Who Is The Pilgrim In The Canterbury Tales

The Canterbury Tale is a 14th Century literature by an author named Chaucer. It is a story of 29 pilgrims on their way to Canterbury. Each pilgrim is of different social class, and background. Of the 29 pilgrim is a Monk, who through series of description can be seen to be different from other Monks. Reading about this monk, he is seen to be part of the nobility social class. This Monk is referred to with the title “Lord” twice in this passage. Chaucer’s repetition of the title Lord lays an emphasis that this monk is chosen from the noble class. He is part of the society’s big shot. His nobility is also brought out as he describes the type of food he loves to eat. For this monk, “A fat swan lov’d he best of any roast”. The commoners did not eat swan during this era, but only the wealthy could

“Full many a dainty horse he had in stable” implies that he owns more than one horse in his stable. This literature was written in the era when only those of the upper class were capable of owning one or more horses. Considering that these horses are “dainty” means that they are not the ones for hunting, but for a showy display of his wealth and luxury. These horses are being kept in good condition because it says of the one he currently rides on to be “…in great estate.” Therefore, this monk is not just rich enough to take care of himself but also his many horses. Also, the monk’s clothing is made of the best materials in the land. Chaucer says that he looked at his “sleeves worked at the end with Gris, and that the finest of the land.” It is not a new phenomenon that the rich would always want to acquire the best of everything, and this idea is what the Monk embodies. From the text, it says that “he had of gold y-wrought a curious pin,” which he uses to fasten his hood. This small detail of his pin being made of precious metal further illustrates the fact he can afford the best of