Throughout “Canterbury Tales,” each of the characters fits into a certain type or class of person; the Knight being a noble upperclassman, the Miller is a peasant/tradesman, the Wife of Bath representing the women/middle class, and the Miller portraying the Clergyman.
- Nobility/Ruling Class – Knight and Squire.
- Clergy – Monk, Friar, Prioress, Parson, Summoner, Pardoner.
- Middle Class – Merchant, Doctor, Student, Wife of Bath.
- Peasants – Miller, Plowman, Skipper.
- Physical Characteristics, Clothing, and Accessories.
- Words, Experiences, and Personality Traits.
The wealthiest class with the most respect is royalty, which is followed by the noble. Both royalty and noble had a few things in common, one being clothes made from fine materials with bright colors and fancy food covered in seasonings that were devoured by the rich and served by the poor (The Middle Ages, 2018).
In The Canterbury Tales, the Knight has the highest social rank amongst the pilgrims, and he is introduced first by the narrator. He is also the first person to tell his story.
The Prioress, a type of nun, is the leader of an order of nuns and a member of the Church. However, her mannerisms and clothing suggest a woman of a high social class and a wealthy background.
Who is middle class in Canterbury Tales?
And Chaucer’s interest in middle class characters, such as a cook, carpenter, miller, lawyer, merchant, clerk, physician reflects the rise of the middle class in the fourteenth century (Collin 1).
What was the noble class in The Canterbury Tales?
The nobility in The Canterbury Tales is represented by the knight, which Chaucer describes as loving, “trouthe and honour, freedom and curteisye” (46). Since the knight is a worthy defender and protector of the people, the modern-day equivalent would be our country’s police officers and military.
working class man
The Skipper (or Shipman) in The Canterbury Tales stands out as a character because he is a straight-forward, working class man who lacks the hypocrisy of many other characters who have more wealth and status.
Is the Prioress wealthy?
The Prioress is part of the Clergy class, so she is wealthy.
Who was part of the upper class in England?
This class was divided into three subcategories: Royal, those who came from a royal family, Middle Upper, important officers and lords, and Lower Upper, wealthy men and business owners (Victorian England Social Hierarchy).
Are knights upper class?
Knights. While technically part of the nobility, knights represented the lowest group of the upper class, as they frequently had no vassals of their own. They could have their own piece of land and serfs to work it, but this was through the generosity of their lord.
What is the upper class called in England?
The British “upper class” is statistically very small and consists of the peerage, gentry and hereditary landowners, among others.
Tom Buchanan and Daisy belonged to the upper class, Nick Caraway belonged to the middle class and the Wilson’s were part of the lower class. Gatsby had the wealth to be part of the upper class but he was not.
The First Estate was the Church and members of its religious hierarchy. The five characters in The Canterbury Tales who fall into this class include the Prioress, Monk, Friar, Parson, and Pardoner.
How does Chaucer view the middle class?
In The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer depicts this rising middle class of medieval England in a positive light by joining all the classes together during the pilgrimage, by describing the variety and utility of the middle class through details of different characters, and by stressing the value of education to the middle
What were noble classes called?
the aristocracy
Nobility refers to a privileged class of people — often receiving hereditary titles — also called the aristocracy.
Is a noble upper class?
upper class Conventionally the upper class is often thought of as equivalent to the ‘aristocracy’: that is, the (often hereditary) noble class, comprising peers (in medieval England the dukes, marquesses, earls, viscounts, and barons) and landed magnates (or ‘gentlemen’).
Is the Pardoner a noble?
– The narrator gives ironic compliments to the Pardoner: -“In church he was a noble ecclesiast” (714) The Pardoner is anything but noble.
In conclusion, all the characters in The Canterbury Tales fall in one of the three social classes: nobility, clergy, and peasants, implying that England was structured during the feudal and medieval periods.
What is the difference between nun and prioress?
A prioress is a nun who is in charge of a convent.
What is a prioress job?
A prioress is a woman who is below an abbess in running a nunnery or abbey.