The General Prologue to the Canterbury Tales

Poetry | Geoffrey Chaucer
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Brief Questions in "The General Prologue to The Canterbury Tales"

Brief Questions in "The General Prologue to The Canterbury Tales"

  • What were the three main phases of Chaucer’s poetic career?
Ans: Chaucer’s poetic career had three phases: French, Italian, and English.
  • What is the masterpiece of Chaucer? 
Ans: The Canterbury Tales is the masterpiece of Chaucer.
  • What is The Canterbury Tales?
Ans: The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories told by pilgrims traveling from London to Canterbury.
  • How many pilgrims are described in the General Prologue?
Ans: Twenty-nine pilgrims are described, and Chaucer himself was the thirtieth pilgrim.
  • What was the proposal of Harry Bailey?
Ans: Harry Bailey proposed that each pilgrim should tell two stories on the way to Canterbury and two on the way back. The best storyteller would win a free meal.
  • What is a pilgrimage?
Ans: A pilgrimage is a religious journey made to a sacred place for spiritual blessing or forgiveness.
  • How did the narrator describe the Knight?
Ans: The Knight was a brave, noble, and honorable man who fought many battles and was respected for his courtesy.
  • How is the Knight dressed?
Ans: The Knight wore a plain fustian tunic, stained with rust from his coat of mail.
  • How many battles did the Knight fight?
Ans: The Knight fought in fifteen battles.
  • How old was the Squire?
Ans: The Squire was about twenty years old.
  • What is the function of a Yeoman?
Ans: A Yeoman served as an attendant to a knight and often worked as a skilled forester or archer.
  • Who accompanied the Prioress?
Ans: The Prioress was accompanied by another nun, who was her chaplain, and three priests.
  • What was inscribed on the brooch of the Prioress?
Ans: The brooch of the Prioress was inscribed with the words “Amor vincit omnia,” meaning “Love conquers all.”
  • What was the Monk’s horse like?
Ans: The Monk’s horse was strong, handsome, and brown as a berry.
  • Mention some good qualities of the Friar.
Ans: The Friar could sing sweetly, play the fiddle well, and was cheerful and polite.
  • What did the narrator tell about the Friar’s dress?
Ans: The Friar dressed like a rich man or lord, not like a poor scholar.
  • What type of person was the Merchant?
Ans: The Merchant was clever, confident, and skillful in business dealings.
  • How did the Clerk of Oxford look?
Ans: The Clerk of Oxford was thin, quiet, and serious-looking.
  • Which books did the Clerk like to keep near his bed?
Ans: The Clerk liked to keep twenty volumes of Aristotle and philosophy near his bed.
  • What was the Sergeant of Law?
Ans: The Sergeant of Law was a wise and respected lawyer and judge.
  • What did the Sergeant of Law wear?
Ans: He wore a multi-colored coat and a silk belt with small stripes.
  • What was the Franklin’s view of life?
Ans: The Franklin believed that perfect happiness lies in pleasure.
  • Write about the five guildsmen.
Ans: The five guildsmen were a Haberdasher, a Carpenter, a Weaver, a Dyer, and a Tapestry Maker. They were well-dressed and prosperous.
  • What was the name of the Sailor’s ship?
Ans: The name of the Sailor’s ship was Madelaine.
  • How was the dress of the Doctor of Medicine?
Ans: The Doctor of Medicine wore clothes of blood-red and blue-gray lined with silk and taffeta.
  • Mention some physical features of the Wife of Bath.
Ans: The Wife of Bath was fair, red-faced, gap-toothed, large-hipped, and somewhat deaf.
  • How many times did the Wife of Bath marry?
Ans: The Wife of Bath married five times.
  • What was the occupation of the Wife of Bath?
Ans: The Wife of Bath was an expert cloth-maker.
  • What type of person was the Plowman?
Ans: The Plowman was honest, hardworking, charitable, and devoted to God.
  • What did the Miller wear?
Ans: The Miller wore a white coat and a blue hood.
  • What were the negative features of the Miller?
