Social Rank In Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales

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In Chaucer's novel, The Canterbury Tales, there is a wide variety of characters and social

ranks. In Medieval times, there were big differences between social classes, and because of this,

they all had different understandings of humor, appropriateness, and many other characteristics

and ideals. And this concept carries over to Chaucer's tale. For example, the Knight, who is the

most noble and high ranking pilgrim in the story, tells a story that is much more proper and

chivalrous than the lower class Summoner and Reeve. Chaucer uses the the social rank of a

character to influence how their story is told.

The Knight in this story is the most noble, moral pilgrim on this trek. The prologue of the

book states that he was "...a …show more content…
"...But he was ready with his hot

Nance 3

iron and he smoke Nicholas in the middle of his ass" (76). The language in this story is vulgar as

well. There are many references to the butt using unnecessary language. This is not the only tale

told by a lower class pilgrim in this book; there are many tales with these kind of attributes.

The Reeve's tale is very similar to the Miller's tale based off it's attributes. This story is

about stealing, sex and pride. In this story, a Miller has two guests stay over because they work

for him in the mill that the Miller is stealing from. The two men end up stealing all his stolen

goods and sleeping with the Miller's wife and daughter, all because of the Miller's prideful

attitude. "In this way the proud miller was well beaten; he lost the money for grinding the wheat

and he paid for every bit of supper for Allan and John, who beat him thoroughly and who slept

with his wife and daughter" (91). This story doesn't have as much crude language, but it

definitely has more vulgar content. The fat to that these two pilgrims are insulting each
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