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Geoffrey Chaucer was an English poet, writer and philosopher who lived between 1343-1400. He is best known as the author of The Canterbury Tales which is considered one of the greatest poetic works in English. He also contributed importantly during the second half of the 14th century to the management of public affairs as courtier, diplomat, and civil servant.

Geoffrey Chaucer was born in London between 1340 and 1345. His father was a prosperous wine merchant. He became a public servant to countess Elizabeth of Ulster in 1357 and continued in that capacity with the British court throughout his lifetime. Chaucer maintained a career in the civil service as a bureaucrat, courtier, diplomat, and member of parliament.

He gained fame as a philosopher and astronomer, composing the scientific Treatise on the astrolabe for his 10-year-old son Lewis. Chaucer is best known as the author of The Canterbury Tales, considered one of the greatest poetic works in English. Some of his other notable works include The Book of the Duchess, The House of Fame, The Legend of Good Women, and Troilus and Criseyde.

Chaucer's works are considered to have had a significant influence on English literature. His works were written in Middle English and helped to establish the language as a literary language. Chaucer's writing style was also influential in the development of English literature. He was one of the first writers to use vernacular English in his works, which helped to make literature more accessible to the general public. Chaucer's use of humor and satire also influenced later writers such as William Shakespeare.

Geoffrey Chaucer's literary career is divided into three major periods: The French, The Italian and The English.

In his French period, he translated the French works like The Roman de la Rose as The Romaunt of the Rose. He wrote The Book of the Duchess.

In his Italian period, he wrote The House of Fame, Anelida and Arcite, and The Parliament of Fowls.

In his English period, he wrote The Canterbury Tales.

The General Prologue: An Introduction

The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales is a poem by Geoffrey Chaucer that introduces a group of pilgrims who are going to Canterbury to visit the shrine of St. Thomas Becket. Chaucer begins with a description of springtime when people desire to go on pilgrimages. He also expresses his satirical view on the society and the church of his time. The General Prologue is the first part of The Canterbury Tales written by Geoffrey Chaucer. It starts at a tavern outside London where a group of pilgrims are present there to prepare for their journey to the shrine of St. Thomas Becket in Canterbury.

Prologue: An Introduction

The General Prologue to the Canterbury Tales is a long narrative poem written in verse. It is the introductory part of the main poem and begins with the description of the place around and the seasonal changes. Then the narrator starts to describe all the pilgrims individually who are going to Saint Thomas Becket's tomb.

The General Prologue establishes the frame for the Tales as a whole (or of the intended whole) and introduces the characters/storytellers. These are introduced in the order of their rank in accordance with the three medieval social estates (clergy, nobility, and commoners and peasantry). These characters are also representative of their estates and models with which the others in the same estate can be compared and contrasted.

Prologue as a Narrative Verse

➤ The general Prologue to the Canterbury Tales is written in rhyming couplets with every two lines rhyming with each other. Though they are divided into stanzas, it is structured with the lines of iambic pentameter, with five pairs of unstressed and stressed syllables.

➤ The narrator opens the General Prologue with a description of the return of spring. Chaucer explores various social conditions of his period and the manners of people in 'The Canterbury Tales: General Prologue'. The poem explores the ugly truth of life in all aspects of society.

Characters

The General Prologue describes a group of pilgrims who are traveling to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket in Canterbury. The characters are divided into three social groups: the military, the clergy, and the lalty. Some of the characters are:

1. The Narrator, who tells the stories of the pilgrims and their journey.

2. The Host, who proposes the storytelling contest and acts as a judge and guide.

3. The Knight, a noble and chivalrous warrior who has fought in many battles.

4. The Squire, the Knight's son and a young lover who is skilled in music and poetry.

5. The Prioress, a nun who is very refined and courteous, but also sentimental and worldly.

Characters

1. The Monk, who is fat and enjoys hunting.

2. The Friar, who is jolly and likes to hang out with rich people.

3. The Merchant, who is wealthy but in debt.

4. The Clerk, who is poor but very learned.

5. The man of Law, who is very busy but also very wise.

6. The Franklin, who is wealthy and enjoys good food and wine.

7. The Haberdasher, carpenter, weaver, dyer, and tapestry-maker (the "Five Guildsmen"), who are all skilled craftsmen.

8. The Cook, who is very good at his job but has an open sore on his leg.

General Prologue: Summary

The General Prologue is the introduction to The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer.