Ans: The Miller was a rude talker, told obscene jokes, and cheated people by overcharging for corn.
  • What do you know about the horse of the Reeve?
Ans: The Reeve’s horse was named Scot and was spotted gray all over.
  • What did the Summoner wear on his head?
Ans: The Summoner wore a garland on his head, as big as one used for an alehouse sign.
  • How were the eyes of the Pardoner?
Ans: The Pardoner had bright, shining eyes like those of a hare.
  • What does Plato say?
Ans: Plato says that words should truthfully express one’s thoughts and feelings.
  • What type of man was the Host?
Ans: The Host was bold, cheerful, sensible, and full of good humor.
  • Whom did the Host call to draw his lot first?
Ans: The Host called the Knight to draw his lot first.
  • To whom did the lot fall?
Ans: The lot fell to the Knight, who told the first tale.
  • Why does Chaucer praise April?
Ans: Chaucer praises April because it brings rain, warmth, and the renewal of life.
  • Why did people travel to Canterbury?
Ans: People traveled to Canterbury to visit the shrine of St. Thomas à Becket and receive blessings.
  • What is the job of a Reeve?
Ans: A Reeve worked as a manager and accountant of a nobleman’s estate.
  • Who is the owner of the Tabard Inn?
Ans: The owner of the Tabard Inn was the Host, Harry Bailey.
  • Name some of the great personalities referred to in the Prologue.
Ans: Some important characters are the Knight, the Squire, the Prioress, the Monk, and the Sergeant of Law.
  • What does the Host of the Tabard Inn propose to pass the time?
Ans: The Host proposes a storytelling contest during the journey to Canterbury and back.
  • What is the name of the Prioress?
Ans: The Prioress’s name was Madam Eglantine.
  • Who is Saint Thomas Becket?
Ans: Saint Thomas Becket was the Archbishop of Canterbury who was killed in 1170 for opposing King Henry II’s interference in church matters.
  • What did the Host propose after the pilgrims reached the watering place of Saint Thomas?
Ans: The Host proposed that they draw lots to decide who would tell the first story.
  • What is a prologue?
Ans: A prologue is an introduction that gives background information before the main story begins.
  • Who was the Sergeant-at-Law?
Ans: The Sergeant-at-Law was a learned judge at the law courts.
  • Why did the Doctor of Physic love gold?
Ans: The Doctor loved gold because he believed that gold was useful in medicine and healing.
  • What is Canterbury?
Ans: Canterbury is a city in southeast England that became a famous pilgrimage site in the Middle Ages.
  • Where did the pilgrims assemble?
Ans: The pilgrims assembled at the Tabard Inn in Southwark.
  • What was the Friar’s name?
Ans: The Friar’s name was Hubert.
  • How were the teeth of the Wife of Bath?
Ans: The Wife of Bath was gap-toothed.
  • What is a Prologue?
Ans: A Prologue is an opening section of a story that introduces the background or setting.
  • What does spring symbolize in The Prologue?
Ans: Spring symbolizes fertility, hope, and spiritual renewal.
  • How does Chaucer praise April?
Ans: Chaucer praises April because its rain and warm winds bring life and beauty back to the earth.
  • What was the destination of the pilgrims?
Ans: The destination of the pilgrims was the shrine of St. Thomas à Becket at Canterbury.
  • What was the favorite pastime of the Monk?
Ans: The Monk’s favorite pastime was hunting.
  • Who is Madam Eglantine?
Ans: Madam Eglantine is the Prioress described in the General Prologue.
  • What is the name of the Host?
Ans: The name of the Host is Harry Bailey.
  • What is the function of a Summoner?
Ans: The Summoner’s duty was to call people to appear before the church court for their sins.
  • Who was the Wife of Bath?
Ans: The Wife of Bath was a wealthy and experienced woman from near the city of Bath who loved travel and marriage.

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Geoffrey Chaucer
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