Canterbury Tales: Key Concepts

Meet the PilgrimsRULING CLASS & NOBILITY CHURCH COMMON PEOPLE

KnightSquireFranklin

MonkPrioressFriarParsonSummonerPardoner

YeomanMerchant (middle class)Clerk Sergeant-of-the-LawTradesmenCookShipmanPhysicianWife of BathPlowmanMillerMancipleReeve

Commoners: Two LevelsWealthier workers Poorer workers

MerchantSergeant-of-the-LawTradesmenShipmanPhysicianWife of BathMancipleReeve

YeomanClerkCookPlowmanMiller

Pardoner

• Pardoner – someone who sells church indulgences for sins against the church– Sins could only be confessed to priests, not

pardoners– Very corrupt profession– Promised things beyond their power– Brought in money for Church• Vatican

The Pardoner

Miller

• A person who operates a mill• Mill = a machine for grinding flour – Very old factories– Different types of mills• Watermills• Windmills• Cotton & steel mills

• Millers = usually richer than most peasants, but poor compared to rest of society

Medieval Miller

Frame Story

• A larger story that includes several related smaller stories– Frame – the beginning & ending of a story– Cyclical frame story – a story in which numerous

tales are connected