmen, consisting of men who


    belong to something similar to specialized unions of craftsmen
    guilds. Among this group of specialized laborers are the
    Haberdasher, the Dyer, the Carpenter, the Weaver, and the
    Tapestry-Maker. None of them tell a tale.
    A middle-class group of pilgrims comprises the next lower position
    of social rank. First presented in this group is the Cook, whom we
    might consider out of place — ranked too high — but who, as a
    master of his trade, is greatly respected by his fellow travelers.
    Also included in this social class are the Shipman, because of his
    immense knowledge of and travels throughout the world, and the
    Physician, a doctor of medicine (a career that was less revered in
    the Middle Ages than it is now). The Wife of Bath, who is the last of
    this group to be presented, is included in this group because of her
    knowledge and deportment and her many other pilgrimages.

    The Parson and the Plowman comprise the next group of pilgrims,
    the virtuous poor or lower class. Each, although very poor,
    represents all of the Christian virtues.

    The last group of pilgrims include those of the immoral lower class.
    Among this group of pilgrims are the Manciple, who profits from
    buying food for the lawyers in the Inns of Court, and the vulgar
    Miller, who steals from his customers. The Reeve tells dirty stories
    and cheats his trusting young master, and the corrupt Summoner
    takes bribes. Last, and most corrupt in this litany of undesirables is
    the Pardoner, who sells false pardons and fake relics.

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