Student Question
Is the arras maker in The Canterbury Tales similar to the draper in The Three Musketeers?
Quick answer:
The arras maker in The Canterbury Tales is not similar to the draper in The Three Musketeers. An arras maker, or "webbe," is a weaver who creates heavy woven carpets or tapestries for insulation and decoration. In contrast, a draper, like Monsieur Bonacieux, deals in selling cloth used for clothing. Thus, their trades are distinct, with the arras maker focusing on weaving and the draper on cloth sales.
Draper and arras maker are not exactly the same trade. An arras refers more to like a heavy woven carpet, sort of like a tapestry that could be used decoratively on the walls to insulate the room and keep the chill out or as a covering on the floor. In the Old English version, the word used for the arras-maker is "webbe" which translates to weaver.
A draper, like Monsieur Bonacieux from The Three Musketeers, is more like a person who sells cloth that would be used for clothing. Monsieur Bonacieux is portrayed by Dumas as a small time wholesaler, or cloth dealer.
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