It sets the scene for the pilgrims journey from London to Canterbury, where they will visit the shrine of St. Thomas Becket.

 Chaucer, the narrator, joins the group of diverse and colorful characters and describes their appearance, personality, and social status.

 The prologue also announces the storytelling contest that will take place among the pilgrims.

➤ The frame story of the poem, as set out in the 858 lines of middle English which constitutes the General Prologue, is about a religious pilgrimage.

> The narrator, Geoffrey Chaucer, is in The Tabard Inn in Southwark, where he meets a group of sundry folk' who are all on the way to Canterbury, the site of the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket, a martyr reputed to have the power of healing the sinful.

The setting is April, and the prologue starts by singing the praises of that month whose rains and warm western wind restore life and fertility to the Earth and its inhabitants.

> This abundance of life, the narrator says, prompts people to go on pilgrimages; in England, the goal of such pilgrimages is the shrine of Thomas Becket.

➤ The narrator falls in with a group of pilgrims, and the largest part of the prologue is taken up by a description of them; Chaucer seeks to describe their 'condition', their 'array', and their social 'degree'. The narrator expresses admiration and praise towards the pilgrims' abilitles

➤ The pilgrims include a knight; his son, a squire; the knight's yeoman; a prioress, accompanied by a nun and the nun's priest; a monk; a friar; a merchant; a clerk; a sergeant of law; a franklin; a haberdasher, a carpenter, a weaver; a dyer; a tapestry weaver; a cook; a shipman; a doctor of physic; a wife of Bath; a parson and his brother, a plowman; a miller; a manciple; a reeve; a summoner; a pardoner; the Host (a man called Harry Bailey); and Chaucer himself.

➤ At the end of this section, the host proposes that the group ride together and entertain one another with stories.

➤ He lays out his plan: each pilgrim will tell two stories on the way to Canterbury and two on the way back.

➤ Whoever has told the most meaningful and comforting stories, with "the best sentence and moost solaas" (line 798) will receive a free meal paid for by the rest of the pilgrims upon their return.

The General Prologue sets the stage for the Tales as a whole and introduces the characters/storytellers. The characters are introduced in the order of their rank in accordance with the three medieval social estates (clergy, nobility, and commoners and peasantry). These characters are also representative of their estates and models with which the others in the same estate can be compared and contrasted.

The structure of the general prologue is also intimately linked with the narrative style of the tales. As the narrative voice has been under critical scrutiny for some time, so too has the identity of the narrator himself. Though fierce debate has taken place on both sides, most contemporary scholars believe that the narrator is meant to be Chaucer himself to some degree. Some scholars claim that the narrator is Geoffrey Chaucer in person. Others contest that the narrator is instead a literary creation like the other pilgrims in the tales.

Chaucer makes use of his extensive literary and linguistic knowledge in the General Prologue by interplaying Latin, French, and English words against each other. French was considered a hierarchal, courtly, and aristocratic language during the Middle Ages, whereas Latin was the language of learning. The opening lines of The Canterbury Tales show a diversity of phrasing by including words of French origin like "droghte," "veyne," and "licour" alongside English terms for nature: "roote," "holt and heeth," and "croppes."

General Prologue: Analysis

➤ The General Prologue begins with a description of April showers and the return of spring.

➤ "When April with his sweet showers has pierced the drought of March to the root," he writes, describing the blooming flowers and singing birds.

➤ The sun has passed through the second half of the zodiacal sign Aries, the "Ram."

