The Knight:

  • Polite and chivalrous (follows the Knight’s Code)
  • “Truth, honor, generousness, and courtesy” – an honest character
  • Prepared, able-bodied, adaptable, flexible, versatile
  • Just home from battle, now taking the pilgrimage
  • Fought in many battles in Africa and Europe
  • Does not dress in fancy clothes; his clothes are smudged from battle
  • He is praised (by the narrator/Chaucer), but the knight himself is not boastful
  • The ideal “perfect” knight

The Squire:

  • Young, spirited, and in the prime of his life
  • Many different tales – sings, writes poems, etc.
  • 20 years old
  • Great agility and strength
  • Son of and apprentice to the knight
  • Motivated by romance
  • Wears very fancy clothes (clothes embroidered with flowers)
  • Similar to the father (the knight) but there are some differences

The Yeoman:

  • A person of color (“his face was brown”)
  • Well-equipped with weapons (dirk, spear, arrows, bow, shield, sword)
  • Organized (“his arrows never drooped their feathers low”)
  • Good at what he does – “a proper forester”
  • Carries the medal of St. Christopher (patron saint of travelers and foresters)
  • Reminiscent of Robin Hood
  • Good relationship with the Knight and the Squire

The Nun (aka “The Prioress” because she is head of the nun order):

  • Dainty
  • Odd behaviors and habits, eccentric, quirky
  • Chaucer/narrator knows her name: “Madam Eglantyne”
  • She likes to eat, doesn’t want to let food go to waste
  • Maybe a bit overweight (“she is by no means undergrown”)
  • Is perhaps not what she seems – she “counterfeits”
  • Has good table manners
  • Speaks French (but she speaks the French of England not of France)
  • This shows us that she wants to seem fancy and cultured
  • It also shows us that she had the opportunity for education, but not for travel
  • Wears a brooch that says “Love conquers all” – kind of weird for a nun
  • Extraordinarily sympathetic toward animals, but not toward people
  • Rides with another nun and three priests (so there are 5 in the group total)
  • Maybe doesn’t present her true character to others?
  • Does the small mouth note that she is reserved?

The Monk:

  • The Stereotypical Monk: wise, pious, live in an order with other monks, quiet, peaceful, respectful of all life, keeps few possessions, etc.
  • This monk does not conform to the stereotype
  • Has nice clothes, fine furs, etc.
  • A hunter
  • Enjoys fine dining (almost gluttonous, in a way)
  • Not calm or in touch with nature – “unsettled,” “glittering” eyeballs
  • Chaucer might be commenting on hypocrisy in the Church by depicting a religious character in this light (critical tone)
  • Boastful rather than humble
  • Doesn’t take Bible rules seriously – tends to “ignore” Church rules, does not value them
  • Sort of like a social monk