| A | B |
|---|
| The Narrator | This pilgrim has taken it upon himself to describe all the other pilgrims according to "their profession and degree." Not always reliable in his speeches, yet he gives a fairly accurate account of each individual. |
| The Knight | The first pilgrim Chaucer describes in the General Prologue, and the teller of the first tale. He represents the ideal of a medieval Christian man-at-arms. He has participated in no less than fifteen of the great crusades of his era. Brave, experienced, and prudent, the narrator greatly admires him. |
| The Wife of Bath | Though she is a seamstress by occupation, she seems to be a professional wife. She has been married five times and had many other affairs in her youth, making her well practiced in the art of love. She presents herself as someone who loves marriage and sex, but, from what we see of her, she also takes pleasure in rich attire, talking, and arguing. She is deaf in one ear and has a gap between her front teeth, which was considered attractive in Chaucer’s time. She has traveled on pilgrimages to Jerusalem three times and elsewhere in Europe as well. |
| The Pardoner | This pilgrim granted papal indulgences -- reprieves from penance in exchange for charitable donations to the Church. Men of this profession, including him, collect profits for themselves. In fact, he excels in fraud, carrying a bag full of fake relics—for example, he claims to have the veil of the Virgin Mary. This pilgrim has long, greasy, yellow hair and is beardless. These characteristics were associated with shiftiness and gender ambiguity in Chaucer’s time. He also has a gift for singing and preaching whenever he finds himself inside a church. |
| The Miller | Stout and brawny, the has a wart on his nose and a big mouth, both literally and figuratively. He threatens the Host’s notion of propriety when he drunkenly insists on telling the second tale. Indeed, he seems to enjoy overturning all conventions: he ruins the Host’s carefully planned storytelling order; he rips doors off hinges; and he tells a tale that is somewhat blasphemous, ridiculing religious clerks, scholarly clerks, carpenters, and women. |
| The Nun (aka The Prioress) | Described as modest and quiet, this pilgrim aspires to have exquisite taste. Her table manners are dainty, she knows French (though not the French of the court), she dresses well, and she is charitable and compassionate. |
| The Monk | This type of pilgrim from the Middle Ages lived in monasteries according to the Rule of Saint Benedict, which demanded that they devote their lives to “work and prayer.” He cares little for the Rule; his devotion is to hunting and eating. He is large, loud, and well clad in hunting boots and furs. |
| The Summoner | This pilgrim brings persons accused of violating Church law to ecclesiastical court. He is a lecherous man whose face is scarred by boils and acne. He gets drunk frequently, is irritable, and is not particularly qualified for his position. He spouts the few words of Latin he knows in an attempt to sound educated. Children are afraid of him as are their parents. |
| The Host | The leader of the group, he is large, loud, and merry, although he possesses a quick temper. He mediates among the pilgrims and facilitates the flow of the tales. His title of may be a pun, suggesting both an innkeeper and the Eucharist, or Holy Host |
| The Parson | The only devout churchman in the company, he lives in poverty, but is rich in holy thoughts and deeds. The pastor of a sizable town, he preaches the Gospel and makes sure to practice what he preaches. He is everything that the Monk, the Friar, and the Pardoner are not. |
| The Squire | The Knight’s son and apprentice. He is curly-haired, youthfully handsome, and loves dancing and courting. He is also very accomplished in battle like his father. |
| The Merchant | This pilgrim trades in furs and other cloths, mostly from Flanders. He is part of a powerful and wealthy class in Chaucer’s society. However, he seems to be hiding from someone as he doesn't give his name to his fellow travellers. |
| The Plowman | He is the Parson’s brother and is equally good-hearted. A member of the peasant class, he pays his tithes to the Church and leads a good Christian life. |
| The Cook | He works for the Guildsmen. Chaucer gives little detail about him, although he mentions a crusty sore on the his leg. |
| The Yeoman | The servant who accompanies the Knight and the Squire. The narrator mentions that his dress and weapons suggest he may be a forester |
