Analysis of The Canon's Yeoman's Tale

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Summary and Analysis of The Canon's Yeoman's Tale (The Canterbury Tales)

Prologue to the Canon's Yeoman's Tale:

When the story of Saint Cecilia was finished and the company continued on their journey, they came across two men. One of them was clad all in black and had been traveling quickly on their horses; the narrator believes that he must be a canon (an alchemist). The Canon's Yeoman said that they wished to join the company on their journey, for they had heard of their tales. The Host asked if the Canon could tell a tale, and the Yeoman answers that the Canon knows tales of mirth and jollity, and is a man whom anybody would be honored to know. The Host guesses that his master was a clerk, but the Yeoman says that he is something greater. The Host, however, wonders why the Canon dresses so shabbily if he is so important. The Yeoman brags about what the Canon can do, such as creating the illusion of gold, until the Canon tells him to stop. For shame at his Yeoman's behavior, the Canon then departed. The Canon's Yeoman then decides to tell a tale himself.

Analysis

The d...

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