The Canterbury Tales

Characterization Chart

In this box write Use this box to In this box tell how Chaucer characterizes them, directly, Finally, what is the author’s
the character and categorize each of the or indirectly? Use the following as a guide to record his tone? Write whether you
the page number pilgrim’s roles in 14th descriptions: think Chaucer regards this
where the century English  Possessions character with admiration, or
information is society:  Physical Features criticism; explain why you
found.  Church  Personality Traits think so.
 Trade or  Clothing
Professional  Behavior
(Common)  Attitude
 Feudal System
(court)
Knight Feudal System DIRECT: Admiration:
pg.5  Horses  “admirable man”
 Chain mail armor  “highly reputed”
 Rough tunic  “he was wise”
 Embroidered clothing
 Nice to everyone
 Good guy
 Admirable man
 Coming directly from battle
 Has a son
Squire Feudal System DIRECT: Admiration”
Pg. 7  Energetic knight  “agile and strong”
 Junior status (inexperienced and young, unmarried,  “refined manners”
lusty bachelor)  “lover and energetic
 Curly locks knight of junior status”
 20 years old
 Average height, agile, strong
 Embroidered clothing with white and red flowers
(clean)
 “Fresh as the month of May”—smelled good
  Loved so much that he never slept (modern day
player)

Yeoman Feudal System DIRECT: Admiration

Pg. 7-9  Servant to knight  “cropped hair”
 Green cloak  “groomed peacock
 Carried a horn, shield, dagger, and arrows that were feathers”
made of peacock and kept them perfect in a quiver in  “shiny dagger”
his belt
 Game keeper
 Tanned skin (worker)
 Land owner ($)
-----On the verge of laborer/wealth (modern day middle
class)
 St. Christopher’s Medallion (putting on a front of being
religious)
Prioress (Nun) Church DIRECT ADMIRATION
Madame Eglantine  Smiles  “she had been well
Pg.9  Shy instructed in table
 Sings manners”
 Manners  “she was full of love and
 speaks French pity”
 educated, sensitive  “Her strongest swear
 cares about animals/life word was …”
 gray-blue eyes
 red lipstick
 courtly
Nun and Three Church INDIRECT CRITICISM-uses sarcasm and
Priests  Prioress secretary doesn’t elaborate author doesn’t
Pg. 11  attendants seem to care about their
existence
Monk Church DIRECT ADMIRATION
Pg. 11  Responsible for affairs  “outstandingly handsome
 Smile fellow”
 Fat  “manly man”
 Wealthy  “I agreed with his views”
 disagreed with church CRITICISM
 modern thinking  “well-breed horses in
 progressive their stables”
 good hunter  “Intricate pin made of
 horses gold”
 bald  “he was a fat and very
healthy lord”
Friar (Hubert) Church DIRECT (SARCASM) Criticism: (Hypocrite)
Pg. 13-17  Hood full of broaches and daggers to give pretty wives  “dispensed penances
 Charming when he knew there
 Paid for others to stay out of his area would be a generous gift”
 Strong like a champion  “wide cloak”
 Easy going  “license to beg”
 Liked to sing  “easy going and
 Gave money to the poor only when he knew there was cheerful”
a reward for him involved  “boasted”
 License to beg-people came to him to confess their sins  “acquainted with pubs of
“Atonement”—in exchange for $ the town”
 Smooth talker-kept company with maidens  “Hubert”
 Neck was white as lilies (loose morals)  “most efficient beggar”
 Good poet, good singer
 Wide cloak
 Frequents pub
 Setting up women for marriages (has an affair and then
arranges marriages to get rid of them)
Merchant Trade or professional DIRECT ADMIRATION:
Pg. 17 (common)  Colorful clothes  “wealthy man employed
 Wears beaver skin hat his intelligence”
 Name unknown  “admirable”
 He is in debt  “no one knew that he was
 Boots are fastened neatly in debt”
 Smart man—“cunning, cleverly, worthy”  “all together an
  Forked beard-well groomed admirable man”
 wanted seas to be protected  “overly protective of
seas”

