Geoffrey Chaucer - The Canterbury Tales

The General Prologue

What: The best known work written in Middle English and arguably the greatest showcase of all 3 social classes in Medieval England and a wide variety of story genres. Chaucer may have been showing off a little, but damn if he wasn’t good at what he did. Written throughout the course of his lifetime and unfinished at his death in 1400, it is the secular cultural high water mark of Medieval English literature. Yeah, its significant.

Why: Because something as important to English Literature is also something almost universally hated by High School English students for being damn long and the words look funny (it is, after all, written in Middle English). Also, I’m currently reading it for a graduate class, so I might as well make the most of it. Students should consider themselves lucky, since there are only 22 tales instead of the planned 124. (these are the same people who sigh in relief knowing that The Faerie Queene could’ve been longer too).

The (Spoiler Free) Basics: A large contingent of pilgrims set out from London to Canterbury in springtime and swap stories along the way. The stories range from pious morality tales to bawdy stories involving loud farting and kissing arse cheeks. And there’s a talking rooster in there too.

From here on there be spoilers….

General Prologue: Here Bygynneth The Book of the Tales of Caunterbury

Its Springtime in Soggy Ol’ England, when April showers usher in warm weather, sunshine and pilgrimage season. Canterbury, the place of St. Thomas a Becket’s martyrdom is the English site of choice to visit (since its much more convenient and safer than traveling to Jerusalem) and the roads are full of pilgrims.

The narrator, whom I’ll call “Chaucer” to differentiate from the actual Chaucer, stops off on his trip at the Tabard Inn in Southwerk, itching to get his pilgrimage on. At night, there are 29 fellow pilgrims there from all walks of life, and “Chaucer” being a thorough fellow, meets them all.

The Knyght (Knight) is described as a worthy fighting man, one who’s crusaded all over Europe in places like Egypt, Prussia, Russia, Spain, Asia Minor and so on. For all his credentials, he’s surprisingly modestly dressed for a knight, either a sign of his humility or illegitimate “knightly” status (depending on who’s theories you prefer).

The Squier (Squire) is the Knight’s son, a young man of 20 who dresses smart, can sing pretty well, and likes the ladies. A lot. He’s a dandy, but he’s also trained in war, having followed the Knight on his journeys.

The Yeman (Yeoman) is next, attendant to the Knight & Squire. A heavily armed professional soldier wearing green and carrying a bow, he’s also a forester and doesn’t seem to talk much. He’s likely a veteran Longbowman, commoners trained to shoot arrows with a high degree of skill in England (in contrast to continental bowmen who were considered crap troops, unlike continental crossbowmen, who were rather desirable in warfare. History rant over).

The Prioresse (Prioress) a friendly nun named Eglentyne. She’s from noble stock, likes dainty things, speaks French (but not Proper Parisian French), is concerned with manners and is very kind to her dogs. She’s much more a noblewoman than a nun, and her portrayal is subtle and complex. With her is another Nun, a Chaplain and 3 Priests.

The Monk, a “manly man” who liked riding, hunting and the manly arts more common in the upper classes. Also a big fan of eating. Its hinted that he’s not as chaste as he should be either. It seems he likes all of these things better than actually being in his cloister and doing monkly things. In fact, he’s not all that interested in following the Rule of St. Benedict, thinking that there’s not enough time set aside for hunting in it. Also, he owns his own hunting gear and wears fur-lined robes and wears supple leather boots, all of which he can’t own according to the Rule.

Hubert the Frere (Friar) a traveling mendicant who abuses his station, heard frequent confessions (more than a priest would normally hear), handed out easy penances in exchange for bribes and seduced countless women. He could sing bawdy ballads, frequented taverns and spoke with a slight lisp. Very clearly not a role model.

The Marchant (Merchant) has a forked beard, brightly dressed and sitting high on his horse. He’s all about looking rich and important, speaking loftily and generally being nuveau riche. He knows how to turn a tidy profit, which is technically illegal.

The Clerk of Oxenford (Oxford) is a university student working on his Masters, shabby and starving, just like his horse, he used his words carefully and had a fixation on his books. There’s a pun on Philosophy/alchemy in there about not being able to make any gold (ie., he’s poor)

The Sergeant Of The Lawe (Law), a legal counselor equivalent to a lawyer. He’s not as busy as he seems, knows the law in and out, and its hinted that he uses this knowledge to his financial advantage in legal matters.

