The+Canterbury+Tales

The Canterbury Tales
 * Key Plot Events
 * Key Characters
 * **Knight's Tale**
 * Palamon: a brave, strong, and loyal imprisioned Thebean soldier. He loses the fight with Arcite, but gets Emelye in the end. He sees her as a goddess.
 * Arcite: imprisoned with Palamon, and falls for Emelye as well. He wins the tournament, but does not get Emelye. He loves her as a women.
 * Emelye: The center of Palamon and Arcite's affection.
 * **Miller's Tale**
 * Nicholas: Lives in Alisoun and John's house. Has an affair with Alisoun. A conniving, wanton character, he sleeps with Alisoun right in front of John.
 * Alisoun: a beautiful young women who is married to the Carpenter. Bright and sweet. Rejects Absolon.
 * Absolon: Local parish clerk. Foolish and vain, he pines for Alisoun.
 * John: the foolish carpenter to whom alisoun is married. John is really guillible, and believes what Nicholas says about Noah's ark.
 * **Nun's Priest's Tale**
 * Pertelote: Chanticleer's favorite wife. She mourns when Chanticleer is taken away by the Rooster.
 * Fox: Catches chanticleer through flattery.
 * Chanticleer: the vain rooster who is the center of attention in the barnyard, with seven hen wives.
 * **Wife of Bath's Tale**
 * First Three Husbands: They are her "good" husbands, rich and old. She could get them to do whatever pleased her.
 * Fourth Husband: She loved him, but he had an affair. She also had an affair with her soon to be fifth husband.
 * Fifth Husband: Jankyn, the man that she truly loved.
 * **Pardoner's Tale**
 * Three Rioters: All three represent the sins mentioned in the prologue.
 * Old Man: the man that the three rioters encounter. He tells the rioters where they can find "death".
 * Setting (time and place)
 * Late fourteenth century
 * Tabard Inn, on the way to Canterbury
 * Key Symbol(s):
 * Each story has a general problem or conflict. These conflicts often reflect the conflicts of society, between sexes or classes.
 * Key Image(s)
 * Key Theme(s)
 * Theme - The Corruption of the Church-** many of the characters within the Canterbury tales revolve their stories around religion. For example, the Miller speaks of the folly of the church. He involves many biblical tales in his story (the flood) in many comedic ways. On top of the this, the Pardoner embodies the true corruption of the Church. He accepts indulgences and payment and in turn he offers salvation to many of his churchgoers. On top of this, he preaches against such acts but performs them himself.
 * Key Structural Elements