Question
"The General Prologue" of Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales Characterization Chart
You will find below pilgrims mentioned in "The General Prologue." Be able to answer the following.
1. Physical Description: Does Chaucer give a physical description of each Pilgrim?
2. Activities/Behaviors: How does each pilgrim behave? What type of things does the pilgrim do or like? What adjectives does Chaucer use to descrbe
him/her? (Include at least 3 Details)
3. Emphasis: What do the details about the physical description and activities/behaviors emphasize about the character? What inferences can you make?
4. Group: What group does the pilgrim belong to? (Sub-Tenants, Church/Clergy, Middle Class/Merchant, Serf)
Physical Description
Activities/Behav
What does each detail emphasize or reveal
to you?
Group
Pilgrim
Yeoman
Answer
Yes, Chaucer gives a physical description of each pilgrim. Each pilgrim behaves differently and is described with different adjectives. The details emphasize the character's social class, occupation, and personality. The Yeoman belongs to the Middle Class/Merchant group.