What was the prize in the Canterbury Tales?

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In Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, the prize for telling the best tale on their pilgrimage was a free dinner, paid for by all who are going on the journey to Canterbury. It is the Innkeeper who comes up with the idea to offer a prize.



Just so, who wins in the Canterbury Tales?

We never get to see the pilgrims reach Canterbury, nor do we learn who wins the competition. It's likely that Chaucer ran out of time or energy. He may have planned to revise the beginning of the frame story so that the 24 tales would seem complete.

One may also ask, what does the host propose as a prize for the best storyteller? Storytelling to and from Canterbury. A free dinner at the Tabard paid for by all the other pilgrims is the prize.

Simply so, what is the best tale in The Canterbury Tales?

The Best Canterbury Tales Everyone Should Read

  • The Miller's Tale.
  • The Nun's Priest's Tale.
  • The Knight's Tale.
  • The Merchant's Tale.
  • The Reeve's Tale.
  • The Wife of Bath's Tale.
  • The Friar's Tale.
  • The Summoner's Tale.

What are the rules of the contest in the Canterbury Tales?

each pilgrim would tell two tales each--one on the way there and one on the way back. The tales will be judged by the Host on two criteria: entertainment value and moral lesson. The winner of the contest will enjoy a meal paid for by the remaining pilgrims at the Host's Taberd Inn.

39 Related Question Answers Found

Who is the winner in the Miller's tale?

Finally, in control of his emotions, Absolon meets a victory and is the winner. The tale's most devious character, Nicholas who devises and beings the trickery, does not have a clear stance in being the winner or the loser.

Why is The Canterbury Tales so important?

One of the reasons Chaucer is so important is that he made the decision to write in English and not French. In the centuries following the Norman invasion, French was the language spoken by those in power. The Canterbury Tales was one of the first major works in literature written in English.

Who must tell the first tale?

The Knight's Tale
The Knight is the first to tell his tale. It is a story rich in love, rivalry and chivalry. Two men fall in love with the same beautiful young girl.

Who are the 29 characters in Canterbury Tales?


The Canterbury Tales Character List
  • The Host. or "Harry Bailly": The proprietor of the Tabard Inn where the pilgrims to Canterbury stay before beginning their journey.
  • The Knight. A noble fighter who served in the Crusades.
  • The Squire.
  • The Knight's Yeoman.
  • The Prioress.
  • The Second Nun.
  • The Monk.
  • The Friar (Hubert)

What is the purpose of the General Prologue in The Canterbury Tales?

The purpose of the prologue is to give readers a general overview of the characters that are present, why they are present there, and what they will be doing. The narrator begins by telling us how it is the season in which people are getting ready to make a pilgrimage to Canterbury.

Who were Chaucer's pilgrims?

The Prioress, Madame Eglantine, and the Friar, Hubert, are the two pilgrims named in the Prologue. At the beginning of his de- scription of the Prioress, Chaucer says, "And she was cleped madame Eglentyne" (I, 121), thereby giving us her name.

What was unique about Chaucer's poem Canterbury Tales?

What was unique about Chaucer's poem Canterbury Tales? a) Even though the poem was dark and depressing, it was very well liked by people in the Middle Ages. d) The poem was a ballad and was sung in English even though it was written in the late Middle Ages.

What is the shortest Canterbury Tale?

in English Language and Literature. The Physician's Tale is one of the shortest of 'The Canterbury Tales,' but it reveals a great deal about the importance of honor and virginity during the Middle Ages.

Who are The Canterbury Tales characters?


The Pardoner
The Wife of Bath
The Miller
The Knight
The Narrator

Who wrote Canterbury Tales?

Geoffrey Chaucer

Is Canterbury Tales a poem?

Though the majority of the writing in The Canterbury Tales is in verse and is usually categorized as poetry, there are two tales that are written in prose, or non-poetic writing with no rhythm, rhyme, or other poetic structures. Chaucer agrees and the story that follows is a very long and, some argue, boring story.

What are the 24 stories of Canterbury Tales?


The Canterbury Tales consists of the General Prologue, The Knight's Tale, The Miller's Tale, The Reeve's Tale, The Cook's Tale, The Man of Law's Tale, The Wife of Bath's Tale, The Friar's Tale, The Summoner's Tale, The Clerk's Tale, The Merchant's Tale, The Squire's Tale, The Franklin's Tale, The Second Nun's Tale, The

What happens in the General Prologue of The Canterbury Tales?

The General Prologue is a basic descriptive list of the twenty-nine people who become pilgrims to journey to Canterbury, each telling a story along the way. Next in the prologue is the Merchant from Flanders who is pompous and verbose on economics. He continually talks about increasing his profits in several ways.

What is the prize for telling the best tale?

In Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, the prize for telling the best tale on their pilgrimage was a free dinner, paid for by all who are going on the journey to Canterbury. It is the Innkeeper who comes up with the idea to offer a prize.