In reading Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, I find the characters
represent a diverse cross-section of England’s society at that
time. This is a chance meeting for these
pilgrims as they make their journey to Canterbury
to honor Saint Thomas Beckett at the Canterbury Cathedral.
I am not certain that any character is real or pure in
heart. Though there are two that I find
more believable than the others. At
first I though about the friar; a Catholic priest who corrupt ways allows him
to ignore lepers and beggars. The Catholic Church was quite corrupt in the 14th
century and it would not be unusual for friars to ask for money, cater to the
rich and ignore those less fortunate. At
first, the friar did catch my attention.
Then I read again about the Knight.
He seems stoic, iconic in some regards.
He maintains dignity and honor throughout the journey. The father of the handsome squire, the Knight
seems to uphold his duties as a leader.
Also, I found interest with the Prioress, a head Catholic
nun joining the journey, though at the same time facing “courtly love.” Chaucer
pays close attention to her habits, how she eats, wipes her mouth and drinks
from her cup. She seems more human than
others, though not so believable as a religious figure.
Overall, I find it difficult to understand who is real and
who is not. The narrator uses qualities
from each pilgrim in describing them and at times, these characteristics just
seem so unbelievable; especially for those taking a religious journey. Perhaps
more than just two are real and Chaucer flexes his literary arm in his
descriptions allowing the reader to understand the characters a bit more.
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