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them. Pilgrimages were an
everyday occurrence in medieval
Europe, and Chaucer describes the
pilgrims as “sondry folk,” people of
all social classes and occupations.
Most of the General Prologue,
which consists of 858 lines of verse,
describes the pilgrims, their social
class, clothing, and personalities
(including the narrator himself).
Having introduced the pilgrims,
or most of them, the Prologue ends
with the innkeeper, or Host, a man
called Harry Bailly, suggesting a
competition. He proposes that
each of the pilgrims should tell four
tales, two on the outward journey
and two on their return. The teller
of the best tale will be rewarded
with a free meal, paid for by the
other pilgrims, when they return
to the inn. The pilgrims draw lots
and it is decided that the Knight
will tell the first story.The tales
The 24 tales within the framework
include two related by the narrator,
or Chaucer himself. Most arewritten in rhyming couplets, a few
in prose. They vary enormously
because Chaucer made use of a
wide range of themes and literary
styles. These include animal and
other fables, fabliaux (ribald and
satiric tales), romantic verse, pious
homilies, sermons, allegories, and
exempla (moral narratives). Where
the Knight’s Tale is a romance,
which tells of a love rivalry between
two brothers, the Miller’s Tale is
bawdy and comic, taking as its
theme the cuckolding of an Oxford
carpenter. The raucous and vulgar
Summoner’s Tale includes a
description of a friar being tricked
into accepting a fart as payment,
while, in contrast, the Second
Nun’s Tale is the story of St.
Cecilia, a deeply spiritual woman
martyred for her faith.
The tales vary considerably
in length; one of the longest, and
perhaps the best known, is the
Wife of Bath’s Tale. This begins
with a prologue developing the
Wife’s character—domineering
and pleasure seeking—beforeTHE CANTERBURY TALES
continuing with her account of
her eventful life with five husbands,
the theme being women’s mastery
over men.A colorful picture
Chaucer brings each story to life
by ensuring that the tone and style
are appropriate to each respective
storyteller, reflecting his or her own
status, occupation, and character.
The vividness is enhanced by the
use of the framing devices, which
link the stories to one another
through dialogue and interactions
among the characters. The
storytellers frequently interrupt
each other with arguments, insults,
or sometimes even praise. The
Prioress’s Tale, for example, begins
after the Host has politely invited
the Prioress to tell her story, while
on another occasion, the Knight
interrupts the Monk because he
finds his tale too miserable. The
wider framing story adds another
dimension to the individual tales.
The Canterbury Tales presents
a colorful picture of late medieval
England, its people and events.
Chaucer was living and writingThis world nys but a
thurghfare full of wo...
The Canterbury TalesThe Ellesmere manuscript (c.1410)
is a beautiful, exquisitely illuminated
copy of The Canterbury Tales and is
the basis for most modern versions
of Chaucer’s text.US_068-071_CanterburyTales.indd 70 08/10/2015 13:04