illustration of a clergyman with Canterbury cathedral behind him

The Canterbury Tales

by Geoffrey Chaucer

Start Free Trial

Discussion Topic

The Canterbury Tales' Reflection of Medieval Society

Summary:

The prologue of Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales offers a vivid cross-section of medieval society, highlighting its diverse classes and professions. It depicts the three main social divisions: feudal, town, and church, revealing both the virtues and vices within each. Characters like the Friar and Pardoner illustrate church corruption, while others, such as the Parson and Plowman, embody virtue. Chaucer's work serves as social commentary, critiquing materialism and hypocrisy, and providing insight into the societal structure and values of the 14th century.

Expert Answers

An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

What does the prologue of The Canterbury Tales reveal about medieval society?

Since the Canterbury Talesprologue presents a cross-section of medieval society, we can learn much about the daily lives of the people, the various classes, and social issues.

We learn, first of all, about the three divisions of medieval society--fuedal, town, and church--and the characters associated with each.  We learn about the ways various characters dress--the short tunic of the young squire, which attracts the ladies; the fur-lined coat of the monk, which indicates his wealth and his secular hobby hunting; the red stockings of the Wife of Bath, revealing her wealth (Dye was expensive).  We learn also that overweight bodies (such as the Nun's and the Monk's) were a sign of wealth and privilege.

We learn more about various occupations. The Pardoner, for instance,  sold fake relics to those searching for a place in heaven. The Summoner's job was to bring sinners to answer to the Church. The Guildsmen, had suddenly...

Unlock
This Answer Now

Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.

Get 48 Hours Free Access

become rich through a sudden demand for their skills, as a result of the plague wiping out one-fourth of population.  Physicians  profited from the plague as well as from kickbacks from apothecaries.

We learn that medieval society was plagued by hypocritical church officials (for example, the Monk, Friar, Pardoner) who enriched themselves by preying on the poor and vulnerable. We learn that not all who worked for the church were truly pious, and that many were quite corrupt and heedless of their vows of poverty, chastity, and devotion. But we learn that those outside the church could also be corrupt.   A street-smart Manciple could outsmart book-learned lawyers. A Miller can easily increase his profit by putting a heavy thumb on the scale. A Merchant could dress in finery but actually be in debt up to his eyeballs.  An unsavory Skipper might execute his prisoners.  An otherwise skillful Cook might have an oozing sore.

But then we learn also that virtue could be found in Medieval society.  Some scholars, such as the Oxford Cleric, loved to learn and teach; some preachers led by example, such as the Parson; decent farmers, such as the Plowman, might lead humble and compassionate lives; hospitable Franklins might offer guests fine food and drink.

In short, we learn much about medieval society and much about our own.

Approved by eNotes Editorial
An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

One place to start for your essay concerning what is revealed about medieval society in "The Prologue" to Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales is with the orders and ranks of two segments of society:  the secular and the Church.  The secular ranks include the nobility, the professional, and the craftsmen/peasants.  The Church consists of the friar, the pardoner, nuns, etc.  As you reread and research the material, make notes on which segment of society each character belongs to.  This is a starting place to gain an understanding of what Chaucer reveals about the society he lives in.

For more information, I suggest asking your question as a discussion question in a group.

Approved by eNotes Editorial
An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

What portion of Middle Ages society does The Canterbury Tales represent?

Chaucer's ability to capture the personalities of people from all walks of life is one feature that makes his famous work The Canterbury Tales unique. Describing a group of pilgrims traveling to Canterbury, Chaucer includes character sketches of people from all classes of medieval society.

"The General Prologue" introduces us to each character with a brief sketch of his or her appearance and personality traits. The Canterbury Tales is also a work of social commentary, so we can see Chaucer's criticism of certain aspects of medieval society, namely corruption in the Church.

The pilgrims are presented in descending order in terms of class status, so we begin with the knight, who ranks at the top of the medieval class structure. He and his son, the squire, along with their attendant, are described first. From there, we hear about some of the high-ranking and wealthy religious like the monk and the prioress. In these characterizations, we get the sense that some upper-class clergy are perhaps overly materialistic and have their priorities a bit out of order.

As the "Prologue" continues, Chaucer describes some of the middle class characters, like the cook and the doctor. Later, he also depicts some of the poor, working class pilgrims, such as the parson and the plowman. He also describes the flaws of some of the immoral members of the lower class such as the reeve and the summoner. Again, this contributes to the social commentary, as it shows how willing some medieval folks are to take advantage of others for their own gain.

In sum, Chaucer depicts a wide range of medieval characters from all social classes and a number of fields of specialization. The portrayal of these characters is sometimes satirical and critical, and overall, Chaucer provides us with a vivid picture of medieval society.

Approved by eNotes Editorial
An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

Virtually every portion of medieval society is represented in the Canterbury Tales, which is one reason for its enduring popularity. There are numerous clergymen and women, including the Parson, the Nun's Priest, the Prioress, and the Nun herself. There Knight is representative of the nobility,and the Man of Law and the Merchant, among others, represents a growing contingent of wealthy city-dwellers, educated men who owned property but did not have titles. The Miller would have been a small property-owner, and the Canon's Yeoman and the Cook were representative of working class Englishmen. Very poor peasants are not represented, but virtually every other class (and gender) are. 

Approved by eNotes Editorial