坎特伯雷故事集人物列表(英文).docx

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1、精品文档，仅供学习与交流，如有侵权请联系网站删除The PilgrimsThe Narrator- The narrator makes it quite clear that he is also a character in his book. Although he is called Chaucer, we should be wary of accepting his words and opinions as Chaucers own. In the General Prologue, the narrator presents himself as a gregarious an

2、d nave character. Later on, the Host accuses him of being silent and sullen. Because the narrator writes down his impressions of the pilgrims from memory, whom he does and does not like, and what he chooses and chooses not to remember about the characters, tells us as much about the narrators own pr

3、ejudices as it does about the characters themselves. The Knight- The first pilgrim Chaucer describes in the General Prologue, and the teller of the first tale. The Knight represents the ideal of a medieval Christian man-at-arms. He has participated in no less than fifteen of the great crusades of hi

4、s era. Brave, experienced, and prudent, the narrator greatly admires him. Read an in-depth analysis of The Knight. The Wife of Bath- Bath is an English town on the Avon River, not the name of this womans husband. Though she is a seamstress by occupation, she seems to be a professional wife. She has

5、been married five times and had many other affairs in her youth, making her well practiced in the art of love. She presents herself as someone who loves marriage and sex, but, from what we see of her, she also takes pleasure in rich attire, talking, and arguing. She is deaf in one ear and has a gap

6、between her front teeth, which was considered attractive in Chaucers time. She has traveled on pilgrimages to Jerusalem three times and elsewhere in Europe as well. Read an in-depth analysis of The Wife of Bath. The Pardoner- Pardoners granted papal indulgencesreprieves from penance in exchange for

7、charitable donations to the Church. Many pardoners, including this one, collected profits for themselves. In fact, Chaucers Pardoner excels in fraud, carrying a bag full of fake relicsfor example, he claims to have the veil of the Virgin Mary. The Pardoner has long, greasy, yellow hair and is beardl

8、ess. These characteristics were associated with shiftiness and gender ambiguity in Chaucers time. The Pardoner also has a gift for singing and preaching whenever he finds himself inside a church. Read an in-depth analysis of The Pardoner. The Miller- Stout and brawny, the Miller has a wart on his no

9、se and a big mouth, both literally and figuratively. He threatens the Hosts notion of propriety when he drunkenly insists on telling the second tale. Indeed, the Miller seems to enjoy overturning all conventions: he ruins the Hosts carefully planned storytelling order; he rips doors off hinges; and

10、he tells a tale that is somewhat blasphemous, ridiculing religious clerks, scholarly clerks, carpenters, and women. The Prioress- Described as modest and quiet, this Prioress (a nun who is head of her convent) aspires to have exquisite taste. Her table manners are dainty, she knows French (though no

11、t the French of the court), she dresses well, and she is charitable and compassionate. The Monk- Most monks of the Middle Ages lived in monasteries according to the Rule of Saint Benedict, which demanded that they devote their lives to “work and prayer.” This Monk cares little for the Rule; his devo

12、tion is to hunting and eating. He is large, loud, and well clad in hunting boots and furs. The Friar- Roaming priests with no ties to a monastery, friars were a great object of criticism in Chaucers time. Always ready to befriend young women or rich men who might need his services, the friar activel

13、y administers the sacraments in his town, especially those of marriage and confession. However, Chaucers worldly Friar has taken to accepting bribes. The Summoner- The Summoner brings persons accused of violating Church law to ecclesiastical court. This Summoner is a lecherous man whose face is scar

14、red by leprosy. He gets drunk frequently, is irritable, and is not particularly qualified for his position. He spouts the few words of Latin he knows in an attempt to sound educated. The Host- The leader of the group, the Host is large, loud, and merry, although he possesses a quick temper. He media

15、tes among the pilgrims and facilitates the flow of the tales. His title of “host” may be a pun, suggesting both an innkeeper and the Eucharist, or Holy Host. The Parson- The only devout churchman in the company, the Parson lives in poverty, but is rich in holy thoughts and deeds. The pastor of a siz

16、able town, he preaches the Gospel and makes sure to practice what he preaches. He is everything that the Monk, the Friar, and the Pardoner are not. The Squire- The Knights son and apprentice. The Squire is curly-haired, youthfully handsome, and loves dancing and courting. The Clerk- The Clerk is a p

