Robert Lindsay
Harry Bailey
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- The Narrator. The narrator makes it quite 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.
- The Knight. The first pilgrim Chaucer describes in the General Prologue, and the teller of the first tale. The Knight represents the ideal of a medieval Christian man-at-arms.
- 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.
- 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.
The Pilgrims in The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer are the main characters in the framing narrative of the book. In addition, they can be considered as characters of the framing narrative the Host, who travels with the pilgrims, the Canon, and the fictive Geoffrey Chaucer, the teller of the tale of Sir Thopas (who might be considered distinct from the Chaucerian narrator, who is in turn ...
RoleNameTalesNarratorGeoffrey ChaucerSir Thopas and the Tale of MelibeeHostHarry BaileyOwner of the Tabard Inn, where the ...PrioressMadame EglantineFriarHuberdPeople also ask
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Who is the host in Canterbury Tales?
- Chaucer. Chaucer does not name himself in the General Prologue, but he is one of the characters who gather at the Tabard Inn. All of the descriptions of the pilgrims in the Prologue are narrated through… read analysis of Chaucer.
- The Knight. The Knight is a noble man who fights for truth and for Christ rather than for his own glory or wealth. He has traveled throughout many heathen lands victoriously.
- The Squire. The Squire is a young knight in training, a member of the noble class. While he is chivalrous and genteel, he is not quite as perfect as his father, the Knight, as he wears… read analysis of The Squire.
- The Prioress. The Prioress attempts to be dainty and well-bred, and Chaucer makes fun of her by describing how she speaks French with a terrible accent and sings the liturgy straight through her nose.
- The Canterbury Tales: Introductions in The Prologue
- The Host
- Wife of Bath
- Knight
- Squire
- Prioress
- Parson
- Plowman
- Yeoman
- Pardoner
Having taught British literature for many years, I’ve learned a thing or two about The Canterbury Tales and the characters. Most of what we know about the Canterbury Tales characters is provided in the Prologue, where the narrator describes most of the members of the group. A few bits and pieces about The Canterbury Talescharacters can also be glea...
The Host runs the Tabard Inn, where the group of pilgrims meet prior to their journey. The storytelling contest is the Host’s idea. A large man, the Host is loud, boisterous, and jovial. Many believe that Chaucer modelled this character after himself.
The Wife of Bath is the most believable and the most vibrant of all the Canterbury Talescharacters. From the city of Bath, the Wife of Bath is wealthy and well-versed in the ways of love. She’s been married five times and is perhaps going on the pilgrimage searching for husband number six. The Wife of Bath is an excellent seamstress and wears styli...
The Knight has participated in numerous holy crusades and is brave, honorable, wise, chivalrous, and generous. His appearance is shabby, but his horses are top-notch, revealing where he places his priorities. All admire the Knight. Even though he’s always been a warrior and has killed many enemies, the Knight serves as a peace-maker on the pilgrima...
The Knight’s son, the Squire, is about 20 years old. The Squire has curly hair and wears an embroidered tunic of red and white. He’s an excellent horseman and has seen action with the cavalry. The Squire is of average size but is strong and agile. He can sing, dance, play the flute, write, draw, and recite poetry. He’s also hot-blooded and passiona...
The Prioress, Madame Eglantyne, is a high-ranking nun in the Catholic Church. She tries to impress others by speaking French, but her French is very bad. She sings Church services through her nose and has good manners. She’s quiet and timid. She kept small dogs as pets, which was against the rules of the Church. The thinking behind this was that th...
Of the Canterbury Talescharacters associated with the Church, the Parson is by far the most honest and appealing. He’s poor but holy. He has a large parish and does his best to take good care of his parishioners, visiting them regularly on foot. He knows the Bible well and preaches it dutifully. Whenever he acquires coins or goods, he gives them to...
The Plowman is the Parson’s brother. He’s a lowly farm worker, and like the Parson, the Plowman is poor but holy. He often works for others without charging them. He wore a heavy smock and rode a mare in the procession to Canterbury.
The Yeoman is servant to the Knight and Squire. In appearance, the Yeoman is much like Robin Hood. He’s dressed in green and carries a bow and arrows, along with a shield, a sword, and a dagger. He wears a brace to protect his forearm while shooting his bow. He also wears a St. Christopher medal and a hunting horn. The Yeoman is wise in the ways of...
Of all the Canterbury Talescharacters, the Pardoner is one of the most odious. He’s conniving, selfish, and dishonest. His position with the Church is to sell pardons to sinners. The money received from the pardons is supposed to go to the Church to do good, like helping the poor. Chaucer’s Pardoner, however, keeps the money for himself. He carries...
Mar 26, 2024 · The Canterbury Tales, frame story by Geoffrey Chaucer, written in Middle English in 1387–1400. 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.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Learn about the main and minor characters of The Canterbury Tales, a collection of stories by the medieval English poet Geoffrey Chaucer. Find out their names, roles, characteristics, and stories in this comprehensive character list.
The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories built around a frame tale, a common and already long established genre in this period. Chaucer's Tales differs from most other story "collections" in this genre chiefly in its intense variation. Most story collections focused on a theme, usually a religious one.