Springtime is also the time when people desire to go on pilgrimage, and travelers from all corners of England make their way to Canterbury Cathedral to seek the help of the blessed martyr.

 Chaucer, the narrator, is preparing to go on pilgrimage and is staying at the Tabard Inn, a tavern in Southwark. A diverse company of twenty-nine other pilgrims enter the inn, and the narrator joins their group. The diversity of the company traveling to Canterbury emphasizes that people from all levels of medieval society take the same journey.

The narrator and the other pilgrims drink and decide they will start their journey together the next morning. Before they begin, the narrator pauses the story to introduce the reader to the array of travelers in the company, saying that he will describe how each one of them seemed to him. Not only does the narrator of the story become one of the characters in it, but he also makes the reader aware of his presence as an author: these are his individual perceptions and judgments of appearance.

➤ Chaucer, the narrator, who is preparing to go on pilgrimage, is staying at the Tabard Inn, a tavern in Southwark. Later, he joins a diverse company of twenty-nine other pilgrims.

➤ The narrator and the other pilgrims drink and decide to start their journey the next morning. But before all the pilgrims begin their journey, Chaucer introduces all the pilgrims and their appearances and traits.

➤ The narrator begins by describing the Knight, a noble man who loves chivalry and fights for truth and honor. The knight has travelled through Christian and heathen territories-Alexandria, Prussia, Russia, Lithuania, Granada, Morocco, Turkey-and has been victorious everywhere and universally praised for his valor. But his exploits are always conducted for love of Christ, not love of glory.

➤ The narrator is sincere in his description of the Knight as a noble, chivalrous man, determined to fight for the glory of God and always victorious. Unlike many of Chaucer's portraits, which satirize the figure being shown, Chaucer is genuine in his praise for the Knight.

➤ In addition to being worthy and brave, says the narrator, the Knight is modest and meek as a maid. He never speaks ill of anyone. He wears modest clothes, and his mail is stained with rust. The Knight's stained, modest clothes show that he truly fights well and is not showy or vain.

➤ The narrator next describes the Knight's son, the Squire, who is a lively and lusty young knight in training. The Squire has curled hair and, though only of moderate height, is marvelously agile. He has taken part in chivalric expeditions in Flanders and northern France.

➤ The Squire is not yet as noble and experienced as his father: though he is learning all the proper ways to be a good knight, he is still youthful and somewhat vain.

➤ Unlike the Knight, who dresses modestly so as not to show off, the young Squire wears elaborately decorated clothing that reveals him as a lusty youth as well as a fighter. He displays all the skills of a courtly lover. But although the Squire is a bit vain, he does always act in accordance with his social position.

➤ The Squire, says the narrator, wants to find favor with his lady. His tunic is embroidered with flowers, as if he had gathered a meadow and sewn it to his clothes, and his gown is short with wide sleeves. The Squire is constantly singing and playing the flute. He can also joust, dance, draw, and write well. The Squire is so passionately in love that he sleeps no more than a nightingale. He is always courteous, humble, and modest.

➤ The only servant the Knight has with him is the Yeoman, who wears a green hood and a coat. The Yeoman takes great care of his bow and sharp, keen peacock arrows. He has closely cropped hair and tanned skin. On his arm he wears a bright arm guard and carried a sword as well as a dagger. The Yeoman also wears a badge of St. Christopher. The narrator guesses that, according to the Yeoman's dress, he is a forester.

➤ Even though the Knight is noble, he is shown as humble, as befits a good knight, because he only travels with one servant. The fact that he has a Yeoman also shows that the Knight owns land because he needs a forester to maintain it.

➤ The narrator next describes the Prioress, a nun named Madame Eglantine. She sings the liturgy through her nose. She speaks French elegantly, though in an English accent.

➤ She has excellent table manners: she never lets a morsel of meat fall from her mouth onto her breast, nor does she dip her fingers into the sauce. She wipes her lips so clean that not a speck of grease remains after a meal. The Prioress takes pains to imitate courtly manners and to remain dignified at all times.

