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Unit 13: The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales (Non-detailed Study): Discussion and Analysis-V
Digvijay Pandya, Lovely Professional University

Unit 13: The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales Notes

(Non-detailed Study): Discussion and Analysis-V

CONTENTS

Objectives
Introduction

13.1 The Clerk’s Tale

13.1.1 Prologue to the Clerk’s Tale
13.1.2 The Clerk’s Tale Text

13.1.3 Lenvoy de Chaucer

13.1.4 The Words of the Host
13.2 The Merchant’s Tale

13.2.1 Prologue to the Merchant’s Tale
13.2.2 The Merchant’s Tale Text

13.2.3 Epilogue to the Merchant’s Tale
13.3 Summary

13.4 Keywords

13.5 Review Questions
13.6 Further Readings

Objectives

After studying this unit, you will be able to:
• Explain the prologue and text of the clerk’s tale
• Know about Lenvoy de Chaucer
• Explain the prologue and text of the Merchant’s tale
• Describe briefly the analysis of the Clerk’s and the Merchant’s tale.

Introduction
The jovial Host teases the young Clerk for his quiet, demure behavior, but begs him to tell them a gay
story with no preaching and no rhetoric. This gentler clergyman, in contrast with the two who precede.
As might be expected of a scholar, the Clerk uses his prologue to express his devotion to Petrarch,
most famous of the medieval Italian poets and one with whom Chaucer was very familiar. The Clerk
is speaking for Chaucer in his enthusiastic admiration. Many elements of the story of Griselda come
from Petrach and much of it is modelled from a tale in Boccaccio’s Decameron. Chaucer’s version of this

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