Chaucer Pilgrims

The Knight

Physical traits: Wears a stained or rust-marked tunic over his armor, suggesting he has just returned from battle. Good qualities: Humble, honorable, courteous, experienced, brave, and devoted to chivalry. Bad qualities: No major personal flaws are emphasized; he represents the ideal knight. Key clue: A respected warrior who has fought in many campaigns but remains modest.

The Squire

Physical traits: Young, handsome, curly-haired, and fashion-conscious. Good qualities: Energetic, courteous, artistic, and talented in singing, dancing, and writing poetry. Bad qualities: More concerned with romance, appearance, and courtly love than his father’s generation; can seem vain. Key clue: The Knight’s son who wears fashionable clothes and loves a woman.

The Yeoman

Physical traits: Wears a green coat and hood; carries a bow and arrows with peacock-feather fletching, a sword, a dagger, and a horn. Good qualities: Skilled, practical, capable, and knowledgeable about the forest. Bad qualities: No major flaws are emphasized. Key clue: The green-clad forest attendant and skilled archer.

The Nun / Prioress (Madame Eglantine)

Physical traits: Has a broad forehead, gray eyes, a small red mouth, an elegant appearance, and a neat, refined manner. Wears a bracelet or beads with a brooch bearing “Amor vincit omnia” (“Love conquers all”). Good qualities: Polite, courteous, and attentive to manners. Bad qualities: Sentimental toward her little dogs, feeding them fine food; appears more concerned with courtly refinement and outward elegance than strict religious devotion. Key clue: Speaks French in the style of Stratford-at-Bow, not the prestigious Parisian style; imitates aristocratic manners.

The Monk

Physical traits: Bald, fat, with a shiny head and a face that seems to shine; wears expensive clothing with fine fur. Good qualities: Energetic and enjoys outdoor activities such as hunting and riding. Bad qualities: Loves hunting, horses, and luxury instead of following the traditional discipline of a monk; disregards strict monastic rules. Key clue: A religious man who prefers hunting and fine living to studying and prayer.

The Friar (Hubert)

Physical traits: His exact physical appearance is less important than his cheerful, sociable manner. Good qualities: Charming, persuasive, sociable, and skilled at singing. Bad qualities: Corrupt and self-serving; accepts money for religious services, prefers wealthy people, and uses his position for personal gain. Key clue: “And certainly his voice was gay and sturdy, / For he sang well and played the hurdy-gurdy.” He is associated with the hurdy-gurdy.

The Merchant

Physical traits: Has a forked beard and is fashionably dressed; presents himself as a successful businessman. Good qualities: Appears confident and knowledgeable about trade. Bad qualities: Secretly in debt despite presenting himself as wealthy and successful. Key clue: Talks about profits, trade, and business while concealing his financial problems.

The Oxford Cleric / Clerk

Physical traits: Thin, poorly dressed in threadbare clothes, and rides a thin horse. Good qualities: Intelligent, serious, quiet, devoted to learning, and eager to study; spends what little money he has on books. Bad qualities: Has little practical wealth or worldly success, though this is not presented as a moral failing. Key clue: The poor student who would rather have books than fine clothes or money. Correct name: Clerk, also called the Oxford Cleric—not simply “Scholar.”

The Sergeant at Law / Man of Law

Physical traits: His appearance is not strongly emphasized; he is dressed appropriately for his professional status. Good qualities: Highly learned, experienced, knowledgeable about the law, and respected. Bad qualities: Appears busier and more important than he may actually be; represents professional self-importance. Key clue: A lawyer who knows legal cases and judgments extremely well.

The Parson

Physical traits: His appearance and clothing reflect his poverty; he is not elaborately dressed. Good qualities: Genuinely holy, patient, charitable, humble, and devoted to helping his parishioners; practices what he preaches and gives to the poor. Bad qualities: No major moral flaws are emphasized. Key clue: A poor but truly virtuous clergyman who leads by example, unlike the corrupt religious figures.

The Plowman

Physical traits: A hardworking laborer who wears simple, practical clothing. Good qualities: Honest, hardworking, charitable, faithful, and willing to help others; pays his dues and loves God sincerely. Bad qualities: No major moral flaws are emphasized. Key clue: The Parson’s brother, who represents virtue and goodness among ordinary working people.

The Miller

Physical traits: Huge and strong, with a red beard, a wart on his nose with hairs growing from it, a wide mouth, and a loud presence. Good qualities: Strong, physically capable, and skilled at his trade. Bad qualities: Dishonest; cheats customers and steals grain. Key clue: Plays the bagpipes and is associated with the red beard, hairy wart, and enormous strength.

