Some scholars believe that Chaucer’s characters were based on real people he encountered on his travels, including fellow pilgrims he met on a journey to Italy.

The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales Summary

The Canterbury Tales is considered one of the first works of English literature written in the vernacular, or everyday language of the time, rather than in Latin or French.

The prologue of The Canterbury Tales is a literary masterpiece written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century. It sets the scene for a pilgrimage to Canterbury, in which a diverse group of 24 people from different social and economic backgrounds embark on a journey to pay homage to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket.

The narrator of the story, who is also a character, introduces each of the pilgrims, providing a vivid description of their appearance, clothing, and personality. The group includes a knight, a miller, a nun, a pardoner, a friar, a merchant, and many others.

As the narrator describes each character, he provides insight into their lives, habits, and beliefs. The prologue also reveals the tensions and conflicts between the characters, which will come to the fore later in the tales.

Through the prologue, Chaucer explores themes such as class, gender, religion, and morality, while also giving readers a glimpse into medieval life and culture. The characters represent a cross-section of medieval society, and their stories reflect the various social and cultural tensions of the time.

The prologue sets up the framework for the rest of the tales, in which each pilgrim will tell a story on the way to Canterbury and back.

The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales Characters

The characters who appear in the prologue and tales:

• The Host
• The Knight
• The Squire
• The Yeoman
• The Prioress
• The Monk
• The Friar
• The Merchant
• The Clerk
• The Man of Law
• The Franklin
• The Haberdasher, Carpenter, Weaver, Dyer, and Tapestry-Maker (grouped together as “The Five Guildsmen”)
• The Cook
• The Shipman
• The Physician
• The Wife of Bath
• The Parson
• The Plowman
• The Miller
• The Manciple
• The Reeve
• The Summoner
• The Pardoner
• Chaucer himself.

The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales Characters

The pilgrims have gathered at the Tabard Inn, an excellent inn in Southwark. 

The narrator starts the prologue with a description of the April month. When the rain in April falls, it nourishes the dryness of March and goes into the root of plants and flowers. The earth rejuvenates again after the harsh winter wilted each flower and plant. Consequently, it helps them grow and makes the Spring beautiful.

At that time, Zephyrus, the Greek God of the West Wind blows in every field and wood, it pushes away the cold and dead winter and brings life to the earth again. The sun shines brightly and the chirping of the birds makes the surroundings melodious.

On such a beautiful day, people visit holy sites. Pilgrims go to pilgrimage sites which are located in different parts of the world. People from all corners of England go to the Canterbury. They visit Canterbury to seek the blessing of holy martyr Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who helps them when they are sick.

The narrator stays for the night at the Tabard Inn in Southwark. He is ready to set out on his pilgrimage to Canterbury. Before leaving, there he meets 29 pilgrims who arrive at the inn. The group has people who are from various backgrounds of the society. They come together by chance and that makes them a united group.

There are enough chambers and stables for both pilgrims and the horses to rest. They find one of the best accommodations without any worry.

After the sunset, the narrator talks with each of the pilgrims individually and consequently, he becomes a part of their fellowship. They ask him to wake up early so that they can start the journey early in the morning, and he agrees to the plan. 

Before telling the tales, the narrator introduces his readers to the detailed description of each pilgrim, He begins with the Knight.

The Knight

The Knight is a worthy man. He has noble qualities like chivalry, truthfulness, honor, courtesy, and charity. These are the codes of virtues that are supposed to have in a knight in the medieval era. 

During his knighthood, he often goes abroad to participate in battles. The Knight fights bravely in his lord’s war and his valor and dedication to his lord are seen in the war. He has fought equally in Christian and non-Christian lords and wherever he goes, others respect him for his worthiness and grace.

During the conquering of Alexandria, he is involved with it. His wide range of military experience is extended to Prussia, Lithuania, and Russia. No Christian man of his rank has participated in events such as the siege of Algeciras, the war in Granada and on the Moroccan shore, battles in Ayash and Antalya, various battles on the Mediterranean Sea, fighting for the Christian faith at Tramissene thrice, and helping Emir of Balat in fighting against a heathen Turk.

