The Characters in The Canterbury Tales Essay - 4000 Words

The Purpose of the Characters in The Canterbury Tales The characters introduced in the General Prologue of The Canterbury Tales each represent a stereotype of a kind of person that Chaucer would have been familiar with in 14th Century England. Each character is unique, yet embodies many physical and behavioral traits that would have been common for someone in their profession. In preparing the reader for the tales, Chaucer first sets the mood by providing an overall idea of the type of character who is telling the tale, then allows that character to introduce themselves through a personal prologue and finally, the pilgrim tells their tale. Through providing the reader with insight about the physical and personal traits of†¦show more content†¦Despite this unflattering introduction, however, the Miller cannot be considered a loathsome person because his purpose is to provide comic relief. The Millers appearance after the more solemn Knight creates a contrast in mood and provides the reader with a more relaxed feeling going into the remainder of the tales. The Miller is described as a less than attractive man. His portrait is made in the following way: He was short-sholdred, brood, a thikke knarre, - His berd as any sowe or fox was reed, And therto brood, as though it were a spade Upon the cop right of his nose he hade A werte, and thereon stood a toft of heres Reed as the brustles of a sowes eres; Hise nosethirles blake were and wyde. (The General Prologue, 551-559) These physical descriptions were believed by the physiognomists to denote variously a shameless, talkative, lecherous, and quarrelsome character (Riverside Chaucer, 820: PMLA 35, 1920, 189-209). Like his appearance, his personality is also depicted as being very loud and disturbing. He is depicted in the way that a young boy would be, only with the strength of a large adult. The Miller acts out and rams his head against doors, which is a common trait of a two year old, however, he is so big that it is said that: Ther was no dore that heShow MoreRelatedCanterbury Tales Character Analysis1334 Words   |  6 PagesThe Canterbury Tales is a written work, by Geoffrey Chaucer, that is a representation of the society he lived in. His work portrays the feudal system during the medieval times and how each level of livelihood was a character, whose personalities reflect how Chaucer and his culture view them. During his time, his society regarded the Christian Church as corrupt and manipulative, with a few clergy who are honest and genuine in their exertion. Therefore, the ecclesiastical persona has the dispositionsRead MoreCanterbury Tales Character Analysis981 Words   |  4 PagesUpon first reading of the Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, the reoccurring theme of social status is not blatantly obvious. 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