The General Prologue

As I commented on James’ post about the importance of social class in the Canterbury Tales, I felt that this was a very interesting introduction that tied in to the rest of the stories. You basically get an idea of these various personalities that you will encounter in the other tales. For example:

“ His mouth was as greet was as a greet forneys;
He was a janglere and a goliardeys,
And that was most of sinne and harlotrye.”

He obviously is loud and outspoken, and it is foreshadowing that his tale will be crazy and inappropriate, just like his appearance and demeanor. Likewise, the same can be said for the Wife of Bath. She tells a tale of a hag turning into a beautiful maid, and she provides punishment to a knight. I feel like Chaucer’s description of her:

“Gat-tothed was she, smoothly for to seye.
Upon an amblere esily she sat,
…As brood as a bokerle or a targe,
A foot-mantel about hir hipes large”

portrays that she would make the woman in the story triumphant and beautiful. Also, Chaucer’s description of her vast relationships and traveling foreshadows that she will talk about teaching a man a thing or two. Overall I found the General Prologue interesting and amusing as far as the detailed description of each character. The imagery provided really brings the stories and the characters to life.