He had been in mortal wars for fifteen times and always defeats his enemies. He earns a reputation for his extraordinary military skill. He is not only valiant but also wise and humble. He is modest like a maid and has never treated anyone rudely to anyone whom he has met in his entire life. He is the epitome of knighthood.

His horses look healthy and he wears no flamboyant color which suggests his simple-minded mindset. He wears a padded tunic made of fustian and the marks of his military adventures are apparent in the stains of his gown.

The Squire

The Squire is the son of the Knight. He is around twenty years old. His hair is curly and he has an average height. He is physically active and has experience fighting on a horse in Flanders, Artois, and Picardy. He has served well as a cavalry soldier and achieved success in a short time.

He is wearing a short gown and long and wide sleeves. He knows how to tame a horse and ride a horse. 

As a young and passionate bachelor, he hopes for a romantic favor from a woman. His clothing is flashy and embroidered, unlike his father’s. His flamboyancy is compared to a meadow full of fresh white and red flowers.

His youthful energy reflects in his activities of singing and playing flutes throughout the day. Therefore, the narrator compares his vigor to the freshness of the month of May. He can write and compose songs and he is also good at jousting, dancing, and drawing.

He is an intense lover and sleeps no more than a nightingale. Like his father, he is a courteous, humble, attentive, and capable young man. He helps his father at the table by carving meat. 

The Yeoman

The Square has a servant, the Yeoman. The Yeoman goes along with his master on a pilgrimage. He is wearing a green coat and hood and carrying a bundle of arrows with peacock feathers that are sharp and shiny. The feathers are always straight, which suggests their good condition. He carries them properly by attaching them to his belt. He also carries a big bow in his hand, which suggests his interest and skill in archery. 

The narrator also describes his physical appearance. He has short hair and his face is of brown complexion, He knows very well all aspects of woodcraft. He wears an archer’s brace on his arm which is a protection from him and carries a buckler, a small round shield, and a sword on one side. He also carries a sword and a decorative and sharp dagger on the other side. 

He wears an emblem of St. Christopher, the patron of travelers on his breast. This suggests he is a devout Christian. He bears a horn and the belt for the horn is green which matches his green clothing. All these attributes one thing and that is he is truly a forester.

The Prioress

The name of the Prioress is Madam Eglentine. She smiles innocently and shyly. She does not use words strong words, meaning swear words except “by Saint Loy.” As she is a nun, she often sings religious songs. While she sings well, she produces sounds through her nose. 

She speaks French well, which is a standard language during the fourteenth century. She is good at table manners. She has attained good learning on that. She does not let no morsel fall from her lips, she does not dip her fingers in the sauce too deeply, and also knows how to take a morsel carefully without spilling it on her breast.

She wipes her upper lip so often that none can see any trace of grease on the cup she drinks. Her nature is cheerful, pleasant, and friendly. She follows codes of behavior religiously for which she deserves respect. She expects the same from the others. Therefore, good manners from others are what pleases her, She is charitable, tender, and becomes anxious and weeps when she sees a mouse caught in a trap, if it were dead or bleeding. This suggests she cares for even those that cannot reciprocate,

She has slender hounds that she feeds with roasted flesh, milk, and fine white bread, It strikes her heart badly and tears run down her face immensely when one of them dies. Someone probably hit it badly with a stick.

Outer Appearance

Her wimple is folded properly, her nose and lips look fine, and her eyes are blue-grey. Her lips are soft and red, and her forehead is fair. Her cloak is elegant, and she wears a fine coral around her arm. Her rosary has large green beads and a brooch of golden sheen. The brooch has a crowned “A” on it and the Latin phrase “Amor vincit omnia” (love conquers all) is written after the A.

The Nun

The Nun accompanies the Prioress and the Nun is her chaplain. 

