Canterbury Tales 1

• written documents were rare 
• most people were illiterate
• characterized many cities, castles, long days
• Latin- the unifying language at the time 
• a series of stories that make up a larger story
• about a pilgrimage to Canterbury 
• each story is told through a different characters perspective 
• characters vary from all social statuses (aristocracy to peasants) 
• tales filled with contradicting personalities with roles in the society 
• his son was very much like him
• the Knight- honorable and heroic 
• the monk was ironically fat (supposed to live in poverty)
• the merchant was knowledgeable but in debt; portrayed as a very honorable man 
• the cook- arrogant, pompous, selfish man
• the lower class- mostly described with indirect characterization. 
• the doctor- knowledgeable but in it for the money; wasn't religious as the bible frowned upon science 
• these stories told the irony in society in the way that societies expectations were lived down through the dark side of human nature 
• very complex characters throughout