➤ The narrator's fawning description of the Prioress is mocking, emphasizing her fastidious airs and her affected mannerisms. She believes she sings well, but she intones in straight through her nose. The fact that the Prioress speaks French shows her desire to adopt the behaviors of a noble lady, since French was the language of the court.

➤ The Prioress is so charitable and compassionate, the narrator says, that whenever she sees a mouse caught and bleeding in a trap, she weeps. She keeps small dogs, feeding them roast meat, milk, and fine white bread, and she weeps if any of them are trampled or if men beat them with a switch.

➤ The narrator sarcastically portrays the Prioress as a wimp, squealing every time she sees a dead mouse. In the name of her compassion, she also spoils her little pet dogs.

➤ The Prioress wears a wimple draped to show off her well-formed nose, gray eyes, and small red mouth. The narrator observes that she has a wide forehead and that she is hardly underfed. Her cloak is very elegant. She wears a coral rosary with green beads, on which there is a gilded A, for Amor vinic omnia: "Love conquers all."

➤ The Prioress pretends to be dainty, but the narrator sardonically observes that she is a rather large woman, which explains why he knows her table manners so well. Her fancy rosary suggests that the Prioress is more devoted to earthly possessions than to Christ.

➤ The narrator notes that a second nun rides with the Prioress as well as a chaplain and three priests; however, these characters are only mentioned in passing in the General Prologue.

➤ Although only mentioned in passing here, the Second Nun and one of the Nun's Priests later tell their own tales.

Next there comes a handsome Monk who conducts business outside the monastery. When he rides through the country, men can hear his bridle jingling as loud as the chapel bell. This monk is of the old, somewhat strict Benedictine order, but he lets the old ideas pass away to follow new customs.

➤ The Monk scoffs at the notion that monks cannot be holy if they go hunting and scorns the text that claims that a monk out of his cloister is not worth an oyster. The narrator claims to agree: why waste away indoors, and do as Augustine ordained? Let Augustine do his own work!

➤ The narrator satirises the contemporary non-devout life of monks through his portrait of the jolly huntsman. By pretending to agree that monks should abandon the commands of their orders and go hunting instead of studying in cloisters, the narrator mocks the corruption he sees in medieval monasteries.

➤ The Monk is a good horseman and rides along with a pack of swift greyhounds. His sleeves are trimmed with expensive squirrel fur, and his hood is fastened with a gold pin into an elaborate knot. His head is bald, and his face glows as if he had been rubbed with oil. He is a plump, lively man whose eyes gleam like fire under a cauldron.

➤ The plump, Robust Monk resembles a prosperous lord rather than a scholar who spends his days pouring over his books. Instead of dressing in modest, pious attire, the Monk wears fine furs and shows off his material wealth.

The Merry, wanton Friar is licensed to beg in a certain district. Of all the orders of Friars, his is the most inclined to gossip. The Friar has arranged and paid for many marriages of young ladies. He is well known to all the rich landowners and wealthy women in town, as he has full powers of confession and could absolve any sins sweetly and pleasantly. Many a man is so hard of heart, says the narrator, that he cannot weep for his sins: instead of tears and prayers, these men give silver to poor friars.

➤ Medieval friars were mendicants: they took a vow of poverty, were not allowed to work, and had to rely on the charity of others for their livelihood. Arranging young ladies' marriages suggests that the Friar did so because he first made the women pregnant. The wily Friar hears the confessions of the wealthy landowners and gives them easy penance to make more money, twisting the spiritual intention of his office to his own material well-being.

➤ The Man of Laws is a wise and prudent legal expert who is highly respected and sought after for his legal assistance. He is an excellent buyer of land, and no one could ever find a flaw in his legal documents. The Man of Laws is extremely busy and pretends to be even busier than he is. He is a social climber, a hard worker attempting to climb up the ranks through skill and networking.

