Chaucer’S “prologue to canterbury tales”

f. Condition of Lower Class 
Chaucer represents faithfully the rise of the low classes and the voice that they made for 
better conditions of life. In the Clerk‟s Tale, Chaucer refers to the “stormy people”, their 
levity, untruthfulness, indiscretion, fickleness, and garrulity. The labourers clamoured for 
their rights and defied the authority of the landlords. However, there were in the midst of this 
upsurge among the servants and labourers, a class of conservative workmen who were still 
devoted to their old ways of living, and paid respect to the higher authorities. Chaucer‟s 
Ploughman faithfully represents the class of conservative labourers who were devoted to the 
masters 
and 
were 
faithfully 
performing 
the 
normal 
course 
of 
activities. 
g. Condition of the Inns and Table Manners 
Chaucer also portrays the conditions of the inns of his times and the table manners of the 
pilgrims. In the Prologue, we can see that inns were situated at some distances, and beer was 
also served in places other than these inns. There is also a disquisition on table manners of 
the age in the Prologue. Each guest brought his own knife, but for common use there were no 
forks. At the beginning and end of dinner everyone washed his hands. 

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h. Love of Display and Extravagance 
Chaucer represents faithfully love for display and extravagance both in the upper and the 
lower classes of the fourteenth century England. This love for display is shown in several 
characters of the Prologue. The young Squire‟s garments were embroidered like a meadow 
all full of fresh flowers, white and red. 
Embrouded was he, as it were a meede 
Al ful of fresshe floures whyte and reede; 
(Prologue: 89 – 90) 
The prioress carries a coral rosary with large dividing beads of green, and on it there hangs a 
brooch of the brightest gold on which there is first written a crowned “A” and then the words 
“Love conquers all”. 
Of small coral aboute hire arm she bar 
A peire of bedes, gauded all with grene, 
And there-on heng a brooch of gold ful sheene, 
On which there was first write a crowned A, 
And after Amor vincit omnia 
(Prologue: 158 – 162) 
A Haberdasher, a Carpenter, a Weaver, a Dyer, and a Tapestry-maker are all clothed in one 
kind of livery prescribed by a distinguished and great organization. The clothes of all these 
persons are freshly and newly trimmed. Their knives are mounted, not with brass, but with 
silver which has been rubbed perfectly clean. 
And they were clothed alle in o lyveree 
Of a solempne and great fraternitee; 
Ful fressh and newe hir geere apiked was; 
Hir knyves were chaped noght with bras, 
But al with silver, wroght ful clene and weel. 
(Prologue: 363 - 367) 
The Wife of Bath decks herself with “kerchiefs” and finery. Her kerchiefs are finely woven, 
and the kerchiefs she wears on her head on a Sunday must have been ten pounds in weight. 
Hir coverchiefs ful fyne weren of ground 
I dorste swere they weyeden ten pound; 
That on a Sunday weren upon hir head 
(Prologue: 453 - 455)