The Monk

The Monk has a high rank in a monastery. He looks manly and quite suitable for the role of head of monks. He has five healthy horses in his stable. His manliness is suggested in his act of riding. The jingling sound of his bridle while riding is as sharp and clear as the sound of a chapel bell. It is so clear that men might hear it even in a whistling wind. 

He does not follow the strict rules of Saint Benedict and Saint Mawr and considers the rules old and strict and he hates old customs. He does not care for a text that states that hunters are not holy and that a monk who lives carefree life is like a fish without water. A monk who leaves his cloister is like a fish and loses the significance of his life. He believes such a book is worthless like an oyster. 

The narrator argues his views are bad. The narrator questions whether he should study madly in his cloister or labor with his hands as Augustine bids or prescribed or wonders how the world works. The narrator thinks Augustine should keep his labor for himself. 

The Monk does not follow any of them and freely follows his hunting passion. He has greyhounds which are as swift as birds in flight. He finds pleasure in hunting hares with his dogs. Roasting a fat swan is his the most favorite food.

Outer Appearance

His sleeves are trimmed at the wrist with the finest grey fur. He wears a wrought-gold elaborate pin to fasten his hood beneath his chin. The pin has a love knot on the larger end.

The Monk is bald, his head shines like glass, and his face is well-groomed as if he has been anointed. He is an obese and well-dressed man. His bulging eyeballs roll in his head and glow like a cauldron fire. His boots are flexible.

His palfrey or horse is as brown as a berry, and his horse is healthy. It suggests he takes good care of it. He is a fair prelate, his complexion is not dark and pale like a tormented ghost. 

He Friar

The Friar’s name is Hubert. He is a joyful and lustful person. His eyes twinkle like the stars shining in the frosty night, 

He has arranged many marriages of young women and granted them a dower. He is well-respected and close to the Franklins and worthy women of the town.

He claims of himself that he has a license from his bishop to listen to confession more than a curate. He hears the confession sweetly and his absolutions are pleasant. He gives penance easily, he makes money from his pittance from people.

The Friar realizes that many people find it hard to weep while repenting their guilt, therefore, he thinks it is better to give silverware to the poor.

His sleeve’s ends are filled with pocket knives and gilded pins and he keeps them to pretty women. His neck is fair as the fleur-de-lis. He is strong as any champion. He knows all the taverns in every town and their barmaid, innkeepers rather than lepers and beggars, This shows he has an interest in drinking and pub life.

Since he has a high position, it is not appropriate for him to acquaint himself with the social outcasts. He serves only the rich, sellers of victuals since he can earn money from them. Therefore, he refuses to serve the poor people. 

He can sing and play quite well a musical instrument. He has won easily many competitions. 

His appearance is courteous and humble, and he presents himself as if there is no virtuous like him, but it is not the truth. 

The Friar is the best beggar who knows very well how to extract money from people. He pays a fixed fee for his right to beg in his area and does not allow other beggars to perform similar religious duties. Since he has a good voice, even if a widow misses her shoe, she will still give him money after he starts opening the Gospel. In this way, he earns more money than his rent.

He is an energetic man. He helps in settling disputes. While settling, he does not look like a friar with a threadbare cloak from a cloister or like a poor scholar, rather he dresses like a doctor or a pope. He wears double worsted, demi-cloak, and his cloak is a bell shape, which is fashionable at the time. He dresses in a way that indicates his authority even though he is not capable of that in reality.

He lisps a little to make his English and songs while playing a harp to make them pleasant. 

The Merchant

The narrator does not know his name. The Merchant has a forked beard, dressed in motley clothing. While sitting on a horse, he is wearing a Flemish beaver hat and neatly buckled boots.

He speaks seriously and boasts about the increasing profits of his business. As a merchant, he has a desire for secure sea trade between Middleburgh and the River Orwell. He is good at exchanging currencies and buying and selling goods. He presents himself in such a way to others that others do not know his financial debt. 

While bargaining money lending, he behaves in a dignified manner. 

The Clerk

A Clerk from Oxford also joins the group. Like his horse, he is also thin. He has a serious look on his face. He has little money as he has not got a benefice, a stipend from the church. His threadbare jacket indicates his financial condition. 

