The prologue of the Canterbury Tales

Geoffrey Chaucer was a Prominent English poet before Shakespeare. He was the precursor of the Renaissance.

The Canterbury tale was one of his most famous and greatest epic works of English literature. Chaucer had a good educational background because of his better Economic conditions, unlike other poets whose literary themes were limited to religion, and moral Lessons.

On the way, they stay at a place called Tabard Inn. Then the host gives Suggestions for the telling Competition and its acceptance. Hence pilgrims gather and it is decided that the knight will begin with the first tale. In the introductory verses, the writer portrayed the weather conditions of that time.

It is the month of April, which is the beginning of the Spring Season, and different fruits are desperate to get ripened. And winter has completely gone by the end of the march. Consequently, different beautiful flowers are developing and their refreshing fragrance is spreading and making the environment refreshing… As a whole the beautiful environment is compelling the birds to sing melodies Songs.

 The birds are awake and fresh because the weather conditions are no more intense. The time is perfect to hang out, so friends are planning to go on pilgrimage and the young people are desperate to explore the unexplored parts of the Country especially the shrine of Sir Thomas which is well known in every corner of England.

Sir Thomas Sought martyrdom for the sake of the supreme of the poor and maltreated people. Therefore pilgrims gathered at Tabard Inn to begin their journey – on the night of their gathering at the starting place, the pilgrims and their horses were entertained. With very comfortable rooms keeping in view the comfort it was a great opportunity to talk and get introduced to the pilgrim’s fellows.

After the introduction, it was decided to wake up early so it would be more beneficial for the pilgrim. The narrator is informing the reader that before Starting with the tales it is better to introduce the reader to the Status of every pilgrim, so at first of every pilgrim, so at first he began with the Knight.

Knight

Introduction to the character begins with the knight, who is socially the main higher status among the pilgrims. He has traveled across the world to fight for truth honor and freedom. He is a very brave knight he has fought for his king in many war throughout Europe and the Middle East and he has won many awards for his bravery.

He fought in the Alexandra and conquered it and had also dined with royalty in Prussia on many occasions. 

He had found in Lithuania and Russia many times than any other knight. He had captured areas in Spain and conquered Enemies in North Africa and Eastern Europe. He had been all over the Middle era and among the 15 battles he fought he had never lost one.

The night even fought against the pagan king of Istanbul in Turkey. Despite his brave and successful status, he has practiced self-discipline and humble never criticizing people. He was an ideal knight in every possible way. 

The narrator narrates that he rides fine-quality horses but efficiently he does not wear flashy clothes. He was a simple kind of Cloths all stand with the chain mail he’d worn in the war just before departing for pilgrim’s knight. 

By portraying the knight writer is projecting the the noble class of society, but the knight is a simple and humble kind of man who wears simple clothes so that people may count him as a common member of society instead of criticizing him and bringing him to accountability.

Squire

Squire is the son of a knight. He is a young fashionable guy. Knight is a simple and humble man but Squire has got the element of color in his life. He does nothing but live at his father’s expense. Chaucer criticized the squire in a satirical way to portray that this section of society utilizes public resources illegally and without being brought to accountability. 

Square is a fashionable boy who is also a lover and the status of a standard of life is such that any girl would want to be with him. 

Apparently, his curly hair is so neat and clean that it seems too pressed, squire is in his twenties by appearance. He has a normal height and is a healthy and strong man. 

Which makes him eligible to become a Knight but instead he is interested in going for a ride with a protocol provided by soldiers to different beautiful places where he is completely filled with flowers and there he satisfies his artistic appeals by singing, dancing, writing more ever he is a man of capability and will power and humble like his father.

Yeoman

A yeoman is the private servant of the knight who is in charge of the knight’s land. Knight has chosen him to travel along on pilgrimage. By using the character of the yeoman poet projects that section of society that does not belong to the elite class but due to their close ties and links with the elite members of the society there at bite higher position and rank.