17、oor student of philosophy. Having spent his money on books and learning rather than on fine clothes, he is threadbare and wan. He speaks little, but when he does, his words are wise and full of moral virtue. The Man of Law- A successful lawyer commissioned by the king. He upholds justice in matters

18、large and small and knows every statute of Englands law by heart. The Manciple- A manciple was in charge of getting provisions for a college or court. Despite his lack of education, this Manciple is smarter than the thirty lawyers he feeds. The Merchant- The Merchant trades in furs and other cloths,

19、 mostly from Flanders. He is part of a powerful and wealthy class in Chaucers society. The Shipman- Brown-skinned from years of sailing, the Shipman has seen every bay and river in England, and exotic ports in Spain and Carthage as well. He is a bit of a rascal, known for stealing wine while the shi

20、ps captain sleeps. The Physician- The Physician is one of the best in his profession, for he knows the cause of every malady and can cure most of them. Though the Physician keeps himself in perfect physical health, the narrator calls into question the Physicians spiritual health: he rarely consults

21、the Bible and has an unhealthy love of financial gain. The Franklin- The word “franklin” means “free man.” In Chaucers society, a franklin was neither a vassal serving a lord nor a member of the nobility. This particular franklin is a connoisseur of food and wine, so much so that his table remains l

22、aid and ready for food all day. The Reeve- A reeve was similar to a steward of a manor, and this reeve performs his job shrewdlyhis lord never loses so much as a ram to the other employees, and the vassals under his command are kept in line. However, he steals from his master. The Plowman- The Plowm

23、an is the Parsons brother and is equally good-hearted. A member of the peasant class, he pays his tithes to the Church and leads a good Christian life. The Guildsmen- Listed together, the five Guildsmen appear as a unit. English guilds were a combination of labor unions and social fraternities: craf

24、tsmen of similar occupations joined together to increase their bargaining power and live communally. All five Guildsmen are clad in the livery of their brotherhood. The Cook- The Cook works for the Guildsmen. Chaucer gives little detail about him, although he mentions a crusty sore on the Cooks leg.

25、 The Yeoman- The servant who accompanies the Knight and the Squire. The narrator mentions that his dress and weapons suggest he may be a forester. The Second Nun- The Second Nun is not described in the General Prologue, but she tells a saints life for her tale. The Nuns Priest- Like the Second Nun,

26、the Nuns Priest is not described in the General Prologue. His story of Chanticleer, however, is well crafted and suggests that he is a witty, self-effacing preacher. Characters from the Five Tales Analyzed in This SparkNoteThe Knights TaleTheseus- A great conqueror and the duke of Athens in the Knig

27、hts Tale. The most powerful ruler in the story, he is often called upon to make the final judgment, but he listens to others pleas for help. Palamon- Palamon is one of the two imprisoned Theban soldier heroes in the Knights Tale. Brave, strong, and sworn to everlasting friendship with his cousin Arc

28、ite, Palamon falls in love with the fair maiden Emelye, which brings him into conflict with Arcite. Though he loses the tournament against Arcite, he gets Emelye in the end. Arcite- The sworn brother to Palamon, Arcite, imprisoned with Palamon in the tower in the Knights Tale, falls equally head ove

29、r heels in love with Emelye. He gets released from the tower early and wins Emelyes hand in a tournament, but then dies when a divinely fated earthquake causes his horse to throw him. Emelye- Emelye is the sister to Hippolyta, Theseuss domesticated Amazon queen in the Knights Tale. Fair-haired and g

30、lowing, we first see Emelye as Palamon does, through a window. Although she is the object of both Palamons and Arcites desire, she would rather spend her life unmarried and childless. Nevertheless, when Arcite wins the tournament, she readily pledges herself to him. Egeus- Theseuss father. Egeus giv

31、es Theseus the advice that helps him convince Palamon and Emelye to end their mourning of Arcite and get married. The Millers TaleNicholas- In the Millers Tale, Nicholas is a poor astronomy student who boards with an elderly carpenter, John, and the carpenters too-young wife, Alisoun. Nicholas dupes

32、 John and sleeps with Alisoun right under Johns nose, but Absolon, the foppish parish clerk, gets Nicholas in the end. Alisoun- Alisoun is the sexy young woman married to the carpenter in the Millers Tale. She is bright and sweet like a small bird, and dresses in a tantalizing styleher clothes are e

