The Nun's Priest's Tale
from Canterbury Tales
The Plot
Character Summaries
Chanticleer- rooster, proud and great, had seven wives
Pertelote- wife of Chanticleer, held herself highly, obsessed with social commons
Side Chicks- other wives of Chanticleer
Fox- sly and crafty, uses trickery to kidnap Chanticleer
Pilgrim Description
The priest having been identified as the Nun’s “assistant” buts holds a very low position. The priests is named Sir John.The tale describes his job not being a prestigious or a lucrative position and for that he is described riding a horse or nag that is “foul and lean”. The priest seem to not have no respect especially from the Innkeeper. “ See that your heart will always be merry” The priests is depicted to be always seem peaceful and calm by the text. Sir John is told to be a virile-looking man, (manly looking man) solidly built. “ See what a brawn….his eyes like a sparrow-hawk.”
Morals, Lessons, and the Point of the Story
The moral of this story is to not be overwhelmed by flattery. The fox tricks Chanticleer at first but when Chanticleer becomes free of the fox he learns his lesson. Also Chanticleer succumbs to the fox’s trickery to come with him, but chanticleer also tricks the fox into releasing him by saying his is very brave and mighty. Since Chanticleer succumbs to flattery but also uses it to escape there could also be a moral that our greatest weakness can be our greatest strength.