The Canterbury Tales Review

Do you know the Characters? The Knight The Miller The Wife of Bath The Nun’s Priest The Pardoner The Man of the Law Do you know the Characters?

The Nun’s Priest: This character is regarded as a holy man in society, but metaphorically tells his sins in his tale. He is tempted by a beautiful French nun and falls to this temptation. Unfortunately, he is aware that for his sins, he will inevitably be sent to hell. She calls him a weak man for this fear. Publically however, he remains a dutiful priest and figure for the church. Secretly, he is saddened with guilt, but he is unable to stop sinning.   The Wife of Bath: A seamstress, a dynamic woman, skilled in the art of marriage… in that she has indeed been married five times. Though she is not “beautiful” in the eyes of society, she is able to gain the attention and… heart… of any man. Her greatest desire is that of choice. She wants the ability to choose her fate, her husband, and her life’s direction. Unfortunately, living in the 14th century, this choice is not her own. Therefore, she attempts to school the group on how men can get all that they desire: a beautiful wife who is also submissive. She suggests men simply give women the right to make decisions. The Man of the Law: The Man of the Law represents a governing force in the group. In a somewhat haughty tone, he explains his great authority to the group, feeling they should listen submissively to his story. He has memorized every law and feels that if people truly follow them, they will have wonderful lives. However, the tale he tales is of a woman of great faith who lives a life of great tragedy. Although she is seemingly saved time and time again, the ultimate end is sorrowful. Therefore, her faith does not in all actuality help her. We can thus assume that the Man of the Law is a pessimistic thinker.  Characters

The Pardoner: This character works for the church as a force to stand between man and God. When people sin, they can, for a “small” price, receive forgiveness from God through the pardoner. Unfortunately, the pardoner isn’t the holy man he pretends to be. He parades around with his relics and authority telling all that they need forgiven. He tells as tale that implies that money is the root of all evil and death comes to all. He is perhaps suggesting that people should rid themselves of their money, evil (or give it to him in order to have sins forgiven) before death comes for them. However, he isn’t successful as the members of the group see through his mask and expose his sins. The Miller: Being a lowly man in society does not make him feel small. The Miller dynamically tells his tale, perhaps because he is under the influence of a few too many spirits. He parodies the tales of the arrogant Knight and cunning Wife of Bath with his manipulative tale. He talks of a woman Alisoun who ruins the lives of three men to get what she so desires. She utilizes her words and good looks to get her way, use everyone around her to do the dirty work, and walk away with no fault placed upon her what so ever. Though the group wants to ignore the Miller’s slurred speech, he finishes his tale with the realistic notion that life is not lived “happily ever after” as implied by other characters. The Knight: The Knight, a handsome man whose reputation precedes him, speaks first amongst the group. Though he has many accolades, the Knight’s arrogance angers many of the members within the group. The Knight feels that any woman would love to have his company; asking their opinion is simply unnecessary. He tells a tale of a young woman who is given away by the king, her brother-in-law, to one of two prisoner knights who win a dual. Though the young woman, Emily, never wants to marry, the king feels this is best. One Knight prays to the goddess of love; the other prays to the god of war. In the end, love wins the girl, and Emily is married to this man. The Knight implies that the two live happily ever after. Characters

Do you know their stories? Dueling and gods The Knight's Tale Love Triangle: Status v Wit The Miller's Tale What Women Want The Wife of Bath's Tale The Flattery Chickens The Nun's Priest's Tale The Result of Greed The Pardoner's Tale Women for Trade The Man of the Law's Tale Do you know their stories?

Themes Religion and the Church Women’s role in society Hypocrisy Nobility v the Common Man  Temptation Love as an act, an emotion, or a forced commitment Themes

Typically include one or more essays or short answer questions. Sometimes the instructor will provide the possible topics. Preparation is necessary- you will typically receive about 50-90 minutes to give a response. Usually there is not a “correct” answer. Usually you are asked to prove something. A good essay starts with a good thesis! HOW & WHY! Be simple, direct, and detailed: Know what you are going to prove and what content you’ll use to prove it. Always prove opinion statements. Proof it when you’re finished. Don’t lose points for grammar mistakes. Blue Book Tests