The tales are not simply a story or a poem, it is an individual speaking about his observations- an oral performance. In the tales that follow, Chaucher (the pilgrim) will impersonate the others, ?The wordes mote be cosin to the dede- (Line 742)? so his words must match the action he sees. It becomes a double narration, where Chaucer creates this pilgrim who tells the story of a great pilgrimage to Canterbury. There is no longer a creator of the poem, simply a speaker, a character who has his own characteristics and repeats what he sees. Despite its subtly, these traits expose the pilgrim Chaucer.

Each of the stories in The Canterbury Tales are to be told with the utmost accuracy, suggesting Chaucer?s literacy.

?Whoso shal telle a tale after a man,

Al speke he never so rudeliche and large;

Chaucer?s poem has built up a character different from the real Chaucer, creating the pilgrim narrator whose profession is on the same social level as the Reve, Millere, Somnour, Pardoner, and a Maunciple. The narrator also shares the same corruption in whatever his profession may be. Through his description of the Guildsmen, it is asserted that the pilgrim?s profession has higher social status than the guildsmen. Chaucer?s ability to read and write hint that his career may be associated with the Church or government. Chaucer creates this other entity as a veil, allowing him to express his ideas without repercussion.

The General Prologue provides a profile of each of the pilgrims in such an order that forms social groupings. The Knight, Squyer, and Yeman have a relationship to one another; the Squyer is the Knight?s son and the Yeman serves the Knight. The next seven have religion in common and the list goes on. These groups and their descriptions further reveal Chaucer?s personality. ?An Haberdassher and a Carpenter,/ A Webbe, a Dyere, and a Tapicer (Line 361-362)? are grouped together and are less esteemed. The other characters each receive their own depiction, yet Chaucer groups these five pilgrims together in a description shorter than the Knights, less than half of the Somonour or the Reve?s text. Chaucer, as the pilgrim, must have a higher profession than the guildsmen to look down upon them as he does.

He made the person and the peple his apes.? (Lines 703-706)

Everish a word, if it be in his charge,

Pardoners sold papal indulgences to raise money to support the construction of religious houses1, but most were fraudulent as was this one. Yet Chaucer makes no disdaining r

Some topics in this essay:
Canterbury Tales, Pardoner Maunciple, Millere Pardoners, Prologue Chaucer, Millere Wel, Canterbury Tales1, Squyer Knights, Tapicer Line, Somonour Reves, Squyer Yeman, medieval society, pilgrim chaucer, chaucer pilgrim, somnour pardoner maunciple, somnour pardoner, pardoner maunciple, double narration, social standing, chaucer creates, profession social, canterbury tales,