| Term Paper Title | Canterbury Tales |
| # of Words | 821 |
| # of Pages (250 words per page double spaced) | 3.28 |
Canterbury Tales
In Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales there are short descriptions written about each of the characters in the story.
The knight has had a very busy life as his fighting career has taken him to a great many places. He has seen military service in Egypt, Lithuania, Prussia, Russia, Spain, North Africa, and Asia Minor where he "was of [great] value in all eyes. Even though he has had a very successful and busy career, he is extremely humble: Chaucer maintains that he is "modest as a maid". Moreover, he has never said a rude thing to anyone in his entire life. Clearly, the knight possesses an outstanding character. Chaucer gives to the knight one of the more flattering descriptions in the General Prologue. The knight can do no wrong: he is an outstanding warrior who has fought for the true faith--according to Chaucer--on three continents. In the midst of all this contention, however, the knight remains modest and polite. The knight is the embodiment of the chivalric code: he is devout and courteous off the battlefield and is bold and fearless on it.
Chaucer describes the Squire as “a lover and lusty bachelor.” He is very popular with the ladies, and he is very handsome. Chaucer recognizes his youthfulness, and talks about how much strength he possesses. Most of the Squire’s concerns were superficial, like his clothes, and the ladies. He wasn’t known for his warrior skills like his father, but instead he liked to do things like dance and write. The Squire is not one of Chaucer’s favorite characters, but he doesn’t describe him as a totally bad person.
The prioress was another character that Chaucer did not approve. He felt like she was a bit of a fraud, and it was obvious that she didn’t really want to be a nun. Chaucer continually mentions that she was very concerned with her appearance. She seems to be very romantic and chivalrous. He says that she speaks French, but she learned it in London, which is kind of ironic. She doesn’t really fulfil the religious function of a nun. She also disobeys the church by wearing jewelry and other expensive clothing. It is said she wished to be a woman of the court, but she became a nun because she couldn’t.
The monk was yet another character Chaucer did not approve. He loved the outdoors, and preferred not to stay in the monastery. He never studied like he was supposed to. He was in charge of ...Read entire document
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