The Host In The Canterbury Tales Analysis

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Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales has many characters Harry Bailey also known as the Host is one of them. His job upon many is to organize the storytelling challenge for the Pilgrims with the winner to have a meal at his Inn. His character is also considered to be inspired by Aristotle’s notion of place. The Host is a natural born leader which is shown by his actions, and his words. The Host has the most unique role in the story. When he initiates the storytelling challenge it is in a democratic way. Throughout the storytelling the Host helps out the Pilgrims. As the stories continue the Host becomes more emphasized during his confrontation with the Pardoner. The Host also continues his roles as the stories are winding down. The Host …show more content…

He tries to the stories balanced so half way through the stories the Host modifies the rules of the competition. During the Franklin’s interruption of the Clerk, the Host says, “Ech of yow moot tellen ate leste/A tale or two, or breken his biheste” (Chaucer V.697-8). This helps the competition stay balanced for the Pilgrims. Throughout the wife of bath’s Tale the Summoner and the Friar kept arguing so he moderated it. He tried to kept things fair between the Pilgrims as the stories went on. The Host never treated one Pilgrim any different than the other Pilgrims. At the end of one of the tales he starts to talk about his wife, and his personal life. He tells the Pilgrims things about his life that other people didn’t know about. There was also one story that he did not want his wife to hear. After, that he tries to quickly move on to the other stories so people don’t ask him questions about it. Then the Host asks the Merchant to “telle us part” of the sorrow he has experienced with his horrible wife (Chaucer IV.1242). After, the Merchant tells his tale he asks the narrator to describe him in a story. The narrator describes him as a short, chubby guy. The narrator also describes him as always looking down. During the stories the Cook is drunk, and ends up falling off of his horse, and the Host helps him get up and back on his horse again. The Host continues to enforce rules and other boundaries as the Pilgrims continue to keep telling their stories. It is not only his role but also, his job to deal with his criticism on others. One of the most interesting sayings in the wife of bathes is “Hire beautee was hire deth” (Chaucer

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