Essay on Geoffrey Chaucers Canterbury Tales - 1261 Words

Geoffrey Chaucers Canterbury Tales The Knight, Squire, Prioress, The Monk and the Friar are defined by their settings in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Prologue to The Canterbury Tales. 1. Portnoy says in his article in the Chaucer Review that The General Prologue is like a mirror reflecting the individuals appearance which then defines the character of that person.(281) 2. Scanlon backs up Portnoy in his article from Speculum by saying †¦Characters descriptions somehow emerge inevitably from the original intentions of Chaucer’s text or reflect its lasting value. (128) 3. Russell remarks in his book Chaucer the Trivium: The Mindsong of the Canterbury Tales: There is something that seems natural and almost unavoidable in the structure†¦show more content†¦The Knight never said anything boorish, showing he was a wise man. 6. He possessed fine horses, showing he was looked upon as a great man because me must have been given the horses for something good he did, because he couldn’t afford them norm ally. 7. He wore a fustian tunic, stained and dark with smudges where his armor had left a mark, showing he was a very simple man not worried about his appearance. 8. After he finished serving in wars, he came home to do his pilgrimage and render thanks, showing he was religious and a hard worker. SQUIRE The Squire is defined by his settings. 1. The Squire had wonderful agility and strength displaying how he was prepared and fit to be a warrior and has chivalrous qualities. 2. The Squire’s shirt was embroidered like a meadow, bright and full of fresh flowers, red and white, illustrating he was concerned with his appearance and getting a lover. 3. He was singing and fluting all day, always joyful and trying to meet a lady. 4. He knew how to sit on a horse and ride; he could recite songs and poems; he could joust and dance, draw, and write, showing he was almost flawless. 5. Andrew says in The Canterbury Tales: The General Prologue The Squire is like the Knight with the germ or perhaps greater perfection skill, as he blends literature and the arts with his warlike studies. (43) 6. Andrew goes even further by saying The Squire is described as a young, loving, enthusiastic, poetical, romantic, andShow MoreRelatedGeoffrey Chaucers The Canterbury Tales1030 Words   |  5 PagesGeoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales is a collection of several tales that are all told by different characters and all convey different messages. The story presented in the general prologue is that a group of pilgrims is traveling to the shrine of St. Thomas Becket, and during their journey they take turns telling tales and talking about themselves. 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