Chaucer s General Prologue The Character Roster And The...

Chaucer’s General Prologue: The Character Roster and The Author’s Technique In the â€Å"General Prologue† of Geoffrey Chaucer’s â€Å"Canterbury Tales†, readers are introduced to twenty-nine pilgrims, who will, as a collective unit make their journey to St. Thomas Beckett. As the poet encounters each pilgrim on the voyage, his attention to detail is not focused solely on opinion or his own perspective of the individual, but the individual in every sense. His way of describing each character’s traits, appearance and overall attitude is done so quite casually, on a first glance basis. There is a realness within the â€Å"General Prologue† that allows readers to visualize the described individual because they have their own identities, separating them†¦show more content†¦Placing this young solider under his father, demonstrates the power and rank that differs within the family and in the social order, yet the contrast of their intentions is not the only image the poet provides. In following the poet’s pattern of appearance, readers ‘see’ the Squire well-dressed compared to his father, â€Å"as fresh as is the month of May/ Short was his gown with sleeves long and wide† (92-93). This attention to his appearance plays into this dedication to battle versus winning a woman’s heart quite well, further reinforcing this contrast between father and son. While the two differ in their service to their Lord and their nobility, the representation of character continues as the poet describes the Prioress and the Monk, two differing religious figures within this journey. â€Å"There was also a nun, a Prioress† as the poet writes, â€Å"her smiling was full simple and coy†, she pledged her allegiance to the fashionable convent (118-119). The presentation of this character holds a double meaning in its way, as this woman’s devotion is not solely focused on religion, but her appearance, it seems, as she has began this pilgrimage rather than remaining on holy land. In the image of her personal appearance, Chaucer attaches this sense of elegance that differs from her male counterparts. Readers are able to understand this different perspective of elegance in regards to the nun, who is not coated with makeup and jewels, but demonstrates elegance in