the canterbury tales by jeffrey chaucer was written in the late 1300s soon after the bubonic plague killed millions of people in england and throughout europe chaucer was one of the first english poets to write in the vernacular of middle english popularizing the language of his day the poem is a collection of 24 stories built around a framed narrative about a group of pilgrims making their journey to canterbury chaucer's work addresses gender relations religion and sexual immorality within english society he critiques members of the nobility clergy and peasantry who were often in conflict with each other and uses satire to call attention to the pilgrim's hypocrisy chaucer unveils the vast spectacle of human failings by exposing the pilgrims preoccupation with worldly endeavors while on a religious pilgrimage to canterbury cathedral the canterbury tells begins with the famous words when april comes with his sweet fragrant showers which pierce the dry ground of march and bathe every root of every plant in sweet liquid then people desire to go on pilgrimages the narrator who is meant to be a version of chaucer himself is staying at the tabard inn in southwark just outside the gates of london when the company of 29 pilgrims descend the end's owner and host harry bailey sets up a challenge each pilgrim should tell four tales on their journey two on the way to the shrine of martyr saint thomas albeckett at canterbury cathedral and two on their way back to london the host will accompany them so he can judge the best story and the other pilgrims will pay for the winner's supper upon their return the narrator then introduces the pilgrims starting with the knight who has the highest status and drew the shortest lot for the right to tell the first tale 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 fashion tunic made of coarse cloth has rust stains from his coat of chainmail the knight's son the squire accompanies him at 20 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 the yeoman or 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 or an arm guard a sword a buckler and a dagger as sharp as a spear he wears an image of saint christopher on his breast the narrator then moves on to the clergy the prires called madame eglentine or mrs sweetbreyer 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 winkit omnia or love conquers all the prayers travels with the second nun who serves as her secretary as well as three priests the monk is next a modern man who prefers to hunt hair 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 the friar named hubert is wonton and mary 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 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 next is the clerk a scholar of oxford university he would rather have 20 books by aristotle then 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 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 a franklin travels with the man of law he has a beard as white as a daisy and is of the sanguine humor dominated by his blood he lives for culinary delight and his house is always full of meat pie fish and more meat the five guilds men include a haberdasher carpenter weaver dyer and tapestr representing an emerging middle class all of them are clothed in the same distinctive guildsman's dress none tells a tale 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 a shipment from dartmouth is next tanned brown from the hot summer sun riding upon a cart horse 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 from gotland to cape fenestere his ship is called the madeleine 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 the wife of bath named alice owen 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 boulogne on pilgrimage she is gap-toothed and knows all the tricks of the trade when it comes to love a good religious man the parson of a 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 finally chaucer describes harry bailey as the outspoken and merry host of the tabard inn he is large and bold with bright eyes then the narrator concludes that he has told us now of the estate or the class the array or the clothing and the number of pilgrims assembled in this company now their journey begins you