坎特伯雷故事集人物列表(英文)

The Pilgrims

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. In the General

Prologue, the narrator presents himself as a gregarious and na?ve

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 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.

He

has

participated

in

no

less

than

fifteen

of

the

great

crusades

of

his

era.

Brave,

experienced,

and

prudent,

the narrator greatly admires him.

Read an

in-depth analysis of The Knight.

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.

Read an

in-depth analysis of The Wife of Bath.

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.

Read an

in-depth analysis of The Pardoner.

The Miller

-

Stout and brawny, the Miller has a wart on his nose and

a big mouth, both literally and figuratively. He threatens the Host’s

notion

of

propriety

when

he

drunkenly

insists

on

telling

the

second

tale.

Indeed, the Miller seems to enjoy overturning all conventions: he ruins

the

Host’s

carefully

planned

storytelling

order;

he

rips

doors

off

hinges;

and he tells a tale that is somewhat blasphemous, ridiculing religious

clerks, scholarly clerks, carpenters, and women.

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

Friar

-

Roaming

priests

with

no

ties

to

a

monastery,

friars

were

a

great

object

of

criticism in Chaucer’s time. Always ready to befriend young women or rich men who might

need

his

services,

the

friar

actively

administers

the

sacraments

in

his

town,

especially

those

of

marriage

and

confession.

However,

Chaucer’s

worldly

Friar

has

taken

to

accepting bribes.

The

Summoner

-

TheSummoner

brings

persons

accused

of

violating

Church

law

to

ecclesiastical court. This Summoner is a lecherous man whose face is scarred by leprosy.

He gets drunk frequently, is irritable, and is not particularly qualified for his position. He

spouts the few words of Latin he knows in an attempt to sound educated.

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 Parson

-

The only devout churchman in the company, the Parson lives in poverty,

but

is

rich

in

holy

thoughts

and

deeds.

The

pastor

of

a

sizable

town,

he

preaches

the

Gospel and makes sure to practice what he preaches. He is everything that the Monk, the

Friar, and the Pardoner are not.

The

Squire

-

The

Knight’s

son

and

apprentice.

The

Squire

is

curly

-haired,

youthfully

handsome, and loves dancing and courting.

The Clerk

-

The Clerk is a poor student of philosophy. Having spent his money on books

and learning rather than on fine clothes, he is threadbare and wan. He speaks little, but

when he does, his words are wise and full of moral virtue.

The Man of Law

-

A successful lawyer commissioned by the king. He upholds justice in

matters large and

small and knows every statute of England’s law by heart.

The

Manciple

-

Amanciple

was

in

charge

of

getting

provisions

for

a

college

or

court.

Despite his lack of education, this Manciple is smarter than the thirty lawyers he feeds.

The Merchant

-

The Merchant trades in furs and other cloths, mostly from Flanders. He

is part of a powerful and wealthy class in Chaucer’s society.

The Shipman

-

Brown-skinned from years of sailing, the Shipman has seen every bay

and river in England, and exotic ports in Spain and Carthage as well. He is a bit of a rascal,

known for stealing wine while the ship’s captain sleeps.

The

Physician

-

The

Physician

is one

of

the

best

in

his

profession, for

he

knows

the

cause of every malady and can cure most of them. Though the Physician keeps himself in

perfect physical health, the narrator calls into question the Physician’s spiritual health: he

rarely consults the Bible and has an unhealthy love of financial gain.

The

Franklin

-

The

word

“franklin”

means

“free

man.”

In

Chaucer’s

society,

a

franklin

was neither a vassal serving a lord nor a member of the nobility. This particular franklin is

a connoisseur of food and wine, so much so that his table remains laid and ready for food

all day.

The Reeve

-

A reeve was similar to a steward of a manor, and this reeve performs his job

shrewdly

—

his lord never loses so much as a ram to the other employees, and the vassals

under his command are kept in line. However, he steals from his master.

The

Plowman

-

The

Plowman

is

the

Parson’s

brother

and

is

equally

good

-hearted. A

member of the peasant class, he pays his tithes to the Church and leads a good Christian

life.

The

Guildsmen

-

Listed together, the five Guildsmen

appear as a

unit. English guilds

were

a

combination

of

labor

unions

and

social

fraternities:

craftsmen

of

similar

occupations joined together to increase their bargaining power and live communally. All

five Guildsmen are clad in the livery of their brotherhood.

The

Cook

-

The

Cook

works

for

the

Guildsmen. Chaucer gives

little

detail

about him,

although he mentions a crusty sore on the Cook’s leg.

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 Second Nun

-

The Second Nun is not described in the General Prologue, but she

tells a saint’s life for her tale.

The

Nun’s

Priest

-

Like

the

Second

Nun,

the

Nun’s

Priest

is

not

described

in

the

General Prologue. His story of Chanticleer, however, is well crafted and suggests that he

is a witty, self-effacing preacher.

Characters from the Five Tales Analyzed in This SparkNote

The Knight’s Tale

Theseus

-

A

great

conqueror

and

the

duke

of

Athens

in

the

Knight’s

Tale.

The

most

powerful

ruler

in

the

story,

he

is

often

called

upon

to

make

the

final

judgment,

but

he