Chaucers Pilgrims

Occupation: Noble warrior
Attributes:Exemplifies chivalry, honor, and truth.Experienced in many battles and crusades.Modest and humble despite his achievements.Wears a stained tunic, showing practicality over vanity.

The Knight

Occupation: Knight-in-training (son of the Knight)
Attributes:Youthful, about 20 years old.Curly-haired, handsome, and strong.Talented in music, poetry, and horsemanship.Dresses flamboyantly with embroidered clothing.Passionate and lovesick, stays up all night.

The Squire

Occupation: Servant to the Knight and Squire
Attributes:Wears a green hooded coat.Carries a bow and arrows, a shield, a sword, and a dagger.Skilled in woodcraft and archery.Wears a St. Christopher medal.

The Yeoman

Occupation: Head of a convent (nun)
Attributes:Graceful and well-mannered.Speaks French (though not the Parisian dialect).Compassionate towards animals, owns small dogs.Wears a brooch inscribed with "Amor Vincit Omnia" (Love Conquers All).Has an elegant appearance with a broad forehead.

The Prioress (Madame Eglantine)

Occupation: Clergyman who enjoys hunting
Attributes:Bald, fat, and personable.Prefers modern ways over traditional monastic rules.Enjoys fine foods and luxurious clothing.Wears a fur-trimmed cloak and a gold pin.

The Monk

Occupation: Traveling preacher who hears confessions
Attributes:Jolly and smooth-talking.Gives easy penances in exchange for gifts.Associates with the wealthy instead of the poor.Skilled at singing and playing the hurdy-gurdy.Wears expensive clothing.

The Friar (Huberd)

Occupation: Trader and businessman
Attributes:Forked beard and motley dress.Wears a Flemish beaver hat and daintily buckled boots.Appears prosperous but is secretly in debt.Shrewd and opinionated about commerce and trade.

The Merchant

Occupation: Student of philosophy
Attributes:Thin and serious-looking.Wears threadbare clothes.Loves books and learning over worldly pleasures.Speaks little but wisely.

The Clerk (Cleric) of Oxford

Occupation: High-ranking lawyer
Attributes:Wise, discreet, and well-respected.Knows all the statutes by heart.Appears busier than he actually is.Dresses in a multicolored coat.

The Man of Law (Sergeant at Law)

Occupation: Wealthy landowner
Attributes:White beard and rosy complexion.Epicurean who loves fine food and drink.Generous host, keeps his house open to all.Has served as a justice of the peace and sheriff.

The Franklin

Members: Haberdasher, Dyer, Carpenter, Weaver, Tapestry-Maker
Attributes:Belong to the same guild fraternity.Well-dressed with silver-mounted gear.Ambitious and aspire to be aldermen.Their wives push them to achieve higher status.

The Guildsmen

Occupation: Ship captain
Attributes:From Dartmouth.Tan and weathered from years at sea.Wears a dagger around his neck.Lacks morals; steals wine from traders.Skilled navigator familiar with sea routes

The Shipman (Skipper)

Occupation: Medical doctor
Attributes:Knowledgeable in medicine, surgery, and astronomy.Bases treatments on the humors and stars.Wears red and blue garments lined with taffeta.Loves gold, which he believes stimulates the heart.Not particularly religious.

The Physician (Doctor)

Occupation: Cloth-maker
Attributes:Somewhat deaf, gap-toothed, and has wide hips.Wears fine clothing, including red stockings.Has been married five times.Well-traveled; has been on several pilgrimages.Bold, assertive, and knowledgeable about love.

The Wife of Bath (Alisoun)

Occupation: Country priest
Attributes:Poor in wealth but rich in holiness.Lives by the Gospel and teaches by example.Kind, patient, and diligent.Gives to the poor despite his own poverty.Refuses to excommunicate parishioners for not paying tithes.

The Parson

Occupation: Farmer (brother of the Parson)
Attributes:Honest and hardworking.Loves God and his neighbor.Wears a simple tunic.Helps the poor without expecting payment.Represents the ideal Christian layman.

The Plowman

Occupation: Grain miller
Attributes:Large and strong with a red beard.Has a wart on his nose with red hairs.Enjoys bawdy jokes and wrestling.Plays the bagpipes.Cheats customers by pressing his thumb on the scales.

The Miller

Occupation: Purchasing agent for a law school
Attributes:Illiterate but smarter than the educated lawyers he serves.Shrewd in buying provisions.Debt-free and financially savvy.Manages to outpace others despite his lack of formal education.

The Manciple

Occupation: Estate manager
Attributes:Old, choleric, and thin.Short beard and hair cut close to his ears.Skilled carpenter.Feared by those beneath him due to his temper.Rides a sturdy gray horse named Scot.Wears a long blue overcoat.

The Reeve (Oswald)

Occupation: Church court summoner
Attributes:Red-faced with pimples and boils.Loves garlic, onions, and strong wine.Speaks Latin phrases when drunk.Accepts bribes to overlook sins.Children are afraid of his appearance.

The Summoner

Occupation: Seller of church indulgences
Attributes:Long, greasy, yellow hair and bulging eyes.Wears no hood, only a cap.Carries fake relics to sell to the gullible.Good at preaching but does so for personal gain.Sings loudly during church services.

The Pardoner

Occupation: Owner of the Tabard Inn
Attributes:Large, jovial, and tactful.Proposes the storytelling contest.Acts as the group's leader and judge.Diplomatic and manages the group dynamics.

The Host (Harry Bailey)

Occupation: Poet and pilgrim
Attributes:Observant and somewhat naïve.Claims to be unbiased in his descriptions.Often uses irony and understatement.Participates in the pilgrimage and tells two tales.

Chaucer (the narrator)

Occupation: Servant to a canon (clergyman)
Attributes:Joins the group later in the journey.Wears a white coat and hood.Reveals the fraudulent activities of his master.Discusses the futility of alchemy.

The Canon's Yeoman

Occupation: Nun accompanying the Prioress
Attributes:Devout and pious.Tells a saint's life tale about St. Cecilia.Focuses on themes of chastity and faith.

The Second Nun

Occupation: Priest accompanying the Prioress
Attributes:Not extensively described in the General Prologue.Tells "The Nun's Priest's Tale," a fable involving animals.Wise and eloquent storyteller.

The Nun's Priest

Occupation: Priests accompanying the Prioress
Attributes:Mentioned briefly.Little detail is provided about them individually.

The Three Priests

Attributes:
Not pilgrims themselves but influence their husbands.
Enjoy social recognition and being called "Madam".
Encourage their husbands to rise in society.

The Guildsmen's Wives

Occupation: Professional chef
Attributes:Skilled in preparing tasty dishes.Has an ulcer on his knee.Known for his creamy chicken dish (blancmange).His hygiene is questionable due to his ailment.

The Cook