➤ Next in the company comes the Franklin, a white-bearded, cheerful landowner whose main goal in life is pleasure and delight. He gives such elaborate meals that it seems to snow meat and drink in his house. The food changes with the seasons, but it is always abundant. A franklin, or gentleman landowner, was expected to provide generous meals and entertainment in medieval society. His actions are in line with the Greek philosopher Epicurus, who said that happiness comes through pleasure.

➤ Five guildsmen are among the company: a Haberdasher, a Carpenter, a Weaver, a Dyer, and a Tapestry-Maker. They are dressed well with brightly polished belts and knives. Any one of them could have been an alderman as their wives would agree. The guildsmen only appear in the General Prologue. Even though they fancy themselves to be important town personages, the narrator does not give them individual personalities, and they don't tell their own tales.

➤ The guildsmen hired a Cook for the journey. The Cook, Roger de Ware, is very skillful but the narrator is repulsed by the pus-filled ulcer on his shin. Roger de Ware is one of several pilgrims in the Tales who is based on a real person.

General Prologue to Canterbury Tales: An Introduction to All Characters/Pilgrims

The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

• The Canterbury Talex is a collection of stories; it is a snapshot, a picture frozen in time, of life in the Middle Ages. To include the complete range of medieval society in the same picture. Chaucer places his characters on a pilgrimage, a religious journey made to a shrine or holy place. These pilgrims, like a collection of people on tour today, are from many stations and stages of life. Together they travel from London to the shrine of the martyr Saint Thomas à Becker at Camerbury Cathedral, about fifty-five miles to the southeast.

The General Prologue of "The Canterbury Tales" by Geoffrey Chaucer provides an exquisite description of all the pilgrims who are on a religious pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral. The narrator describes each pligrimin detall and provides a vivid picture of their appearance, dress, and character.

The General Prologue is the first part of The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. It Introduces the setting and the characters of the play, which are a group of pilgrims who meet at a tavern named Tabard Inn outside London. They are going to visit the shrine of St. Thomas Becket in Canterbury. The Host of the tavern proposes a story-telling contest among the pilgrims, in which each one will tell four stories, two on the way to Canterbury and two on the way back.

Classification of the Characters in General Prologue

➤ The characters in the General Prologue to the Canterbury Tales are classified into three social groups: the military, the clergy, and the laity. Some of the characters are:

The narrator, who tells the stories of the pilgrims and their journey.

The host, who proposes the storytelling contest and acts as a judge and guide.

The knight, a noble and chivalrous warrior who has fought in many battles.

The squire, the knight's son and a young lover who is skilled in music and poetry.

The prioress, a nun who is very refined and courteous, but also sentimental and worldly.

Use of Direct and Indirect Characterisation

➤ Chaucer uses both direct and indirect characterisation to introduce the characters in "The Prologue" of Canterbury Tales.

➤ Direct characterisation presents a character's personalities directly. For example, Chaucer's statement that "the knight followed chivalry, truth/honor..."1

➤ Indirect characterisation presents a character's personalities indirectly through their actions or thoughts. For example, Chaucer describes how the Squire dresses nicely which indicates that he is vain.

Characters in General Prologue

Chaucer Himself

The narrator of the Canterbury Tales is Chaucer himself. He makes it clear that he is also a character in his book. Although he is called Chaucer, we should be wary of accepting his words and opinions as Chaucer's own. In the General Prologue, the narrator presents himself as a gregarious and naïve character. Later on, the host accuses him of being silent and sullen. Because the narrator writes down his impressions of the pilgrims from memory, whom he does and does not like, and what he chooses and chooses not to remember about the characters, tells us as much about the narrator's own prejudices as it does about the characters themselves.

The Knight

* The Knight is the first pilgrim Chaucer describes in the General Prologue and the teller of the first tale. He represents the ideal of a medieval Christian man-at-arms. He has participated in no less than fifteen of the great crusades of his era. The narrator greatly admires him for being brave, experienced, and prudent.