He has been studying logic for a long. He is studious and would choose to surround himself with books, of Aristotle, and his philosophy than seeking an official position or rich robes, fiddle or sweet psaltery,

He is a true philosopher and lacks the resources to make money. He spends the money his friends lend him on books and learning. He pays for the people who have funded his endeavor in becoming a scholar. 

The only thing he is immersed in studies. He does not speak a single word more than he needs, and when he speaks his words are short, and quick and he speaks formally and in a respectful manner. His words comply with moral virtues. 

He is always ready to learn and gladly teaches others.

The Sergeant

The Sergeant at Law is a wise and cautious man who often consults at St. Paul’s porch and other places. He has been a Justice at Assize, a court in the county of England. For his knowledge and from his service, he has acquired a large amount of money and robes.

He is a great buyer of land, all is his fee-simple, in effect. People do not suspect his purchase. He has a business that no other has. He has handled correctly cases and judgments from King William’s time. He is adroit at drafting legal documents that no one may find a fault in it, He can cite every statute from memory.

He rides in a simple stripped, coat tied with a silken belt and clasps of metal. 

The Franklin

The Franklin is the company of the Sergeant. His beard is white as a daisy flower. His face complexion is blood-red. 

He loves a piece of bread dipped in wine every morning. He follows the philosophy of Epicurus, who thinks happiness comes from pleasure. Therefore, he loves a life of pleasure.

People call him Saint Julian, the patron saint of hospitality. He serves bread, ale, and wine to people. His house is never short of fish and flesh, pastry, dishes, and meat.

He changes his dinner and supper according to the seasons of the year. He has many plump partridges in his coop and has fish like bream and pikes in his pool that show his wealth.

He wants his cook to be skilled at cooking and he demands from him to make pungent and tasty sauces and dishes. If the cook fails to meet his expectation, it will cause problems for the cook. His table is always ready with covers to serve guests. 

At court sessions, he is the lord of the court. This suggests his position of authority in the court, He is also a member of the Shire, and he represents his county in the English Parliament.

He carries a two-edged dagger and a purse of silk at his girdle, which is as white as morning milk. 

He has experience of being a Sheriff, a lawyer, and a worthy landowner. 

A Haberdasher, Carpenter, Weaver, Dyer, and a Tapestry-maker

They wear the livery that imposes guild fraternity and establish their status in their community. Their costumes are fresh and their knives are mounted with silver. Their girdles and pouches are well-made.

They seem splendid burgess and they fit to grace a guildhall on a dais. They sit in a place of honor in the guild’s meeting hall. Each of them is knowledgeable and suitable for an alderman. They have enough property and rent. Their wives support their position in society. They will blame them if they do not do that.

The Cook

The Cook goes with them. They keep him so that he can boil chickens and morrow bones and flavor them with pungent spices. He can distinguish well London ale and roast, seeth, boil and fry. He can make thick soup and bake a tasty pie. He can also make a fricassee. He has an ulcerous sore on his skin. It suggests he is not hygienic while making food.

The Shipman

The Shipman hails from Dartmouth, a port town on the coast of Devon. He rides a hired hack which suggests he is not wealthy. He is wearing a wollen gown that reaches his knee with a dagger hanging on a cord around his neck. The summer heat has turned his face brown which means he has spent a lot of time at sea in the sun.

He is an admirable man. He is a heavy drunker. He has made many draughts of wine flow from Bordeaux while the merchant is fast asleep. 

Moral conduct does not bother him. If he fights and gains the upper hand, he will send men home by water.

He is skilled at sailing, is good at calculating tides, and currents know every harbor. There is no one as skilled as him from Hull to Carthage. He is hard and wise in managing the tempests and it is evident from his shaking beard. He knows all the havens from Gotland’s Isle to Cape Finisterre and every creek in Britain and Spain.

The barque that he owns is called the Magdalene.

The Doctor of physic

The narrator says that he has never seen a doctor like him in the whole world. He is skilled in medicine and surgery and knows astronomy.

