Chaucer's Reeve named Oswald is a slender choleric man. Professor Curry has
scientifically interpreted the Reeve's physical attributes. There is a
traditional connection between choleric temperament and thinness. Further
a choleric man always has thin pipe like legs which indicates a lecherous
character. Chaucer's Reeve is also close shaven that is an indication
of his inferior position in the social hierarchy. The Reeve occupies a
position between that of the steward or seneschal and a bailiff. He was
a carpenter in his youth. Oswald is a typical presentation of a deceitful
Reeve. He has managed his lord's account since his lord was twenty years
old and cheats him to fill his own coffers. Moreover he also knows all
the secrets of the bailiffs and laborers and blackmails them. He is thus
feared by all and nobody dares to expose him. He is richer than his lord
and often lends him his own money. This treacherous Reeve lives in a pleasant
house upon a heath, shadowed by green trees. The Reeve rides a farm horse
named Scot and wears a long coat tucked in like a friar's. Throughout
his portrayal of the Reeve, Chaucer highlights his deceitful malicious
and reprehensible character.
The Summoner was a church official who was responsible for summoning
the sinners before the ecclesiastical courts. Chaucer shows his extreme
loathing and hatred for the two characters of the corrupt Summoner and
Pardoner. He groups them together as joint partners in spiritual crime
and makes the Pardoner accompany his brother the Summoner in a bawdy song
about lustful love. The Summoner possesses disgusting physical features
that reflect the sordid state of his soul. His fiery red pimpled cherubic
face is the direct result of his sinful and lecherous activities. His
food habits are far from sober. His delight in eating garlic, onions and
leek and his fondness for wine further aggravates his physical condition.
He suffers from some kind of leprosy. The Summoner appears extremely repulsive
with suppurating blotches on his cheeks, black scabby eyebrows and scanty
beard. It is hardly surprising that innocent children are afraid of his
gruesome appearance. Chaucer sarcastically approves of the Summoner saying
that there wasn't a friendlier rascal to be found. The Summoner would
allow a sinner to keep a mistress for an entire year just in return for
a quart of wine. He is sympathetic to such people because in all likelihood
he commits the same sin himself. The Summoner is also illiterate and broadcasts
his ignorance by repeating a few Latin phrases when drunk. The extent
of his entire knowledge lies in the refrain, "Questio quid iuris?"
(The question is what is the law?). The Summoner's moral depravity can
be glimpsed from his views on excommunication. He is ever ready to forgo
excommunicating a sinner if he is sure of a hefty bribe and proclaims
that purse is the archdeacon's hell. This means that the punishment is
to the sinner's purse rather than to his soul. This corrupt Summoner extorts
protection money from every gullible sinner by threatening them of excommunication
At this point Chaucer directly speaks and states that every man should
fear the archdeacon's curse of excommunication since it will certainly
kill his soul just as absolution will save it. This gluttonous Summoner
carries a shield of cake or loaf and his head is garlanded with flowers.
There is a consistent strain of moral disgust, outrage and loathing throughout
the Summoner's portrait."
If the Summoner received Chaucer's unmitigated disapproval, the Pardoner is
a personification of absolute evil. A Pardoner sells papal indulgences
and relics. He preached that Papal indulgences pardoned the sins committed
in one's life and ensured a place in purgatory instead of hell. Pardoners
made a commercial business out of sale of indulgences as they made them
easily available through payment of money. Chaucer's Pardoner has come
straight from Rome with a bag overstuffed with indulgences. He also carries
false relics to cheat naïve people. These include a pillow case which
had served as the Virgin's veil, the piece of sail with which St. Paul
went to sea until Christ caught him, and a glass jar filled with pig's
bones. He has duped many innocent parsons and his parishioners by selling
them false indulgences and relics. He confesses in the Prologue to his
Tale, that, he knows the exact method of extorting money from people by
preaching against the avarice of money. The hypocritical Pardoner has
repulsive physical features. His sparse waxy yellow hair hangs limply
by the sides like strands of flax. His glaring hare like eyes, small goat
like voice and absence of facial hair indicates that he is a eunuch. He
rides dischevelee' and his hood is in his bag. He wears a vernicle on
his cap to indicate his official authority. His special skill lies in
singing at the offertory to extract maximum money from the people. The
Pardoner does not invite Chaucer's gentle irony but harsh sarcasm. There
is an outright condemnation of the Pardoner's mal-practices and moral
corruption.
Chaucer is the author of "The Canterbury Tales" and also appears
as one of the pilgrims throughout the entire book. He functions as the
naïve narrator and the reader's guide on the way to Canterbury and
his ironic comments as the poet reveals the true color of this assorted
group. Chaucer's cheeky presence as one of the pilgrims lends an air of
realism and immediacy to the book and the reader feels that he is reading
an eyewitness account. He tells the tales of Sir Topas and Melibee during
the course of the journey. He finally identifies himself as the poet at
the end in "Retracciouns". The reader first meets him in the
"General Prologue" where he describes the pilgrims that he encounters
at the Tabard inn. He poses as a naïve first person narrator and
claims to be objective in his appraisal of the pilgrims' appearance but
it is seen that he seems to possess the knowledge of an omniscient narrator.
The reader thus learns not only about the pilgrims' physical appearance
but also details about their personal lives and careers. Chaucer, the
observer and recorder of events as one of the pilgrims, frequently pronounces
his judgement as the poet. He openly condemns the corrupt Summoner and
the evil Pardoner. This intrusion of the poet's voice does not effect
the narrative. Rather it helps the story to achieve immediacy.
The Host, named Harry Bailey, is not included among the twenty-nine pilgrims
who gathered at the Tabard Inn. He is introduced at the end of the "General
Prologue". The character of the Host is not fully developed. He appears
to be a friendly, agreeable and sensible man. His genial warmth is his
most outstanding characteristic. Chaucer comments that the Host is the
fairest burgess in the whole of Cheapside and is fit to serve as a marshal
in a lord's house. He is frank and forthright in his speech. The Host
proposes the story telling competition for the long journey to Canterbury
and says that each pilgrim is to tell two tales on the way to Canterbury
and two tales on the way back. The others will reward the pilgrim who
tells the best tale by a supper at the Tabard Inn. The Host then proposes
to join the group of pilgrims himself. The pilgrims immediately accept
him as the guide, judge, manager and reporter. Thus thirty people set
off towards the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket in Canterbury the next evening.
The Host frequently provides the link between the various stories and
decides the order in which the pilgrims narrate their tales. After each
tale the Host provides his opinions and comments which reveal his intelligence.
The Host for instance stops Chaucer's Tale of Sir Topas in the middle
because he senses that it is mindless rhyming. Critics believe that the
Host was modeled on a certain Harry Bailly who actually lived in Southwark
in Chaucer's time.
The guildsmen are sketchily portrayed in the "General Prologue".
The reader learns very little about them apart from the fact that they
are wearing fine clothes and are financially well off. Chaucer ironically
says that they are able men and worthy to serve as aldermen. They are
members of a guild, and wear the distinctive dresses of their occupations.
The Guildsmen include a haberdasher, a dyer, a carpenter, a weaver, and
a tapestry-maker. Their trade appears to have been randomly chosen by
Chaucer and do not have any significance. The guildsmen are treated as
a group and no individual importance is given to them. Chaucer's intention
seems to be to satirize the self-importance of the guildsmen and their
wives who are addressed as madam' and have their trails carried behind
them just as the royalty.
Clapsaddle, Diane. "TheBestNotes on A Long Way Gone".
TheBestNotes.com.
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