The Squire

The Squire is the Knight's son, a young man of about twenty, who is training to follow in his father's footsteps. Unlike the Knight, a dignified and sincere veteran of the crusades, the Squire is far more focused on courtly love and romance than war, likely because of his age and relative inexperience. He dresses lavishly, sings, and rides well, necessary traits for the Medieval bachelor.

The Yeoman

* The servant who accompanies the Knight and the Squire. The narrator mentions that his dress and weapons suggest he may be a forester.

The Host

The leader of the group, the Host is large, loud, and merry, although he possesses a quick temper. He mediates among the pilgrims and facilitates the flow of the tales. His title of "host" may be a pun, suggesting both an innkeeper and the Eucharist, or Holy Host.

The Wife of Bath

Bath is an English town on the Avon River, not the name of this woman's husband. Though she is a seamstress by occupation, she seems to be a professional wife. She has been married five times and had many other affairs in her youth, making her well practiced in the art of love. She presents herself as someone who loves marriage and sex, but from what we see of her, she also takes pleasure in rich attire, talking, and arguing. She is deaf in one ear and has a gap between her front teeth, which was considered attractive in Chaucer's time. She has traveled on pilgrimages to Jerusalem three times and elsewhere in Europe as well.

The Clerk

The Clerk is a student from Oxford University. He is thin and wears threadbare clothes. He values books more than fine clothes or money. Although he is a philosopher, he has not found the philosopher's stone. He spends what little money he has on books and takes his studies very seriously. Whenever he speaks, his speech is full of moral virtue. The narrator seems to be satirizing the stereotype of the poor scholar who spends all his money on books rather than on practicalities like food and clothing. However, the narrator also seems to admire the student's love for knowledge.

The Pardoner

* Pardoners granted papal indulgences-reprieves from penance in exchange for charitable donations to the Church. Many pardoners, including this one, collected profits for themselves. In fact, Chaucer's Pardoner excels in fraud, carrying a bag full of fake relics-for example, he claims to have the veil of the Virgin Mary. The Pardoner has long, greasy, yellow hair and is beardless. These characteristics were associated with shiftiness and gender ambiguity in Chaucer's time. The Pardoner also has a gift for singing and preaching whenever he finds himself inside a church.

The Prioress

■ Described as modest and quiet, this Prioress (a nun who is head of her convent) aspires to have exquisite taste. Her table manners are dainty, she knows French (though not the French of the court), she dresses well, and she is charitable and compassionate.

The Monk

Most monks of the middle ages lived in monasteries according to the Rule of Saint Benedict, which demanded that they devote their lives to "work and prayer." This Monk cares little for the rule; his devotion is to hunting and eating. He is large, loud, and well clad in hunting boots and furs.

 The Miller

■ The Miller is one of the pilgrims on the trip to Canterbury in Geoffrey Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales". He is a large, brawny man known for his prowess as a wrestler. Chaucer says that because of the Miller's strength and temperament, he always wins when he participates in wrestling matches on festival days. The Miller's physical stature fits his story, which is uncouth and, for many, obscene. He is also a cheat, taking more money for the grain he grinds than is fair.

Themes and Style of the General Prologue

The Canterbury Tales is a frame story by Geoffrey Chaucer, written in Middle English between 1387 and 1400. The framing device for the collection of stories is a pilgrimage to the shrine of Thomas Becket in Canterbury. Kent. The 30 pilgrims who undertake the journey gather at the Tabard Inn in Southwark, across the Thames from London. They agree to engage in a storytelling contest as they travel, and Harry Bailly, host of the Tabard, serves as master of ceremonies for the contest. Most of the pilgrims are introduced by vivid brief sketches in the "General Prologue."

Themes in Chaucer's the General Prologue to Canterbury Tales

'Theme' is a central idea present in a literary piece. It serves as an essential ingredient that makes a story appealing and persuasive. Themes in The Canterbury Tales, a superb work of Geoffrey Chaucer is diverse and unique. Not only they deal with the dilemma of class and deception, but also show immoral and corrupt standards of the church in early 14th century. Some of the major themes in The Canterbury Tales have been discussed.

