The Knight, Squire, Prioress, The Monk and the Friar are defined by their settings in Geoffrey Chaucers "Prologue" to The Canterbury Tales. 1. Portnoy says in his article in the Chaucer Review that "The General Prologue is like a mirror reflecting the individuals appearance which then defines the character of that person." (281) 2. Scanlon backs up Portnoy in his article from Speculum by saying "Characters descriptions somehow emerge inevitably from the original intentions of Chaucers text or reflect its lasting value." (128) 3. Russell remarks in his book Chaucer & the Trivium: The Mindsong of the Canterbury Tales: There is something that seems natural and almost unavoidable in the structure of the individual portraits in the General Prologue: How else could you describe the characters without passing judgment on them? (62) KNIGHT The Knight is defined by his settings. 1. Andrew says in The Canterbury Tales: The General Prologue: The Knight is described as having no name, no family seat, no manor house, and no lands. Furthermore, his obsession with foreign service indicates a lack of feudal ties and bears all the marks of a career of a landless knight, without family or possessions in England. (80) 2. Andrew says "The Knight is described as an aged veteran warrior, with whom the stern realities of life have sobered down much of his early romance." (43) 3. The Knight fought in his sovereigns wars in both Christian and heathen places, which shows he is a holy and honorable man by he followed his kings commands, and he fought for religious purposes. 4. Roggiers reiterates that statement in his book The Art of the Canterbury Tales by saying "The Knights Tale is Chaucers own established pole of thought, philosophico-chivalric and religious, implying the ideals by which the community lives and prospers." (10) 5. The Knight never said anything boorish, showing he was a wise man. 6. He possessed fine horses, showing he was looked upon as a g...