The Manciple

Physical traits: His appearance is not strongly emphasized. Good qualities: Practical, financially clever, and surprisingly intelligent at managing purchases; can outsmart educated people. Bad qualities: His cleverness is primarily used for his own advantage rather than intellectual or moral excellence. Key clue: Buys supplies for a legal institution and is more financially savvy than the educated lawyers he serves.

The Reeve

Physical traits: Extremely thin, with closely cropped hair; has long, lean legs and an angular appearance. Good qualities: Efficient, knowledgeable, observant, and skilled at managing an estate. Bad qualities: Secretly steals from his master and uses his position for personal gain. Key clue: A thin estate manager who knows how much grain and livestock an estate should produce and can catch others’ dishonesty.

The Summoner

Physical traits: Has a frightening, diseased-looking face with red or inflamed skin, scabs, and few hairs; his appearance can frighten children. Good qualities: He has an official role in the church courts, but the description emphasizes his corruption rather than his virtues. Bad qualities: Takes bribes, abuses his authority, and intimidates people. He is associated with garlic, onions, and strong wine. Key clue: The corrupt church official with the diseased face who takes bribes and is described as frightening or avoided.

The Pardoner

Physical traits: Has long, thin, yellow-blond hair, a high or unusual voice, and a smooth, nearly beardless face. Good qualities: Persuasive and skilled at delivering sermons and convincing people. Bad qualities: Sells fake relics and exploits people’s religious faith for money; is greedy and hypocritical. Key clue: The religious salesman who uses fake relics and false claims to profit from people. Important distinction: The red, scabby face belongs to the Summoner, not the Pardoner.

The Franklin

Physical traits: Has a reddish or sanguine complexion and a white beard; is associated with food and drink. Good qualities: Generous, hospitable, cheerful, and welcoming; keeps a well-stocked home and enjoys hosting guests. Bad qualities: Self-indulgent and excessively fond of food and wine. Key clue: A prosperous landowner whose house seems always prepared for a feast.

The Guildsmen

Physical traits: A group consisting of the Haberdasher, Dyer, Carpenter, Weaver, and Carpet-maker; they dress in matching, fine-looking clothing and display signs of prosperity. Good qualities: Skilled craftspeople, successful workers, and socially ambitious. Bad qualities: Their concern with status and respectability may reflect pride and a desire for social advancement. Key clue: Five tradesmen who wear matching clothing and represent the rising middle class.

The Cook

Physical traits: Has an ulcer or open sore on his shin. Good qualities: Skilled at cooking and preparing dishes such as blancmange. Bad qualities: His sore raises concerns about cleanliness and food preparation. Key clue: The cook with a sore on his leg who is praised for his cooking ability.

The Skipper / Shipman

Physical traits: Has a weather-beaten, brown complexion; wears rough clothing and carries a dagger. Good qualities: Experienced sailor, skilled navigator, and knowledgeable about the sea. Bad qualities: Steals wine while transporting it and shows little concern for conventional morality. Key clue: A tough, experienced sailor who can navigate well but behaves dishonestly.

The Doctor of Physic

Physical traits: His exact physical traits are less important than his rich clothing and professional appearance. Good qualities: Knowledgeable about medicine, astronomy, and medical theory; skilled at diagnosing illnesses. Bad qualities: Loves gold and profit; his financial motives influence his medical practice. Key clue: A learned physician who knows medical authorities and is especially fond of gold.

The Wife of Bath

Physical traits: Has a gap between her front teeth, wears red stockings and elaborate head coverings, and is deaf in one ear. Good qualities: Confident, experienced, independent, outspoken, skilled at cloth-making, and well-traveled. Bad qualities: Can be domineering in relationships and is strongly associated with controlling her husbands. Key clue: Has been married five times and challenges traditional expectations of women; associated with experience, marriage, and female authority.

The Host (Harry Bailly)

Physical traits: A large, robust, cheerful-looking innkeeper; his physical presence and lively personality stand out. Good qualities: Sociable, energetic, practical, and good at organizing people. Bad qualities: Can be bossy and controlling when directing the group. Key clue: The innkeeper of the Tabard who proposes the storytelling contest and serves as its guide and judge.

The Narrator / Chaucer the Pilgrim

Physical traits: Few distinctive physical details are emphasized in the General Prologue. Good qualities: Observant, polite, and interested in describing the other pilgrims. Bad qualities: As a character, he can seem naïve or overly accepting of what he sees. Key clue: The narrator who describes the pilgrims. Distinction: Chaucer the Pilgrim is the narrator-character, while Chaucer the Poet uses irony and satire to expose flaws in society.