"The pilgrims summarise the noblest ideals and the basest practises" Discuss this statement.

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“The pilgrims summarise the noblest ideals and the basest practises” Discuss this statement.

The prologue to the Canterbury Tales contains portraits of a multitude of characters, from the most pious to the downright wicked as Chaucer presents characters from all walks of life.  His tales are a mixture of the noble, such as the Knight, the Parson and the Plowman who are juxtaposed with the ignoble Friar, Summoner and Pardonner. By interspersing this dichotomy of characters with a wealth of more ‘in-between’ ones Chaucer presents us with a refreshingly original mixture of humanity.

The Knight is the first of Chaucer’s pilgrims and therefore becomes the character against whom subsequent pilgrims will be compared and found to be flawed. It is fitting that it is he who is described first as he is the character of highest status on this particular pilgrimage .

The Knight is an ideal character, a defender of the faith, courageous, modest “and though that he were worthy, he was wise/ And of his post as meeke as is a maide.” Despite being a warrior he is meek bowing to his religious calling. Chaucer, in his satirical way, ensures that we are aware that being a knight is synonymous with being worthy as he uses the word to describe him no less that four times. It is through his belief in the five knightly values “chivalrie, trouthe, and honour, freedom and courtesie” that the Knight gains this accolade as chivalry, with its rules and obligations were forefront in the medieval mind.

Unlike with the other portraits, Chaucer gives us no physical description of the Knight, perhaps so that we are not distracted from his noble deeds. He does however allow us insight into the Knights character through his description of his clothing. “His hors were good,” usually an indication of wealth but here the mention of a fine breed of horse is not given to connote riches but that he is a good Knight, ensuring the tools of his trade are of the finest quality. “Of fustian he were a gipon/ Al bismotered with his habergon,” his “bismotered” clothes denote not a lack of hygiene, as it would others, but his efforts in the war and thus he wears them as badges of honour seeking no other visual conformation that he has fought well.  The Knight “was late ycome from his viage/ And wente for to doon his pilgrimage,” leaving no time for such frivolities as washing or changing his clothes denoting his belief that religion come first.

As previously stated the Knight provides a standard by which others are judged. He is prudent where others are brash ad reckless, he is humble when others are arrogant and while their selfishness guarantees that only money and obviously themselves are their greatest concerns, the Knight would appear to consider his duty as a soldier and a pilgrim to be of more importance than either his appearance or any award he may gain – a truly noble and worthy man.

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The Knight may possibly hold the role of the “worthiest” man on the pilgrimage he is by no means the holiest. The Parson is not the first man of the cloth to feature in this prologue but he is the only virtuous one. Like the Knight, he too is an honest and admiral fellow. He is accompanied on this pilgrimage by his brother, the Plowman, and both of these men base their lives entirely on the principles of their faith.

The Parson represents all that the other clerics in the prologue are not. He is fulfilled through his ...

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