During the spring, individuals desired to embark on religious pilgrimages to sacred destinations. In England, it is common for people to visit Canterbury, a city in the southeastern region, in order to pay homage to Thomas Becket’s remains. Thomas Becket, a revered Christian martyr known for his remarkable healing abilities. On his way to Canterbury, the narrator encounters a group of 29 individuals also bound for the same destination. They make the decision to depart early and journey together. The first person described among the group is the knight, who boasts an impressive war record having participated in numerous conflicts and emerging victorious in all 15 battles.
The knight was honorable yet humble, accompanied by his twenty-year-old son and a servant. The son, a squire boy, assisted his father and aspired to become a knight like him. Having served in the army in wars in Holland and France, he earned honors that he hoped would impress his beloved. The servant, also known as a yeoman, rode on one of the knight’s horses with a bow and arrows. Additionally, there was a polite and well-mannered woman named Madame Englantine, who was a prioress.
She had a big heart and loved her dogs dearly, so it would greatly distress her if anything were to happen to them. The text also mentions various individuals such as a monk with a passion for hunting, a cheerful friar named Hubert who possessed smooth talking skills, a wealthy and successful merchant, a quiet yet perceptive clerk from Oxford, a wise and respected sergeant of law, and a food-loving franklin who traveled alongside the sergeant of law. Following them, there was the guild comprised of a hat maker, carpenter, weaver, clothing dyer, and tapestry maker. It is worth noting that they all wore matching clothing and adorned themselves with expensive accessories.
They were accompanied by a cook, who had a wound on his leg. Other travelers included a shipman from the west, a medical doctor with an interest in planets, a tooth-gapped wife from Bath who had been married multiple times, a kind-hearted parson who was the priest of a rural church, the parson’s brother who worked as a plowman, a short but strong miller, an uneducated manciple responsible for buying food for the Inner Temple, a short-tempered reeve, a questionable summoner with acne-prone skin, and a pardoner who rode with the summoner. The host of the Tabard Inn warmly welcomed the group, entertaining them with humorous stories after their meal. He was pleased to have such a large and happy group and offered to provide entertainment for their long journey to Canterbury. The host suggested that each person tell two stories on the way to Canterbury and two more on the return trip, with the person who provides the most entertaining tales being rewarded with a free meal.
They unanimously agreed and desired for the host to accompany them as a judge. The following morning, Dawn arrived promptly and they departed for Canterbury. Initially, their journey began at a leisurely speed. However, the host distributed straws among them, with the person drawing the shortest one being tasked with telling the first story. It happened to be the knight who drew the shortest straw, yet he did not protest and proceeded to recount his tale.
Works Cited
Baswell, Christopher, and Anne Howland Schotter authored The Longman Anthology of British Literature. The book was edited by David Damrosch and Kevin J. H. Dettmar and is in its fourth edition, specifically volume 1A. It was published by Pearson Education, Inc in New York in 2010. The information can be found on pages 318-358 of the print version.
