Medieval Poetry

In Geoffrey Chaucer's masterpiece The Canterbury Tales, you will meet a group of pilgrims who tell stories while taking a journey together. Some of these character types from medieval English society may already be familiar to you, such a the Knight and the Nun. However, you will likely encounter other characters who hold a rank and station in society that you have never heard of, like the Yeoman for example. When you read excerpts from The Canterbury Tales, you will learn more about all of these characters, but before you begin, take a moment to try to identify some of the characters. In this interactivity, you will examine a painting by the English artist Thomas Stothard in which he portrays Chaucer's pilgrims in intimate detail. Try to guess as many of the characters from the list below as you can before hovering your mouse over the figures to identify who they are. Click the player button to get started.