He knows the cause of every illness. He knows the best time for the sick to receive treatment by using natural magic. He can select the right astrological sign or ascendant to make a talisman for his patient. This is how he treats his patients. It was a common practice in medieval times.

Once he detects the root cause of ailments, he accordingly prescribes the remedy. He had apothecaries who are always ready to prepare the medicine. they both earn money from this work. 

He is well-versed in the works of many known medical figures including Aesculapius, Averroes, Gilbertus et. al.

He takes good care of his body, so he prefers a moderate diet and avoids superfluity. He ensures he eats nutritious and digestible foods. 

Unlike his medical study, he is not interested in reading Bible. His clothing is colorful, a mixture of red, and blue, and they are made of high-quality materials like taffeta and silk.

He is careful while spending money except spending in clothing. He has earned money by treating patients with fatal epidemic diseases. The narrator is probably referring to Black Death. He thinks gold is useful in treating illness. So, he loves gold above all other things.

The Wife of Bath

The Wife of Bath is from Bath. She is a little deaf. We have discussed the reason in the Wife of Bath’s Prologue. She is good at cloth making and she surpasses those cloth-makers in Ypres and of Ghent. No one is as skilled as her in all the parish. None dares to go to her to collect the offertory, a collection of money at a religious service. Because if anyone goes to her for that she becomes so angry that she will lose her charitable disposition.

Her kerchiefs are finely woven and they are heavy. Her hose is scarlet red which is lightly tied. Her shoes are fully soft and new, 

Her face is bold and fair with a red hue. It suggests she is in good health condition. She has married five times. Besides, she has had other lovers in her youth. 

She has been to Jerusalem thrice which suggests she likes to roam. Pilgrimage is more of a recreational activity and less of a religious act. Her traveled places include Boulogne, Rome, St. James of Campostella, and Cologne. In this way, she is an experienced traveler.

She is gap-toothed. She sits comfortably on a saddle horse. She is wearing a wimple and a large hat as wide ad a small buckler. 

Her overskirt conceals her large hips, She is wearing a pair of sharp spurs. 

She loves to talk and love, she is an extrovert. She knows how to get rid of love, knowledge of remedies of love.

The Parson

The Parson is a holy man in the town he lives. He is poor but his thought and works are rich. He is a learned man and preaches Christ’s Gospel earnestly. 

He devoutly teaches his parishioners. He is benign and diligent, extremely patient even in adversity. Though he is poor, he would like to give the poor parishioner his goods and offerings than curse them for not paying their titles. He finds contentment in little things.

He never neglects his duty and travels to everyone in need, no matter if it is raining or thundering or he is sick or affliction. He visits every house, large and small with a stave.

He says, “that if gold rust, what would iron do?” it means If the priest whom we trust becomes corrupted, what would an ordinary man do? He believes it is shameful to see a shepherd in the dirt while the sheep are clean. 

He has not run off to London to work in a wealthy chantry or remain enrolled in the guild brotherhood. But he remains in his hometown and serves his people. He never scorns the sinful because his teaching is benign. However, if anyone of high or low rank proves to be obstinate and does not follow his teachings, he would rebuke the person.

He is better than most priests. He never looks for pomp or reverence nor shows a too fastidious conscience. He follows Christ and his Apostle’s twelve and implements in his life first and after that, he teaches others.

The Ploughman

The Ploughman is Parson’s brother. He has carted a load of dung in his work. He is a true worker who is living peace and charitable life.

He follows the Christian doctrine “love thy neighbours”, he loves his neighbors as himself. He helps the poor if he can without expecting any reward. He pays his tithes in full. He is wearing a loose tunic, and riding on a mare, instead of a horse.

The Miller

The Miller is a stout fellow, muscular, and has a large bone structure. He is skilled at wrestling and always looks to win the prize of ram. He has broad, thick, and short upper arms. He is strong enough to lift doors off their hinges or break them with his head.

His beard is as red as any sow or fox and broad as if it were a spade. 

