the canterbury tales

The Canterbury Tales By: Casey Dolan, Kaitlin Harvey, Madison Tamburini and Gianna Valentino

Evil In Medieval SocietyMiller

Pardoner

Friar

Summoner

The Miller

Physical Description

“…chap of sixteen stone.”

“broad, knotty, and short shouldered..”

“His beard, like any sow or fox, was red...”

“…his nose displayed a wart on which there stood a tuft of hair…”

Physical Description (Cont’d)“His nostrils were as black as

they were wide.”

“His mighty mouth was like a furnace door.”

“He could heave any door off hinge and post, or take a run and break it with his head”

“A wrangler and buffoon…”

“His was a master-hand at stealing grain.”

Actions

Actions (Cont’d)“A thumb of gold, by God, to

gauge an oat.”

“He like to play his bagpipes up and down…”

The Friar

Physical description “The Friar was a wanton one and

merry”

“His voice was gay and sturdy  for he sang well and played the hurdy-gurdy."

“His neck was whiter than a lily flower but strong enough to butt a bruiser.”

Physical description continued

“He lisped a little out of wantonness To make his English sweet upon his tongue."

“Of double-worsted was the semi-cope Upon his shoulders, and the swelling fold About him, like a bell about its mould When it is casting, rounded out his dress.”

ActionsReady to befriend young women or

rich men who might need his services, "dealing with scum"

“He’d fixed up many a marriage, giving each/ Of his young women what he could afford her.”

“For he hadde power of confessioun as saide himself, more than a curat.”

The Pardoner

Church official authorized to sell indulgences.

The Pardoner

highly untrustworthy character

“For well he knew that when that song was sungHe’d have to preach and tune his honey-tongueAnd( well he could) win silver from the crowdAnd that’s why he sang so merrily and loud.”Line(731)

“He who repeats a tale after a manIs bound to say, as nearly as he can,Each single word, if he remembers it,However rudely spoken or unfit,Or else the take he tells will be untrue,They things pretended and the phrases new.”Line(753)

Pardoner’s Continued…

“In church he was a noble priest but best of all he sang an offertory.”(Line 730)

A religious man that no one could trust.

“ I judge he was a gelding, or a mare.”(Line 711)

Physical Description “This Pardoner had hair as yellow as wax,Hanging down smoothly like a hank of flax.In driblets fell his locks behind his headDown his shoulders which they overspreadThinly they fell, like rat-tails, one by one.”(line695)

“But for a little cap his head was bareAnd he had bulging eye-balls, like a hare.”(Line 703)“He sowed a holy relic on his cap.”(Line705)

The Summoner

A summoner delivers summonses that call people to appear in Church courts.

Physical Description“His face was on fire”-he was ugly

and had pus filled skin inflammations which are similar to boils

Had incurable “whelks” or pus filled sores

More Physical Description“Black scabby brows he had, and

a thin beard. Children were afraid when he appeared.”

“He wore a garland set upon his head”

Evil Action Description“And drinking strong red wine till all

was hazy.”And wouldn’t speak a word except in

Latin”“…-just for a quart of wine-any good

lad to keep a concubine a twelvemonth and dispense him altogether!”

More Evil Action Descriptions “He knew all their secrets, they

did what he said.”“He was a noble varlet and a kind

one, You’d meet non better if you went to find one.”