The manciple Ryan Parimi From Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales

What is a manciple? Kind of like a caterer today A manciple is in charge of purchasing food and supplies for an institution Kind of like a caterer today Title still exists today – Oxford, Cambridge, Yale, Freemasons, London Charterhouse

Chaucer’s manciple Unlearned – illiterate worked for an inn of court, “the temple,” which was a place where lawyers would live or gather Unlearned – illiterate Quick to point out the flaws in others. Very proud Questionable ethics – always made money every time he purchased food for the lawyers Chaucer is kind of sarcastic in the way he describes the manciple. It seems as if an unethical nature is the only way to have financial success.

The Manciple’s tale Asks the cook to tell a story, but the cook is way too drunk to tell one Makes fun of the cook. The cook threatens to find flaws in the manciple’s financial accounts. The manciple responds by giving him even more wine The manciple then tells a story because the cook can’t

The manciple’s tale Owns a white crow that can talk and sing Phoebus - ideal man, main character of the story, loves his wife very much Owns a white crow that can talk and sing Phoebus’s wife cheats on him while he is gone, and the crow tells him about it when he returns Phoebus kills his wife in his rage and later regrets it when he finally calms down. He then plucks the crow’s feathers and takes away its ability to talk Moral of the manciple’s tale: Restrain your tongue