The Canterbury Tales
by Geoffrey Chaucer
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Plot Summary
- Cast of Characters
- An Analysis of Major Characters
- Symbols and Themes
-
Summary and Analysis
- The General Prologue
- 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' Tale
- The Tale of Sir Topas
- The Tale of Melibee
- The Monk's Tale
- The Nun's Priest's Tale
- The Second Nun's Tale
- The Canon Yeoman's Prologue and Tale
- The Manciple's Prologue and Tale
- The Parson's Tale
- Chaucer's Retraction
- Significant Quotations
- Key Facts
- Points to Ponder
- Discussion Questions
- Take The Quiz
- Further Reading
- Flashcards
- Biography of Geoffrey Chaucer
An Analysis of Major Characters
Analysis of Major Characters
The Knight
The Knight is introduced at the beginning of the General Prologue when he rides at the head of the pilgrim’s procession. He embodies the romantic ideals of the time period: chivalry, honor, fidelity, generosity, and courtesy. He has been a loyal and fierce fighter, having fought in at least 15 of the Crusades. The underlying religious ideal of the Crusades was that these religious wars were necessary in order to help establish Christian dominance. Therefore, he has fought and killed Muslims, and his fellow pilgrims honor him because of that. However, while the Knight may be a capable and skilled warrior, he is not a violent or boastful man. On the contrary, he appears to be gentle and somewhat humble. In fact, the Knight seems opposed to violence or any type of strife. He is also troubled by the stories of the tragic falls, preferring to hear happier tales. His own story if full of the type of chivalry and adventure that one would expect from a knight during his time period.
The Squire
The Squire is the Knight’s son. While the Knight is the embodiment of a heroic knight, the Squire is very typical of the hero in a courtly romance. He is very attractive and spends much of his time flirting and in the pursuit of love. These are not portrayed as frivolous traits, and the Narrator does not appear to look down upon the Squire because of this. On the contrary, the Squire is described as being a very capable warrior who has proven to be an asset to his father, the Knight, when they have gone into battle. However, it is critical to realize that the...
Sign up to continue reading An Analysis of Major Characters >