The Canterbury Tales presents an interesting cross-section of medieval society in England in that it includes people from all social strata in one setting. Although each of the pilgrims is given a voice, Chaucer subtly lets his opinions be known about how he perceives each character in the prologue.

As the story gets started, the narrator provides a brief description of each pilgrim and their circumstances. They are presented in order of their social ranking, beginning with the Knight and ending with the Pardoner. As you read through these descriptions, you may be able to detect a change in the narrator's tone as he goes down the list. For instance, the Knight is called "a worthy man" who values "Trouthe and honóur, fredom and curteisie." You'll notice that the Parson, as a man of the church, also receives many favorable compliments.

The Pardoner, on the other hand, holds much less, if any, regard with the narrator. He is compared to "a geldyng or a mare" in order to raise questions about his sexuality. The legitimacy of his profession is also described with a note of scorn.

As you read through these character introductions in the prologue, pay attention to the narrator's tone. You will see it move from mostly positive to mostly negative as he runs through his list. This should give you insight into how different social classes and professions were viewed during the time of Chaucer.