The Clerk Trade or professional DIRECT ADMIRATION

Pg. 17-19 (common)  Skinny horse
(oxford scholar) Student/  Thin and serious  “virtuous man”
philosopher  Wore short coat that was threadbare  “delved deeply in study
 Hadn’t yet earned a church living of logic”
 Wasn’t interested in business  “greatest care and
 Books on philosophy concern was study”
 Violin, harp
 Used $ on books and study CRITICISM
 Prayed for souls who gave him scholarship  “skinny horses”
 Didn’t speak unless necessary  “only had $ from
 Spoke only of moral and virtue relations”
 Teacher  “hadn’t yet obtained
church living”
Sergeant of the law Court DIRECT: ADMIRATION:
Pg. 19  Prudent, wise
 Most excellent man
 Dignified
 Colorful, silk clothing
 Great reputation
 Sophisticated
 Great at buying property
Franklin Trade DIRECT ADMIRATION:
Pg. 19-21  White as a daisy
 Land owner
 Wealthy
 Rosy cheeks (cheerful)
 Collecting taxes
 Worthy land holder
 Eats meat, pies, fish, finest food
 Hospitable
(Guild) Drapery Trade DIRECT Admiration:
Dealer, Carpenter,  Dressed similarly
Weaver, Dyer,
Tapestry/Carpet  like things orderly
maker  work neatly and with craftsmanship,
Pg. 21  owned knives
 wives,
 wisdom suitable to be city officials
Cook Trade INDIRECT Criticism:
Pg. 23  Pustule on his shin
 cooks well
Sailor Trade DIRCECT Admiration/Criticism:
Pg. 23  Lives in West Country
 good sailor (knows where everything is,
knowledgeable about sailing and seas in
general
 lets opponents go home by sea
 woolen gown
 knee length
 dagger
 rides a cart horse
 sunburned

Doctor of Medicine Trade Professional DIRECT ADMIRATION:

Pg. 25  Excellent doc
 Informed in astrology
 Expensive silk clothing
 Didn’t throw his money around
 Survived the Black Death
 Didn’t eat a lot
 Well studied
 Understood every sickness
 Right hand man was a chemist-helped each other
Wife of Bath Trade DIRECT/INDIRECT Admiration
p. 25-27  Deaf
 Weaver
 Alms-giving
 Finely woven clothes
 Red stockings Criticism
 Supple shoes
 Confident face with gaps in teeth
 Thick
 Admirable woman
 She had five husbands
 Visited Jerusalem 3 times
 Hat
 Good company
 Good “dancer”
Parson/Priest Church DIRECT: ADMIRATION
p.27-31  Poor
 Rich in holy thoughts and deeds
 Learned scholar
 He preaches the Gospel and makes sure to practice
what he preaches.
 Would not excommunicate someone for failure to pay
their tithes
 Gave his own money to his parishioners
 Content
 Large parish
 Did not go around despising sinful men
 There isn’t a better priest anywhere
Ploughman Trade ADMIRATION
Pg. 31 DIRECT
 Honest and good worker
 Lived peaceably
 Love God with all his heart
 Loved his neighbors as himself
 Paid tax to the church in full
 Wore a sleeveless jacket
 Rode on a mare

Miller Professional DIRECT CRITICISM

Pg. 31-33  Large man
 wart on his nose and a big mouth
 Red hair
 Skillful in stealing corn
 Charged triple price
 White tunic with a blue hood
 Bagpiper
Manciple Professional DIRECT Admiration
Pg. 33  Refined manners
 Paid in cash
 Chose to buy when it was most profitable to him
 Limited education
 Lived within own means and without debt
 Could come to the assistance of a whole country is a
lawsuit were to occur
 Outwitted everyone

Reeve Professional DIRECT Admiration

Pg. 33-35  Thin, choleric man
 Closely shaved beard
 Cropped hair
 Long and skinny legs
 Could accurately forecast how much his lord’s crop or
cattle would yield
 Controlled all of the Lord’s livestock
  No one could deceive him Criticism
 People were as scared of him as they were of the Black
Death
 Owned his own home
 Good at purchasing
 Excellent carpenter
 Fine horse
 Long blue overcoat
 Rusty Sword
 From Norfolk
 Rode at the end of the procession
Summoner Church DIRECT Criticism
Pg 35-37  Fiery red face
 Hot and lustful
 Scabby black eyebrows and a patchy beard
 Children were scared of his face
 Nothing could help the white lumps and pustules he
had on his cheeks
 Liked garlic, onions and leeks
 Liked strong drink
 Spoke only in Latin when he was drunk
 Refined and kind rascal
 Could not find a better friend
 Knew secrets of the young people in his diocese
 Had a wreath on his head

Pardoner Church DIRECT Criticism

Pg. 37-39  Yellow hair
 Straight hair that hung sparsely
 Prominent eyes
 Wallet was full of pardons
 High pitched voice
 Had no beard no would he ever have one
 Enuch or homosexual
 Said to have relics that were of religious nature, but
really they were nothing
 Hypocrite/Liar (scam artist)
  Earned more money in one day than the parson earned
in a whole month
 Sang cheerfully and loudly (charismatic…silver
tongue…spoke well but didn’t use it for good)
Scammer

Narrator

Host