1) The Knight is a chivalrous nobleman who has fought in the Crusades in numerous countries in defense of Christendom; he is honored for his worthiness and courtesy. The Knight’s 'Fustian' tunic, made of coarse cloth, has rust stains from his coat of chainmail. 2) The Knight’s son, the Squire, accompanies him. At twenty years old, the Squire is a lover and a lusty bachelor, wearing clothes embroidered with red and white flowers. He constantly sings or plays the flute and is the only pilgrim, other than Chaucer himself, who explicitly has literary ambitions. 3) The Yeoman (a freeborn servant) also travels with the Knight, clad in a coat and a hood of green. He carries arrows made of peacock feathers, a bracer (an arm guard), a sword, a buckler, and a dagger as sharp as a spear. He wears an image of St. Christopher on his breast. 4) The Prioress, called 'Madame Eglantine' (or Mrs. Sweetbriar) sweetly sings religious services, speaks French and has excellent table manners. She would weep if she saw a mouse caught in a trap, and she has small dogs with her. She wears a brooch with the inscription 'Amor vincit omnia' ('Love conquers all'). 5) The Prioress travels with the Second Nun who serves as her secretary, as well as three priests. 6) The Monk is next—a modern man who prefers to hunt hare with his greyhounds rather than read books in a cloister. The Monk is well-fed, fat, and his eyes gleam like a furnace in his head. 7) The Friar, named Huberd, is wanton and merry, and is licensed to beg in certain districts. Franklins (or landowners) love him as do worthy women all over town. He hears confession and gives absolution and is an excellent beggar. 8) The Merchant wears a forked beard, motley clothes and sits high upon his horse. He gives his opinion solemnly, and does excellent business, never being in any debt. But the narrator ominously remarks that he—the narrator—doesn’t know what other men think of the Merchant. 9) Next is the Clerk. A scholar of Oxford University, he would rather have twenty books by Aristotle than rich clothes or musical instruments, and thus is dressed in a threadbare short coat. He only has a little gold, which he spends on books and learning. 10) The Man of Law or “sergeant of the law,” is judicious and dignified, or at least seems to be. No one can find a flaw in his legal writings. Despite his high standing, the Man of Law rides in a homely, multi-colored coat. 11) A Franklin travels with the Man of Law. He has a beard as white as a daisy, and is of the “sanguine humour” (dominated by his blood). He lives for culinary delight and his house is always full of meat pie, fish and more meat. 12) Roger the cook accompanies the five tradesmen to boil the chicken with marrow bones and spices for them but he also knows how to discern a good London ale he can also roast simmer boil fry stew and bake a good pie. However it is a great pity that he has an ulcer on his shin 13) A Shipman from Dartmouth is next. Tanned- brown from the hot summer sun, riding upon a cart horse that and wearing a gown of coarse woolen cloth which reaches to his knees the shipment has many times drawn a secret draft of wine on board their ships while the merchant was asleep the shipment has weathered many storms and knows the locations of all the harbors. 14) A Doctor of Medicine is clad in red and blue and speaks with great authority about medicine and surgery. He knows the cause of every illness, what humor engenders them, and how to cure them.He is well read in the standard medical authorities but has not studied the bible. 15) The Wife of Bath named Alice Owen. She is a little deaf she is adept at making cloth that surpasses even the cloth-making capitals of Chaucer's world. Ipra and ghent, the Wife of Bath wears linen coverings for her head, which the narrator assumes must weigh 10 pounds. She has married five husbands in the church and has been to Jerusalem, Rome and Bologna on pilgrimage. She is gap-toothed and knows all the tricks of the trade when it comes to love. 16) A good religious man, the Parson of the town, is pouring goods, but rich in holiness. He travels on foot to visit all his parishioners carrying a staff in his hand calling them his sheep, a noble example to his flock he acts first and preaches second 17) A plowman travels with the parson he has hauled many cart loads of dung in his time, and is a good hard-working man who lives in peace and charity. 18) A miller comes next in this final group of pilgrims those of the lowest social status. He always wins the prize in wrestling matches he can lift any door off its hinges or break it by running at it, head first. He has black wide nostrils carries a sword and a buckler or shield by his side and has a mouth like a great furnace he steals corn and takes payment for it three times but then Chaucer implies there are no honest millers. 19) Next, is a noble Manciple. A business agent. Purchaser of religious provisions, and a savvy financial operator trained in the law. The narrator ominously tells us that the Manciple would deceive even a heap of learned men. 20) The reeve is a slender choleric man long legged and lean. He knows exactly how much grain he has and is an excellent keeper of his granary. The reeve is an accountant who knows secrets about everyone. Bailiffs, herdsmen, and servants and all live in fear of him 21) The summoner is next. His face fire red and pimpled with narrow eyes. He has a skin disease across his black brows and his beard, which has hair falling out of it. He is lecherous. There is no cure to remove his pimples. He loves drinking wine and eating leeks onions and garlic he summons people to appear in court. 22) Traveling with the summoner is a Noble Partner, his friend and his companion and the last pilgrim. The narrator describes– He sings loudly. Come-hither love to me and has hair as yellow as wax. He carries a wallet full of fake pardons in his lap from rome with a thin boyish voice the partner is sexually ambiguous 23) Finally, Chaucer describes Harry Bailey as the outspoken and merry host of the Tabard Inn. He is large and bold with bright eyes.

Characterizations- Geoffrey Chaucer- Canterbury Tales

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