With him is a Frankeleyn (Franklin), a sanguinary, epicurean landowner. He liked a good meal and would point it out on the cook if his sauces weren’t prepared right. An important man in his home community.

A couple working men; Haberdasshere (Haberdasher), Carpenter, Webbe (Weaver), Dyere (Dyer), and Tapycer (Tapestry-maker). All are clad in solemn clothes of some fraternity or guild. They’re not particularly interesting or important, but they have a servant with them that is.

The Cook is apparently a kitchen wizard and is quite skilled. A shame that he has a sore on his leg that had pus the same color as a blancmange, the implications of which are…unpleasant to think about.

The Shipman (Sailor) from Dertemouthe, a rough-and-tumble fellow armed with a dagger, heavily tanned and apparently something of an asshole. Stole some drinks from the cargo hold while on duty a couple times. A dangerous fellow who’s a dirty fighter and had blood on his hands (he’s drowned people he’s fought at sea instead of taking them prisoner), but also prudent in what he did. His ship was the Magdalen.

The Doctour of Phisik (Doctor of Physic), a skilled physician also obsessed with wacky old-age astrology. Well, a little more so than his peers would’ve been. Astrology was a legitimate part of science in those days (sort of like how alchemy and chemistry were joined at the hip for a long time).

The Wif of Bathe (Wife Of Bath), a middle-aged, partly deaf, well-to-do middle class woman who’s a pretty good seamstress to boot. Cheerful, lusty, redheaded, had pilgrimaged thrice to Jerusalem and has been married five times. Think “Medieval Lucille Ball” and work from there.
The Persoun of a Toun (Town Parson) is a modest, kindly, simple parish priest. Learned, but humble, he’s a good man and a good priest concerned with his parish and doesn’t like having people excommunicated.

The Plowman is the Parson’s brother (actually or spiritually), another good, simple, honest man.

The Miller is a big, bearded, boisterous fellow who likes crude jokes and has a short temper, is armed with a sword and buckler and has a fugly wart on his nose. He carried a set of bagpipes around and played them as the troupe left town. He’s rough, loud, annoying and highly entertaining.

The Maunciple (Manciple) is a servant of a law inn (legal firm, for lack of a better term). A shrewd buyer who knew how to buy low and sell high, which worked out well for him, since he worked for 30 lawyers. He is clearly smarter than all 30 of them.

The Reve (Reeve) is a choleric man, ill-tempered and a former carpenter. He’s an estate manager for a lord who’s done well (both for the lord and himself). The servants under him hate and fear him. He used to be a carpenter and is from “Northfolk” (Norfolk).

The Somonour (Summoner) is a disgusting human being. Lecherous, narrow-eyed, red faced and ugly enough to make children cry. Stinks of garlic, onions & leeks. A minor church official who’s job it was to summon people to ecclesiastical courts. He’s a slimy jerkass.

The Pardoner, his friend, is equally unsavory. A corrupt Church official who sells indulgences, though apparently not authorized to do so. He’s thin, perpetually beardless and straw-haired, but apparently somewhat handsome. He carries around a shop’s worth of phony relics that are good for scamming innocent, hardworking people.

“Chaucer” then apologizes for any inconsistencies or errors (and for anything that might be ‘improper’) before talking about the Hoost (Host), the boisterously cheerful innkeeper, likely played by Brian Blessed or John Rhys-Davies. The host urges everyone to pass the time on the ride to Canterbury telling stories, because he proposes a contest that whoever tells the best story on the way there and back will get a free meal on him. He also swears to ride with them to Canterbury at his own expense as a guide, since he wants to hear them himself. The next morning, everybody rides out and the Knight wins the lottery to go first.

Impressions: Probably the part of the Tales most familiar to general audiences, Chaucer is playing around with social archetypes, poking and prodding in various places and in other playing the types pretty straight. They’re great medieval archetype portraits, and Geoff himself probably met representatives from all of those professions through the course of his various government positions. He’s subtly showing off how much he knows. Still, this is all only part of the framing device, and Chaucer uses it to show off a little.