乔叟作品Canterbury Tales，平淡中见辛辣。为了应付作业，我简单关注了五位人物。用一个字形容一个人，在生活中都不太容易。对文学作品中的人物，我尽量放大眼睛，仔细品味。我的观察合乎老师的要求，答案正确。

Canterbury Tales Prologue. Find five different characters that you want to analyze--then choose a one word descriptor for each of the five characters. Explain and use a supporting quote.    

(1). Squire:  talented

He is the son of the knight. He is able to play musical instrument, sing, dance, write, draw, and compose music. Therefore he is talented.

 “’Singing he was, or fluting, all the day”  (line 89, page 1204)

“And also he wrote songs, both verse and note,

He jousted and danced, he drew and wrote” (lines 95-6, page 1204)

(2). Clerk: bookish

The clerk is a philosopher. He loves books more than the materialist things. He enjoys learning knowledge and teaching people. He is very careful with what he says, which is full of intellect.

“For he would rather have, at his bed’s head,

Twenty books, all well bound in black or red,

Of Aristotle and his philosophy

Than rich robes,,,,,” (lines 295-8, page 1209)

“…he was a philosopher” (line 299, page 1209)

“ Of his studies, he took most care and heed.

No one word spoke he more than he had need,

And that was said with dignity and respect,

And short, and quick, and full of intellect;

Resounding in moral virtue was his speech,

And gladly would he learn, and gladly teach” (lines 305-10, page 1209)

(3). Reeve: capable or cunning

He works in a farm for a young lord who is only twenty year old. He knows many tricks to do business with different people. He has a good management skill to govern the farm for his lord.

“He could well guard the granary and bin” (line 595, page 1215)

“He knew well, by the drought and by the rain,

The yielding of his seed and of his grain.

His lord’s sheep, his cattle, and his dairy,

His swine and horses, his livestock and poultry

Were Wholly under this Reeve’s governing”   (lines 597-601, page 1216)

“But he knew all their tricks and treachery;

As they feared death, of him they were all scared” (lines 606-7, page 1216)

“He could, much better than his lord, buy land” “ (line 610, page 1216)

(4). Parson:  devout

He is a preacher. Although he is very poor, he is rich in holy thought and work. He takes good care of his parishioners no matter how difficult the living condition is.

“ ..he served as the poor Parson,

But he was rich in holy thought and work” (lines 480-1, page 1213)

“And in adversity, he had such patience” (line 486, page 1213)

“But he would not leave them, for rain or thunder,” (line 494, page 1213)

“But the words of Christ and his apostles twelve

He taught: but first, he followed them himself” (lines 529-30, page 1214)

 (5). Host: friendly

The host is a cheerful person who puts his great efforts to make his guests feel at home and happy. He provides them with good food(wine)  and entertainment.  His hospitality is shown in the text.

“Our Host put us at ease with his great cheer;

At once, he set up supper for us here.

He served us all with victuals that were fine;

It pleased us well to drink his good, strong wine” (lines 749-52, page 1219)

“ Moreover, he was quite a merry man;

After supper, to amuse us, he began,

And spoke of pleasure , among other things” (lines 759-61, page 1219)

“Unless you are merry, I will give you my head” (line 784, 1220)