Theme of Social Satire

►Social Satire

Social satire is the major theme of The Canterbury Tales. The medieval society was set on three foundations: the nobility, the church, and the peasantry. Chaucer's satire targets all segments ents of medieval social issues, human immorality, and depraved heart. For example, he exposes each social layer of his pilgrims and beautifully illustrates how they fail to fulfill their actual duties.

Themes of Courtly Love

► Courtly Love

Courtly love in the medieval setup is something noble and spiritual that does not mean to be achieved physically, the insightful description of the squire, a young knight, possesses all the ornaments of courtly love. He sings, writes, plays flutes, maintains his physical appearance, and burns with a passion that keeps him awake.

Theme of Ecclesiastical Corruption

► Corruption in Church

The idea of corruption also upholds thematic significance in The Canterbury Tales, because most of the characters associated with the church are not religious, pious or dutiful as they must be. The Pardoner's Tale is the best example of corruption. He is a medieval preacher assigned with the duty to collect money for holy purposes. He performs this duty and walks in the town with holy relics, preaches about the dangers of greed and raises money. However, the collection is not for a religious purpose; instead, he fills his own pocket.

Theme of Christianity

► Christianity

The thematic significance of Christianity can be marked by the fact that the tales take place in a religious setting where everyone is going on a religious pilgrimage. Most of the notable figures of the church; the Monk, the Nun, the Parson, and the Friar are detailed in the general prologue, representing distinct areas of the church of that time. Some of them are true worshipers of Christ, while the others are corrupt. Therefore, Chaucer has artistically painted the picture of the custodians of the church having spoiled the true spirit of Christianity.

Theme of Class

➤ Class or status is another notable theme in The Canterbury Tales. This theme is explored through the comparison of the people who belong to a better class with those who attempt to appear as upper class.

➤ Chaucer presented two diverse characters, the Prioress and the Parson in the prologue.

It is through these characters; he foreshadows the importance of status in medieval society.

Theme of Class

➤ The Prioress, a nun by profession, is seen as an up-to-date woman, concerned with her manner and behavior.

➤ In contrast, the Parson, a clergyman, acts and behaves keeping in mind his class and duties.

➤ Despite knowing her duties, the Nun tries to look wealthy, whereas the Parson is not obsessed to maintain his class.

➤ This class and class consciousness run deep into the tales told by different characters.

Theme of Company

► Company

The theme of a company in the general prologue is not only evident but also very strong. Pilgrims are going to visit the relics of Thomas Becket in the company of each other. Most of the pilgrims are guildsmen, members of a specific trade. Many of them belong to the church, but they also represent a group. Although they belong to different standards and classes, they stay in a group, sharing the same purpose.

Style of Canterbury Tales

There are various literary devices used in the General Prologue:

Symbols:

Springtime (the month of April): The springtime symboilses rebirth and fresh beginnings, and is thus appropriate for the beginning of Chaucer's text. It also combines pilgrims and people's love for travel and vacation, and spiritual renewal.

> Clothing:

It symbolises what lies beneath the surface of each personality: The Squire's youthful vanity is symbolised by the excessive floral brocade on his tunic. The Merchant's forked beard could symbolise his duplicity, at which Chaucer only hints.

Physiognomy:

Physiognomy plays a significant role in Chaucer's descriptions of the pilgrims in the General Prologue. The most exaggerated facial features are those of the peasants. The Miller represents the stereotypical peasant physiognomy most clearly: round and ruddy, with a wart on his nose. the Miller appears rough and therefore suited to rough, simple work. The Pardoner's glaring eyes and limp hair illustrate his fraudulence.

Genre:

Prologue as a frame narrative for the whole work where the Pilgrims act as storytellers.

