The Pilgrims in The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer are the main characters in the framing narrative of the book.Cliff's Notes
In addition, they can be considered as characters of the framing narrative the Host, who travels with the pilgrims, the Canon, and the fictive Geoffrey Chaucer, the teller of the tale of Sir Thopas (who might be considered distinct from the Chaucerian narrator, who is in turn somewhat divorced from Chaucer the author).
Groupings The pilgrims fall into various groups, the religious group and the military group for example.
Also there are important pairs, including the tale pairs - which pair are supposed to be telling their tales on the same night.
Pilgrims and other travelers
Role Name Tales Notes Narrator Geoffrey Chaucer Sir Thopas and the Tale of Melibee Although he writes all of the tales, Chaucer describes himself telling two tales as one of the pilgrims. Host Harry Bailey Owner of the Tabard Inn, where the pilgrimage starts. He agrees to travel on the pilgrimage, promising to judge the tales, and disputes between the pilgrims. Knight The Knight's Tale A valiant and experienced crusader who lives by the code of chivalry Squire The Squire's Tale Son of the knight, a finely dressed and artistically talented bachelor Knight's yeoman An archer and possibly a forester Prioress Madame Eglantine The Prioress's Tale A woman with impeccable table manners who wears a brooch reading Amor vincit omnia (love conquers all) Second nun The Second Nun's Tale Chaplain to the prioress Nun's priests The Nun's Priest's Tale Three priests in the prioress's party Monk The Monk's Tale An avid hunter and horseman who disdains the rules of his order Friar Huberd The Friar's Tale A mendicant who takes confessions from the well-to-do for a price, and spends the money on himself rather than to benefit the poor Merchant The Merchant's Tale A seemingly successful Hanseatic trader who is deeply in debt Clerk The Clerk's Tale An Oxford-educated scholar Man of law (sergeant of the law) The Man of Law's Tale A wealthy lawyer known as much for his personal extravagance as for his professional skill Franklin The Franklin's Tale Companion of the man of law, a pleasure-seeking landowner who dines on every kind of food and drink Five craft workers A haberdasher, carpenter, weaver, dyer and tapester, all described together Cook Roger The Cook's Tale A servant of the craft-workers Shipman The Shipman's Tale A barge captain from Dartmouth Physician (doctor of physic) The Physician's Tale A practitioner of astrology and humorism Wife of Bath Alisoun The Wife of Bath's Tale A five-time widow who has traveled throughout the world Parson The Parson's Tale A benevolent and virtuous town pastor Plowman The parson's brother, who loves God and his neighbor and plows poor men's fields for free Miller Robyn The Miller's Tale A brawny and profane tradesman who overcharges and steals from his customers Manciple The Manciple's Tale A purchasing agent to an Inn of Court Reeve Osewald The Reeve's Tale A feudal accountant from Bawdeswell Summoner The Summoner's Tale A gluttonous, lecherous, intemperate man who notifies people to appear at ecclesiastical courts Pardoner The Pardoner's Tale A close companion of the summoner who sells indulgences and phony religious relics Canon An alchemist and confidence trickster who encounters the pilgrims on the road, then rides away when his yeoman speaks too freely Canon's yeoman The Canon's Yeoman's Tale Unwitting accomplice of the canon
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