Chaucer's Pilgrims

An Historical Guide to the Pilgrims in The Canterbury Tales

Robert Thomas Lambdin, Laura Lambdin

• Publisher: Praeger
• Year: 1999
• Print ISBN:
  9780275966294
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9780313019487
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: English Literary Criticism
• Index: Literature

Chaucer's Canterbury Tales is one of the oldest and most widely studied works of English literature. The tales provide a glimpse of medieval life, and the professions of the pilgrims figure prominently in the poetry. To have a clear understanding of Chaucer's work, the reader needs to know about the vocations of the pilgrims. For some 600 years, this information has been difficult to locate. This reference work conveniently synthesizes and discusses information about the occupation of each of Chaucer's pilgrims and provides an historical context.

The volume contains individual entries for each of Chaucer's pilgrims, and the entries share a similar format to foster comparison. Each entry includes three parts. First, the pilgrim's profession is discussed in terms of the daily routine of the medieval occupation. Second, the vocation is examined in terms of its reflection in the tale told by the pilgrim. Third, the vocation and the tale are discussed, when possible, in relation to the descriptions of the characters provided in the General Prologue. Each entry includes a bibliography, and the volume concludes with a list of works for further reading.

Table of contents

• Contents
• Preface
• 1. A Knyght Ther Was
• 2. A Yong Squier
• 3. A Yeman Had He
• 4. Ther Was Also A Nonne, A Prioresse
• 5. Another Nonne With Hire Hadde She
• 6. And Preestes Thre
• 7. A Monk Ther Was, A Fair for the Maistrie
• 8. A Frere Ther Was, A Wantowne and a Meryee
• 9. A Marchant Was Ther With a Forked Berd
• 10. A Clerk Ther Was of Oxenford Also
• 11. A Sergeant of the Lawe, War and Wyse
• 12. A Frankeleyn Was In His Compaignye
• 13. An Haberdasher . . .
• 14. . . . And a Carpenter . . .
• 15. . . . A Webbe . . .
• 16. . . . A Dyere . . .
• 17. . . . And a Tapycer
• 18. A Cook They Had With Hem For the Nones
• 19. A Shipman Ther Was, Wonynge Fer By Weste
• 20. With Us Ther Was a Doctour of Phisik
• 21. A Good Wive Was Ther of Biside Bath
• 22. And Was a Povre Persoun of a Toun
• 23. With Hym Ther Was a Plowman, Was His Brother
• 24. The Millere Was a Stout Carl for the Nones
• 25. A Gentil Maunciple Was Ther of a Temple
• 26. The Reve Was a Sclendre Colerik Man
• 27. A Sumonour Was Ther With Us In That Place
• 28. With Hym Ther Rood a Gentil Pardoner
• 29. Harry Bailly: Chaucer's Innkeeper
• 30. I Demed Hym Som Chanoun For To Be
• 31. His Yeman Eek Was Ful of Curteisye
• 32. "What Man Artow?'': The Narrator as Writer and Pilgrim
• Selected Bibliography
• Index
• About the Editors and Contributors