Canterbury Tales Character Analysis - 1457 Words

The Canterbury Tales introduces a group of very interesting characters from different walks of life. These characters can fall into different groups, and these groups show society was divided up in the 14th century. The descriptions of these characters give an idea on how these groups worked. How were people ranked in social status? Were certain people more corrupt than others? Which characteristics caused the people to be sorted into the group they are in? These questions are answered by the different groups of characters. Chaucer describes six people who were a part of the Catholic church. The church group consisted of the monk, the nun, the friar, the parson, the summoner, and the pardoner. This group of characters showed how the†¦show more content†¦Chaucer also described everyday, working people. This was the lower class, or peasants. They good people who were poor, but worked hard to get where they were -- even if it wasn’t as far as other people. They were generally the people that Chaucer described positively. The yeoman, the plowman, the merchant, and the cook fell under the peasant category. The yeoman stuck to himself and worked with wood. He was described very positively. The plowman was hard working and peaceful. While he himself was poor, he would help other disadvantaged people. He was a good Christian; he always paid tithes and did what he felt God was telling him to do. These people worked hard and were generally polite. Even though they were disadvantaged, they tried to work their way up from being the low man on the totem pole. This group shows how most of the people (since a majority of the people were peasants) of the 14th century were. It is an example on how the largest social group (peasants) acted, talked, believed and worked. It also showed how other people of the 14th century viewed peasants, and most of the time it was in a positive light. There was an obvious divide between upper and lower class in the 14th century as described in the Canterbury Tales. But if you payed closer attention, you would notice that there were many people who were educated and had some sort of position that caused them to be well known or in charge ofShow MoreRelatedCanterbury Tales Character Analysis1988 Words   |  8 Pages The Canterbury Tales, by Geoffrey Chaucer, is a collection of tales and prologues of stories told by many characters whilst on a pilgrimage to the city of Canterbury. From religious figures such as nuns, monks and pardoners; to doctors, cooks and millers, this pilgrimage embarked on by many interesting people with stories that range from inspiring to gruesome. A few of the most predominant stories include those of the Prioress, the Summoner, the Wife of Bath, the Miller, and the Reeve. In theseRead MoreCanterbury Tales Character Analysis997 Words   |  4 Pageslanguage of the common people (Morrison). 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