The Miller has a wart on the tip of his nose with a tuft of red hair, like the bristles on a sow’s ear. He has a wide, black nostril. 

He carries a sword and buckler. His mouth is as large as a great furnace. 

He is a loudmouth and often tells vulgar stories of sin and prostitution. He steals corn and charges three times for one grinding. He is a dishonest man. He is good at detecting the quality of flour by touching which is his golden thumb. 

He is wearing a white coat and a blue hood. He knows how to blow bagpipes and play during the journey.

The Manciple 

The Manciple is associated with the Inner Temple which is one of the four inns of Court where lawyers get education. 

He knows about buying provisions or victuals, whether he pays cash or token or debt. He is careful in his purchasing and acts quickly, Despite being illiterate, he can outperform learned men. He is an expert and knowledgeable in his area. 

Many experts are worthy to be stewards of rent and land but the Manciple is better than them. 

The Reeve

The Reeve is a slender, choleric, or short-tempered man. He shaves his beard cleanly. His hair around his ears is fully shorn, and he has a haircut like a priest. He has long and lean legs, they are thin like sticks, no calf muscles are visible.

He keeps a clean and organized groanery and storage area, He can tell accurately how much grain and seed can expect from drought or rain.

He is in charge of his lord’s livestock, sheep, beef, cattle, swine, horses, poultry, and dairy. His lord is twenty year and inexperienced young man.

He keeps a record of his accounts with a written agreement, a covenant. 

His workers cannot deceive him because he is aware of their tricks. They are afraid of him. He has a nice house on a grassy field. He has wealth and he lends his goods and pleases his lords subtly. He earns thank you and gifts of coat and hood from his lord. 

He was a good and learned master in his youth. He is a skilled carpenter. He sits on a grey-colored horse whose name is Scot.

He is wearing a long blue top coat and carrying a rusty blade. He is from Norfolk, nearby the town of Bawdeswell. His gown is tucked up like a friar. He always rides at the back of the group on the route. He probably makes sure everything is accounted for before they start the journey.

Hindmost

The Summoner

The Summoner has a fiery-red cherubins face with carbuncles on it and narrow eyes. He has scabby black brows and a scrubby beard, He has pimples on his face and lump on his cheeks, no ointment can cure them. Children are afraid of his look.

He is not tempered and lecherous as a sparrow. He loves eating garlic, onions, and leeks, and drinking red wine. When he is drunk, he speaks only Latin. He has learned Latin from a decree that he has heard every day. Like a jaybird that can say “Walter” more than the “Pope”, his knowledge of Latin is limited. He knows a few Latin phrases. 

The narrator satirizes him. He is a noble rouge and kind. No one can find such a fellow like him who allows his friend to keep a concubine for a quart of wine. 

He manipulates foolish people privately. If he makes a good friend, he would teach him not to care about the matter like Archdeacon’s curse, which is believed to affect one’s soul and wallet. 

He tells, “the purse is the Archdeacon’s hell.” He is lying because absolution could make a man’s soul, not his wallet. He has power over the young people in his area as he can please them and he knows their secrets.

He wears a garland that is as big as a tavern sign’s holly on a plane. 

The Pardoner

The Pardoner is from Charing Cross, who is a friend and peer of Summoner. He has recently returned from the Court of Rome. He sings out loudly, “Come hither, love to me!” It is as louder as the sound of a trumpet.

His hair is yellow as wex and hangs down smoothly like a hank of flax. The locks are thick that they cover his shoulders, but the strands are thin and fall out one by one. He does not wear a hood to adorn his hair but rather it is tied up in his wallet.

He thinks he looks fashionable though he is bareheaded. His eyes bulge out of his head, so he looks like a hare. He has a pilgrim badge sewn onto his cape, suggesting his visit to other pilgrimage. 

His lap is full of pardons that he has brought from Rome. His voice is as small as a goat’s. He has no beard. 

The narrator thinks he is riding in either a castrated male or female horse. He is good at selling pardon and there is no Pardoner like him from Berwick and Ware.

