Characters Flashcards
Knight
The knight is very honorable, chivalrous, and courteous. He is highly respected by everyone and sits at the head of the Table in Prussia. He is very prudent but also true and not gaily dressed.
Squire
The squire is the knight’s son and is 20 years old. He is young, happy, strong, and loving. He is artistic and wears pretty red and white clothing. He likes to party and is a good son. He serves his father well.
Yeoman
The Yeoman is a responsible, reliant servant. He is the only servant who came with the knight. He wears armor-like clothing like a forester.
Prioress
The prioress is a nun named Madame Eglantine. She speaks French all the time but with a terrible English accent. She is very dainty and always has her yipping dogs with her. She is overweight and appears to be very tender-hearted, sweet, and prissy.
Monk
The monk is a very manly man. He is not very devoted to the church like he should be. He is bald, fat, and wears a love knot even though monks are not supposed to fall in love or marry. He eats, drinks, and hunts and doesn’t do much else.
Friar
The friar is a hypocrite. He is supposed to beg and uses what he gets to help the poor, but instead he hates poor people and cannot stand to be around them. He is also very dishonest and uses what he gets to charm women. He is wanton and sells trinkets to ladies.
Merchant
The merchant has a forked beard and wears a Flemish beaver hat. He represents the middle class during this time period. He is French and very witty. He is very smart and tries to appear to be wealthy but is actually in debt.
Clerk of Oxford
He is a very thin man and reads a lot. He is very serious and not very sociable. He spends most of his time studying and reading for enjoyment.
Sergeant of the Law
He is a very good lawyer and appears to be really busy all the time. He pretends to be busy but is not really as busy as he seems to be. He is discreet and highly respected. He pretends to be busy because he wants to impress everyone by how successful he is but he is just a fake.
Haberdasher, Carpenter, Weaver, Dyer, and Tapestry Maker
They are social climbers, middle class guildsmen trying to become upper class. They are all wealthy as they are but are not content; they want more money and want to be even richer. They all wear new clothes and are a part of a dignified guild. They are all smart, greedy, and ambitious.
Cook
The cook is a very good cook and knows how to make very good food and drinks. He is a master of stews and London ale. But he has an ulcer on his shin, an open sore with pus coming out. He is very unsanitary.
Shipman
He is competent and cruel. He sends all his captives to walk the plank and die. He has no good conscience and steals wine when the wine merchant is asleep. He is merciless and keeps no prisoners.
Doctor of Medicine
He uses astrology to make all his decisions regarding medicine. He is one of the best people in his profession. He is healthy physically but not spiritually because he rarely consults the Bible and always wants to become richer. He wants to make money and doesn’t care about his patients.
Wife of Bath
She is a seamstress and is very independent. She travels on pilgrimages very often just as an excuse to travel. She wears red and has had 5 husbands. She is sexy.
Parson
The Parson is one of the two people that Chaucer actually admires and respects. The Parson is a very good priest who cares about helping people. He lives in poverty and practices what he preaches. He worked for the poor.
