The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales

1
The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales

• The Skipper
• The Doctor
• The Wife of Bath
• The Parson
• The Plowman

2
The Skipper
3
The Skipper
4
The Skipper

• Characterization
• Diction
• He rode a farmers horse as best he could (394)
• Not a good horseman

5
The Skipper

• And certainly he was an excellent fellow (394)
• Chaucer thinks highly of him
• Truthful?

6
The Skipper

• Many a draft of vintage, red and yellow, Hed
  drawn at Bordeaux, while the trader
  snored. (400-401)
• Steals wine
• Imagery
• Pirate?

7
The Skipper

• If, when he fought, the enemy vessel
  sank, He sent his prisoners home they
  walked the plank (403-404)
• Irony
• The home of the enemy sailors
• the bottom of the sea
• Imagery
• Pirate?

8
The Skipper

• As for his skill in reckoning his
  tides, Currents and many another risk
  besides, Moons, harbours, pilots, he had
  dispatch That none from Hull to Carthage
  was his match. (405-408)
• Talented sailor

9
The Skipper

• Purpose of the Diction
• Demonstrates Chaucers respect for the Skipper
• Why?
• Skipper, although ruthless, is a professional and
  does his job well

10
The Skipper

• Our Reaction to the Skipper
• not a strong reaction
• we might not like him
• reminds us of a pirate

11
The Doctor
12
The Doctor

• Characterization
• Diction
• A Doctor too emerged as we proceeded No one
  alive could talk as well as he did On points of
  medicine and of surgery, For, being grounded in
  astronomy, He watched his patient closely for
  the hours When, by his horoscope, he know the
  powers Of favorable planets, then
  ascendant, Worked on the images for his
  dependent. The cause of every malady youd
  got He knew, and whether dry, cold, moist or
  hot He knew their seat, their humour and
  condition. He was a perfect practicing
  physician. (415-426)

13
The Doctor

• The use of astrology in medicine was common
• Medieval medicine was based on the classical
  notion of four humors (blood, choler, phlegm, and
  black bile)
• People believed that diseases were caused by an
  imbalance in these humors
• Diseases were cured by restoring this balance

14
The Doctor

• In his own diet he observed some
  measure There were no superfluities for
  pleasure, Only digestives, nutritives and
  such. He did not read the Bible very
  much. (433-436)

15
The Doctor

• Different than the gluttonous Franklin
• The Doctor eats a well-balanced diet
• He avoids excess for pleasure
• However, he lacks spiritual nourishment
• does not read the Bible

16
The Doctor

• In blood-red garments, slashed with bluish
  grey And lined with taffeta, he rode his
  way (437-438)
• Dresses well

17
The Doctor

• Yet he was rather close as to expenses And kept
  the gold he won in pestilences. Gold
  stimulates the heart, or so were
  told. He therefore had a special love of
  gold. (439-442)

18
The Doctor

• The Doctor is frugal with the money he earned for
  treating the sick
• He believes that gold is good for the heart

19
The Doctor

• Purpose of the Diction
• Demonstrates that the Doctor is good at what he
  does
• Demonstrates that the Doctor is money-hungry

20
The Doctor

• Our Reaction to the Doctor
• We do not like him because of his greed

21
The Wife of Bath
22
The Wife of Bath

• Characterization
• Diction
• In making cloth she showed so great a
  bent She bettered those of Ypres and of
  Ghent. (445-446)
• Talented in making clothing
• Well dressed

23
The Wife of Bath

• In all the parish no a dame dared stir Towards
  the altar steps in front of her, And if indeed
  they did, so wrath was she As to be quite
  put out of charity. (447-450)
• Gets angry if anyone else is in front of her at
  church

24
The Wife of Bath

• Her hose were of the finest scarlet red And
  gartered tight her shoes were soft and
  new. Bold was her face, handsome and red in
  hue. (454-456)
• Symbolism
• Red
• Passion

