The Canterbury Tales Prologue Characters Flashcards
1
Q
Who is the Knight?
A
- highest of social standing among pilgrims
- gentle and noble
- well-versed fighter
- epitome of chivalry - respectable, nobility, ideal of past (feudalism and chivalry is old)
- he kills the people he jousts
- winner, competitive, not merciful, doesn’t fight for chivalry, fights to win
2
Q
Who is the Squire?
A
- apprentice to knight
- 20’s, lover and fighter
- lot of time speaking his resume
- only knows a couple cords
- inexperienced
3
Q
Who is the Yeoman?
A
- attended to knight, archer
- outdoorsy, park ranger, forestry type
- good with woodcraft
- doesn’t critic him that much
4
Q
Who is the Prioress?
A
- head nun
- simple and coy (shy, dainty), clingy, overly helpless
- Madam Eglantyne
- wants to talk about the status things
- high level religious, fake, high matinence
- holy, help anyone, emotional
- feeds dogs really expensive food
- glutinous, doesn’t really help common people
- fat, status of wealth, she can eat
5
Q
Who is the Monk?
A
- glutinous, religious figure
- fat, wealthy
- makes up rules that he wants to follow
- part of Benedictine monks
6
Q
Who is the Friar?
A
- least liked, wanton
- beg for money and in return given absolution of sin
- get that money, but most will go to non profit organizations
- great salesman, exemplifies corruption
- takes advantage of people
- he spends most of the time getting money, begs from poor people
7
Q
Who is the Merchant?
A
- doesn’t know how to manage money
- Chaucer’s dad was a merchant
- common class
- all about name brands
- motley woven dressed, extremely expensive
- wants people to know he’s got the look, so he can make money
- he is actually poor / in debt
- goes to great lengths to not seem poor
8
Q
Who is the Oxford Cleric?
A
- dedicated character
- a student, only idealized character
- positioned as a bookworm
- doesn’t care about how he dresses, just wants to study
- genius, values knowing something even if some people think it has no value
9
Q
Who is the Sergeant at the Law?
A
- select legal team that worked for king
- 12-16 years experience coming into the role
- do they keep on developing their skills
- lawyer
- isn’t keeping up with his skills
10
Q
Who is the Franklin?
A
- time is more important
- wealthy land owner
- in it for the party
- value pleasure, good, right, truth
- happiness is never in depth, becomes unsatisfied
11
Q
Who is the Guildsmen?
A
- only group represented on test
- represent middle class
- show social mobility well, actually successful
- financially well, not in debt
- could be better at dating and marrying
- wives noted as vain, arrogant, gold-diggers
12
Q
Who is the Cook?
A
- praised by Chaucer
- great cook, great skill
- has a grotesque ulcer on his knee, find hair in food
13
Q
Who is the Skipper?
A
- only sailor, fish out of water
- really shrewd, makes prisoners walk the plank (killed them)
- stands out, lacks writing experience
14
Q
Who is the Doctor?
A
- practicing some fake medicine
- in 14th England, we didn’t even know about gorms
- his medical practice wasn’t based on science
- the black death “bubonic plaque” wiped out 1/3 of Europe’s population
- he has many people to treat and labor shortage = social mobility can occur, he technically was apart of common class, but was able to move
- astrology - his way of practicing = unethical
- made sure he surrounded himself with the same pharmacists [the more he prescribed the more he got paid] - he prescribes unnecessary meds, too much meds, and making it way more expensive than it needs to be
- most people saw doctors as skeptics and atheists (religious skeptic)
15
Q
Who is the Woman from Bathe?
A
- wife of Bathe
- referenced for being well traveled
- bold, confident, eccentric, speaks her mind - contrast to the misogyny of this time
- feels superior to the people around her, loves clothes, and an expert on decision making
- most seen speaking out against men, wants to be the one in charge
- defied social expected order (rebellion against status)
- married 5 times (outlived them) - anything but traditional
