Canterbury Tales Flashcards
What qualities does the knight posses?
truth, honor, generousness, courtesy, sovereign, modest, wise
In what places has the knight fought
Prussia, Lithuania, Russia, Granada, Algeciras, North Africa, Benamarin, Antolia, Ayas
What is Chaucer’s opinion of the knight?
He thinks he’s true to his word and very noble. Gentle and a great knight
Chaucer says the knight has “fine horses.” why are fine horses important for a knight?
Appearance-to make enemies afraid. Have to have a good horse to go into battle.
Describe the Knight’s physical appearance
Not dress in nice shiny armor, modest, tunic was stained dark with smudges
Why is the knight going on the pilgrimage
to render thanks
Who rides with the knight
his son, the squire
Is the knight a yes or no?
yes
A stone is an English measurement equal to 14 pounds. Describe the millers physical appearance
He’s heavy-224 pounds, broad, short shouldered, wart on his nose, hunchback, beard
what is a miller’s job
a person who owns or works in a grain mill
How well does the miller do his job? explain.
not good, he does not do what he’s supposed to do. He steals grain
What instrument does the miller play
bagpipes
Where does the miller ride in the procession to Canterbury?
the front
What is the significance that the miller’s description is mostly physical?
His appearance probably stood out to Chaucer
Is the miller a yes or no?
no
What is a reeve’s job
serf who was the steward of a manor. A reeve saw that the estate’s work was done and that everything was accounted for
Describe the reeve’s physical appearance
old, choleric, thin, nicely shaven, coat tucked under belt, short
how good is the reeve at his job
he’s pretty good, he knows how to keep things up, he is never behind schedule
what is the reeves financial status
not in debt so he has quite a bit of money
what is the reeves special skill
carpenter
describe the reeves horse
stocky male, slow trot, dapple-gray, named Scot
where does the reeve live
Norfolk, near Baldswell
where does the reeve travel in the procession?
last
is the reeve a yes or a no
yes
Describe the wife of baths physical appearance
somewhat deaf, nice, red shoes, gap between her teeth (sign of sexual experience)
what is the wife of baths job and where is her home
weaver near Bath
what is the wife of bath’s personality like
she is strict but she can be funny. she’s had 5 husbands.
what doe the red stockings and the red hue of the wife of baths skin suggest about her
she’s very angry and a worry-wart
who else among the pilgrims has traveled as much as the wife of bath
Knight
why is it appropriate that the wife of bath is riding an ambling horse/
she doesn’t need to be first
is the wife of bath a yes or no
Maybe. Yes b/c she’s a good weaver but no b/c she’s flirty
What is the parsons job
priest
what qualities of the parson does Chaucer point out
poor but he is rich in his mind, patient, holy, and kind
who are the parsons sheep
his congregation
explain from the parson “if gold rust, what then will iron do?”
The gold is representing the Priest and the iron is his people. This means if the Priest fails, or if he does not set a good example, what will his people do?
the parsons entire life is devoted to what
guarding and teaching his people
what is chaucers opinion of the parson
He doesn’t think that there is a better priest than him
how does the parson compare with the friar and the monk
He is actually true to himself. He’s not caught up in money and he loves his people
is the parson a yes or a no
yes
what is the pardoner’s job
minor member of the Church who bought and sold pardons for sinners
what is the significance of the summoner riding with the pardoner
they are both corrupt and bad people
describe the pardoners physical appearance
yellow hair, glaring eyes, no beard, carried his bag, high pitched voice, feminine
chaucer characterizes the pardoner as being effeminate. what details does he give to develop this
neutered and close-cut beard
what kinds of relics does the pardoner carry
Veil of Our Lady, he has a piece of the sail from the ship of St. Peter, metal cross, and he also has pig bones
What is prevarication
lying
why is the pardoner so successful in selling his relics
flattering people and tricks
how goes the pardoner behave in church
really good
why does the pardoner try to sing so well
he knows if he sings good he can get more people to buy his stuff
compare the pardoner to the monk and friar
they are all 3 interested in money
is the pardoner a yes or no
No
What is a prioress
head of a convent of nuns
what are the qualities/images we usually associate with a nun
conservative, plain, keep to religion, wear black and white
authors often use names to help develop a character. chaucer calls the nun “madam eglantyne” what quality does the name suggest?
It suggests that she got around a lot with the men
what is the demeanor of the nun
spoke dainty in French, good manners, pleasant and friendly
what does the nun counterfeit or pretend she has
counterfeits her grace to be noticed by men to court her
how does the nun feel about animals
she loved them, she would cry if they got hurt or died
describe the nuns physical appearance
small and soft and red mouth, eyes are grey, nose was elegant
what does the nuns pin say? why does this seem unusual for a nun?
“Love conquers all” it’s odd because nuns didn’t wear jewelry or embellishments
does chaucer like the nun or not
Yes, he describes her appearance greatly. He paid a lot more attention to her appearance.
who travels with the nun
monk
is the nun a yes or a no
no
What are the qualities/images we usually associate with a monk
bald, meditation, barefoot, religious
what does the monk enjoy most in life
hunting
what does chaucer say about the monk’s horse? why would this be unusual for a monk
He had many dainty horses-it’s odd for them to have possessions
how do the monk’s beliefs about the monastic life differ with the church’s beliefs
He took the modern way and monks are supposed to follow traditional rules of the church and not be modern. Monks are supposed to be secluded from the outside world but he is not.
chaucer says he agreed with the monks views about the monastic life and he says they were sound. What evidence is there that he probably doesn’t really agree? So why did he say he agreed with the monk ass he was speaking with him?
He says it was out of his cloister, but he agrees just to not make him mad because he’s traveling with him.
Describe the monk’s physical appearance
He is manly, sleeves garnished in fur, he had a bald head that shone like a looking-glass, fat, prominent eyeballs
what is a palfrey
horse
what type of personality do you think the monk might exhibit?
I think he would probably be snobby and cocky. Since he doesn’t follow the monk-ways he might think he is too good for it.
is the monk a yes or an no
no
How does the friar’s life differ from a monk’s
He loves the women and sex
the friar is called a limiter. what is his job
He begs and preaches in an assigned district
what extra duties does the friar perform. how good is he. what is his goal
He hears confessions if people pay him for it. His goal is to earn money
how does the friar make a decent living
He gets money for penance and people like him
with what types of people does the friar like to spend his time
rich people who will give him money
what is the friars attitude toward the poor
He won’t associate with the poor because he can’t get money from them
describe the friars physical appearance
really pale and strong
describe the friars personality
pleasant, jolly, sly
what is the friars name
Hubert
through his description of the monk and the friar, what is chaucer trying to do
He’s trying to show the difference between the two characters and maybe set them off as FOILs?
is the friar a yes or an no
no
