Katie Beard

 English landowner of free but not noble birth  Not obligated to live and work on a piece of land that he doesn’t own.  “Freeman”  Member of Nobility

 He is cheerful, generous, optimistic, friendly, and loves to entertain others in his home.  “He lived for pleasure and had always done”(line 345).  “White as a daisy petal was his beard” (line 342).  “He was a model among landed gentry.” (line 370).

 The narrator views this pilgrim as a kind hearted man based on Chaucer’s description.  The quote that sums him up is “He lived for pleasure and had always done”(line 345).  He is all about pleasuring himself and others around him and he looks towards the good in life.

 A knight and young lady named Dorigen were married happily for many years until the knight moved to England for 2 years on business. Dorigen mourned his absence and eventually became to accepting that he was gone. A friend of her husband, Aurelius, requested her love and she told him that she would love him if he cleared the coast of rocks. In the meantime, her husband returns and they are happy again. Aurelius consults with a scientist and removes the rocks and shows Dorigen. She does not want to love him but she also doesn’t want to break her word so she thinks suicide is the only answer. She tells her husband and he says for her to keep her word. She finds Aurelius and tells him the news and he breaks her from his promise. Dorigen and her husband live happily again.

 Any land owner today would be a Franklin in the past.  However, farmers would not be considered a franklin if they live and work off of their own land. If they have workers that come and do the work for them or if they buy, sell, and rent land to others they would be a franklin.