He is not a skilled soldier but is only assigned to perform a job. The poet is criticizing in a satirical way that apart from official work he is been used for personal affairs at the expense of public money. 

The poet is describing the appearance and dressing of the yeoman in a humorous way, that he is wearing court and green color wood with a bundle of peacocks featured all around his belt which is apparently quite odd looking. He is not a skilled soldier but he is carrying arrows and a bow. His hair is quite trimmed and his face seems to be Brown. 

He is also professional in carpentry skills. More for the purpose of protection he is wearing a protective shield on his arm and also he is wearing a sword on one side and a sharp protecting knife opposite to it. He also wore a silver Saint Christopher mediant around his neck and a hunting horn with a green strap over his shoulder.

The poet goes in the end that it looked like he was a forester who spent a lot of time in the woods.

The clerk’s character is quite significant, representing the middle class with a middle level of education and with average earnings and lifestyle. There is no direct irony used rather irony is in relation to other characters. Renaissance, which was the time of the gain of knowledge by the middle class. Chaucer had also sensed the approach of the middle toward knowledge.

In conventional poetry physical appearance held meaning. Similarly, the appearance of the clerk’s character portrays his personality. Physically clerk was not healthy and strong and his dress and appearance were not that good. He is shown to be wearing an average kind of coat, unlike the privilege the religious character had enjoyed.

he never desires to gain Power rather his priority is to gain knowledge and have a collection of a variety of books, unlike the elite class.

He had studied the philosophy of Aristotle and he was a man of knowledge he used to borrow money from friends because most of his earnings were spent by him on books and knowledge.

In this test for learning, he was a sponsored and supported by people economically. He would pray most of the time he would stay focused on knowledge and refrain from talking irrelevantly mostly he would talk only when needed and his speech was ethical and full of wisdom. hence his personality proves him to be a good learner as well as a teacher. 

The character of the clerk represents the middle class’s zest and urge for knowledge, who would sacrifice their life standard for the sake of knowledge and have no interest in ongoing materialistic power.

The sergeant of law represents the legal section. he is very wise and skeptical because the profession demands him to be. he spends a lot of time consulting with his clients outside ST Paul’s cathedral. He was wise and well respected and was very careful with his words he gained a lot of financial benefits being at the position of judge.

The way he conducted himself proved his intelligence, and he would claim to know All legal things. He would receive lots of gifts and charge a huge amount of fees. The identity of the client for him was money which means that justice is a much easier thing rich people to project the influence of rich people over the law. 

He pretended to stay busy all the time which is the delaying tactic to lodge poor clients. And he claimed to be aware of the cases from King William’s time. he would state everything sound and clear providing the exact reference from legal documents.

The lawyer character represents the legal section. it rejected the picture of a legal society that how law practice deals with the clients. Here he highlighted how Lawyers charge a huge amount of fees which makes only the rich eligible to seek escape from the law or get justice built off.

Chaucer portrays the skeptical wise and hypocrite attitude of lawyers allowing them to use delaying tactics to postpone the cases at hand in order to elevate their service charges.

Among the pilgrims, there was a physician who represented the section of society related to health and medicines. Doctor of Physics as experienced best non ° holder position relying on his experience claims to be dealing with every disease and surgery. which is a contradictory element. 

Being a doctor he can only specialize in one area of disease but he claims to know all doctors of Physics among the pilgrims seem to be the one and only who is capable of everything. He has specialized in the field of both medicine and surgery apart from that he was an expert in Astronomy and used to treat his patients by horoscope and natural magic as well as owing to his ability to predict the future.

he was a very good practitioner . he was equipped with the necessary drugs and operating tools and would treat the patient soon after diagonalizing the disease, he would receive all the equipment medicines, and another economic privilege by collaborating with pharmaceutical industries. and conventionally this harmony between pharma companies and doctors is through the generation ancient.

He also used to read the bible and wear blue clothes made of the finest woven silk. he recently gained a lot of profit from the newly invented vaccine in the market indeed he loved the money.