25
The Wife of Bath

• Shed had five husbands, all at the church
  door, Apart from other company in youth No
  need just now to speak of that,
  forsooth. 458-460)
• Had numerous husbands
• Had numerous lovers in her youth

26
The Wife of Bath

• And she had thrice been to Jerusalem, Seen many
  strange rivers and passed over them Shed
  been to Rome and also to Boulogne, St.
  James of Compostella and Cologne, And she
  was skilled in wandering by the
  way. (461-465)

27
The Wife of Bath

• She has been on numerous pilgrimages
• skilled in wandering by the way
• Avoids the straight and narrow path
• She is good at dalliance
• to deal lightly or carelessly
• to flirt

28
The Wife of Bath

• She had gap-teeth, set widely, truth to say
  (466)
• Symbolism
• Gapped teeth
• Amorousness
• full of or showing love or sexual desire

29
The Wife of Bath

• Purpose of Diction
• Demonstrates that the Wife of Bath is a hypocrite
• Mocks her for her lifestyle

30
The Wife of Bath

• Our Reaction
• We do not like her
• We laugh at her
• One of the most memorable characters in The
  Canterbury Tales

31
The Parson
32
The Parson

• Characterization
• Diction
• A holy-minded man of good renown There was, and
  poor, the Parson to a town, Yet he was
  rich in holy thought and work. (475-477
  )
• Paradox
• Poor in material goods (secular), but rich in
  holy goods (heavenly)

33
The Parson

• Wide was his parish, with houses far
  asunder, Yet he neglected not in rain or
  thunder, In sickness or in grief, to pay a
  call On the remotest, whether great or
  small, Upon his feet, and in his hand a
  stave. (489-493)
• Committed to his ministry
• Helps other people

34
The Parson

• That if gold rust, what then will iron do? For
  if a priest be foul in whom we trust No wonder
  that a common man should rust (498-5
  00)
• Symbolism
• Goldclergy
• Ironparishioners
• Clergy should be more pure than parishioners
• Priest should be a good example

35
The Parson

• The true example that a priest should
  give Is one of cleanness, how the sheep
  should live. (501-502)
• Christian imagery
• Good Shepherd
• Christ
• Sheep
• Followers of Christ

36
The Parson

• His business was to show a fair
  behaviour And draw men thus to Heaven and
  their Saviour (515-516)
• Not a hypocrite

37
The Parson

• I think there never was a better priest. He
  sought no pomp or glory in his dealings, N
  o scrupulosity had spiced his feelings. Christ
  and His Twelve Apostles and their lore He
  taught, but followed it himself
  before. (520-524)
• A genuinely good clergyman

38
The Parson

• Purpose of the Diction
• Demonstrates that the Parson is a good man
• Looks out for the members of his parish
• Antithesis of Friar and Monk

39
The Parson

• Our Reaction to the Parson
• We like him
• Intensifies our feelings of dislike regarding the
  Friar and Monk

40
The Plowman

• Characterization
• Diction
• There was a Plowman with him there, his brother
  (525)
• Brother to the Parson
• Literal (actual brother of the Parson)
• Symbolic (brother in Christ?)

41
The Plowman

• He was an honest worker, good and
  true, Living in peace and perfect
  charity, And, as the gospel bade him, so did
  he, Loving God best with all his heart and
  mind And then this neighbour as
  himself, (528-532)
• Follows laws of the Church
• Good man

42
The Plowman

• He paid his tithes in full when they were
  due On what he owned, and on his
  earnings too. (539-540)
• Tithes
• A church tax consisting of one tenth of ones
  income
• Honest person

43
The Plowman

• Purpose of the Diction
• Demonstrates that the Plowman is a good man
• Reminds us of what a good person the Parson is as
  well (because of the brotherly relationship)

44
The Plowman

• Our Reaction to the Plowman
• We like him
• Not a very memorable character