He carries a pillowcase in his bage which he claims is the veil of Our Lady’s, Virgin Mary. He claims he has also a fragment of the sail that Saint Peter used when he walked on the sea. He also claims to have a cross made of brass and adorned with stones and pigs’ bones in a glass container.

By using these relics, he deceives some parson. He makes more money in one day than a parson can collect in a month. He deceives people and the parson with feigned flattery and makes them his followers. 

However, he is skilled at works in the church such as reading a lesson or a story. He is a skilled ecclesiastical figure, He knows perfectly how to sing the offertory. After the song, he knows he must preach to win silver. Therefore, he sings sweetly and loudly.  

The Host

The host of the inn serves all the pilgrims. He serves them with the best food and wine. The Host is a fit, handsome man with stalking eyes. He is a bold, wise, honest, and teashed man. He is truly a jolly man and after supper he beings to entertain them. He welcomes them and says he has not seen such a diverse group in the year in his inn.

He tells them he has an idea that can make their journey less mundane, boring. Nobody likes to ride silently on the journey. If everyone agrees, their journey will be enjoyable. He swears on his dead father’s soul that if they do not have fun, he will take the blame on his head. The pilgrims decide unanimously without much discussion. 

The plan is pilgrims will tell two tales on the way to Canterbury and two on the way back. The stories should be about personal adventures. The pilgrim who tells the best, which is most serious and provides solace, will have supper for free. The other members will pay for it as the inn after returning from the pilgrimage.

To make the journey more fun, he announces his company to them at his cost. He will be their guide. He will be the judge of their tales. The group swears an oath to follow him. 

After drinking, they go to bed. The next day, he wakes them up early like the cock and leads them to the pilgrimage. On the way, he suggests the pilgrimages draw straws to decide who will tell the first tale. They choose the Knight to tell the first tale and he begins. All become happy and are excited to listen to his story.

What is the main idea of the prologue of The Canterbury Tales?

The main idea of The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales is to introduce the characters who will be participating in the pilgrimage to Canterbury. The narrator, who is also a character in the story, sets the scene by describing the time of year (April) and the setting (an inn in Southwark, a suburb of London). He then introduces each of the pilgrims, providing a brief description of their appearance, occupation, and personality. Through these descriptions, the narrator reveals the social and economic diversity of the group, which includes a knight, a nun, a merchant, a miller, a friar, a pardoner, and many others. The prologue also sets up the framework for the rest of the tale, which will involve each pilgrim telling a story on the way to Canterbury and back.

What point of view is the prologue of The Canterbury Tales?

The prologue of The Canterbury Tales is written in the first-person point of view, as it is narrated by one of the characters, who is also the author, Geoffrey Chaucer. Chaucer himself appears as a character in the prologue, and he uses the first-person pronoun “I” to describe the other characters and to give his own opinions about them. For example, he describes the Knight as “a worthy man…who from the very first had followed chivalry, truth, honor, generousness, and courtesy,” and he comments on the Pardoner’s corrupt practices, saying that “in church no one could out-sing or out-preach him.” The use of the first-person point of view helps to create a sense of intimacy between the reader and the narrator, and it allows Chaucer to give his own perspective on the characters and their stories.

How many tales are there in Prologue to Canterbury Tales?

The most common version of The Canterbury Tales includes 22 completed tales, two incomplete tales, and a fragment of a 24th tale. The completed tales include

The Knight’s Tale, The Miller’s Tale, The Reeve’s Tale, The Cook’s Tale, The Man of Law’s Tale, The Wife of Bath’s Tale, The Friar’s Tale, The Summoner’s Tale, The Clerk’s Tale, The Merchant’s Tale, The Squire’s Tale, The Franklin’s Tale, The Physician’s Tale, The Pardoner’s Tale, The Shipman’s Tale, The Prioress’s Tale, Chaucer’s Tale of Sir Thopas, The Tale of Melibee, The Monk’s Tale, The Nun’s Priest’s Tale, and The Second Nun’s Tale.