33、mbroidered inside and outside, and she laces her boots high. She willingly goes to bed with Nicholas, but she has only harsh words and obscenities for Absolon. Absolon- The local parish clerk in the Millers Tale, Absolon is a little bit foolish and more than a little bit vain. He wears red stockings

34、 underneath his floor-length church gown, and his leather shoes are decorated like the fanciful stained-glass windows in a cathedral. He curls his hair, uses breath fresheners, and fancies Alisoun. John- The dim-witted carpenter to whom Alisoun is married and with whom Nicholas boards. John is jealo

35、us and possessive of his wife. He constantly berates Nicholas for looking into Gods “pryvetee,” but when Nicholas offers John the chance to share his knowledge, John quickly accepts. He gullibly believes Nicholass pronouncement that a second flood is coming, which allows Nicholas to sleep with Johns

36、 wife. The Wife of Baths Prologue and TaleThe First Three Husbands- The Wife of Bath says that her first three husbands were “good” because they were rich and old. She could order them around, use sex to get what she wanted, and trick them into believing lies. The Fourth Husband- The Wife of Bath sa

37、ys comparatively little about her fourth husband. She loved him, but he was a reveler who had a mistress. She had fun singing and dancing with him, but tried her best to make him jealous. She fell in love with her fifth husband, Jankyn, while she was still married to her fourth. Jankyn- The Wife of

38、Baths fifth husband, Jankyn, was a twenty-year-old former student, with whom the Wife was madly in love. His stories of wicked wives frustrated her so much that one night she ripped a page out of his book, only to receive a deafening smack on her ear in return. The Knight- Arthurs young knight rapes

39、 a maiden, and, to avoid the punishment of death, he is sent by the queen on a quest to learn about submission to women. Once he does so, and shows that he has learned his lesson by letting his old ugly wife make a decision, she rewards him by becoming beautiful and submissive. Read an in-depth anal

40、ysis of The Knight. The Old Woman- The old woman supplies the young knight with the answer to his question, in exchange for his promise to do whatever she wants. When she tells him he must marry her, the knight begrudgingly agrees, and when he allows her to choose whether she would like to be beauti

41、ful and unfaithful or ugly and faithful, she rewards him by becoming both beautiful and faithful. Arthurs Queen- Arthurs queen, presumably Guinevere, is interesting because she wields most of the power. When Arthurs knight rapes a maiden, he turns the knight over to his queen allows her to decide wh

42、at to do with him. The Pardoners TaleThe Three Rioters- These are the three protagonists of the Pardoners Tale. All three indulge in and represent the vices against which the Pardoner has railed in his Prologue: Gluttony, Drunkeness, Gambling, and Swearing. These traits define the three and eventual

43、ly lead to their downfall. The Rioters at first appear like personified vices, but it is their belief that a personified conceptin this case, Deathis a real person that becomes the root cause of their undoing.The Old Man- In the Pardoners Tale, the three Rioters encounter a very old man whose body i

44、s completely covered except for his face. Before the old man tells the Rioters where they can find “Death,” one of the Rioters rashly demands why the old man is still alive. The old man answers that he is doomed to walk the earth for eternity. He has been interpreted as Death itself, or as Cain, pun

45、ished for fratricide by walking the earth forever; or as the Wandering Jew, a man who refused to let Christ rest at his house when Christ proceeded to his crucifixion, and who was therefore doomed to roam the world, through the ages, never finding rest. The Nuns Priests TaleChanticleer- The heroic r

46、ooster of the Nuns Priests Tale, Chanticleer has seven hen-wives and is the most handsome cock in the barnyard. One day, he has a prophetic dream of a fox that will carry him away. Chanticleer is also a bit vain about his clear and accurate crowing voice, and he unwittingly allows a fox to flatter h

47、im out of his liberty. Pertelote- Chanticleers favorite wife in the Nuns Priests Tale. She is his equal in looks, manners, and talent. When Chanticleer dreams of the fox, he awakens her in the middle of the night, begging for an interpretation, but Pertelote will have none of it, calling him foolish

48、. When the fox takes him away, she mourns him in classical Greek fashion, burning herself and wailing. The Fox- The orange fox, interpreted by some as an allegorical figure for the devil, catches Chanticleer the rooster through flattery. Eventually, Chanticleer outwits the fox by encouraging him to boast of his deceit to his pursuers. When the fox opens his mouth, Chanticleer escapes. 【精品文档】第 6 页