Verse and Meter:

Chaucer developed a line of 10 syllables with alternating accent and regular end rhyme for The Canterbury Tales. This line is an ancestor of the heroic couplet and was probably Influenced by French syllable-counting in versification.

The Point-of-View:

The Canterbury Tales uses the first-person point of view in the Prologue, the frame narrative: Chaucer, the narrator, speaks from his own perspective on the events of the story contest and the pligrims who tell the tales.

Setting:

* The tales takes place in the late fourteenth century and depicts a time of significant social upheaval, Including the decline of chivalry, the emergence of the middle class, and rising criticism of the Church.

Portrayal of Society and Class-Structures in "Canterbury Tales"

➤ Literature mirrors the tendencies of the period in which it was written. In addition to that, there is inevitably a leading writer who becomes the representative of his time gives expression to its achievements and expectations, its success or deprivation in his literary works.

➤ Chaucer has also presented the achievements and expectations, success or deprivation of his time through his poem "The Canterbury Tales". Through the characters of all the classes, Chaucer portrays the vast range of contemporary society by making each character tell their own story. In this way, Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales" is not only the best social commentary of the age but also an authentic picture of fourteenth-century England.

➤ These religious men are not only materialistic but also deceitful, unethical, and corrupt3. For example, The prioress cares more about manners than sentiments and moderation. During Chaucer's time, nuns were not allowed to have any kind of pets, but the prioress has a pet dog on whom she showered a lot of love and even fed them flesh and bread. The Prioress is also very fond of jewelry. The rosary that she has is too embellished and her brooch is also made of gold. So, the prioress of "The Canterbury Tales" truthfully represents the prioress of 14th century England.

➤ An important characteristic of the Age of Chaucer is the Chivalric spirit. The qualities that include the Chivalric spirit are bravery, integrity, justice, being respectful to a lady and protecting her, etc. The Knight of "The Canterbury Tales" truly represents the chivalric spirit as he fought Fifteen Wars to defend his faith or religion. But during the age of Chaucer, the concept of chivalry is slowly changing. Chaucer presents the declining spirit of chivalry of the medieval period through the character of the Knight which was a combination of courage, love, and religion, on the other hand, Chaucer represented the growing spirit of chivalry through the character of the Squire, who was a man of free and easy. He has as much preference for pleasure as for the spirit of chivalry.

➤ Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales" is a social commentary on the religious conditions of 14th century England. Chaucer presents the ecclesiastical class through characters like The Monk, The Pardoner, the Clerk of Oxford, etc. Except for the Clerk of Oxford and the Parson, all the ecclesiastical characters represent the decaying religious conditions of the fourteenth century England 12. Chaucer demonstrates the idiocies, excessive desire for wealth, and all in all, impious behaviors of these religious men.

➤ These religious men are not only materialistic but also deceitful, unethical, and corrupt. For example, The Prioress cares more about manners than sentiments and moderation. During Chaucer's time, nuns were not allowed to have any kind of pets, but the prioress has a pet dog on whom she showered a lot of love and even fed them flesh and bread. The Prioress is also very fond of jewelry. The rosary that she has is too embellished and her brooch is also made of gold. So, The Prioress of "The Canterbury Tales" truthfully represents the prioress of 14th century England.

➤ Chaucer satirically presents another ecclesiastical character "The Monk" in "The Canterbury Tales". The Monk does not focus much on his religious work; instead, he is very fond of good food and expensive clothes. The Monk never fasts or refuses expensive things like gold pin and supple boots. So, like The Prioress, The Monk is also a truthful representation of his class.

➤ In the end, we can say that "The Canterbury Tales" gives us a rather realistic and substantial depiction of the socio-political conditions predominant in the Middle English Period. All the characters that Chaucer has presented in "The Canterbury Tales" represent different sections of society. Chaucer has not shown the reality in the poem as fragments but has shown it as a whole and for this reason; we can call "The Canterbury Tales" a complete social commentary of the age and a realistic picture of fourteenth-century England.