Analysis of The Canons Yeomans Tale Essay - 762 Words

Summary and Analysis of The Canons Yeomans Tale (The Canterbury Tales) Prologue to the Canons Yeomans Tale: When the story of Saint Cecilia was finished and the company continued on their journey, they came across two men. One of them was clad all in black and had been traveling quickly on their horses; the narrator believes that he must be a canon (an alchemist). The Canons Yeoman said that they wished to join the company on their journey, for they had heard of their tales. The Host asked if the Canon could tell a tale, and the Yeoman answers that the Canon knows tales of mirth and jollity, and is a man whom anybody would be honored to know. The Host guesses that his master was a clerk, but the Yeoman says that he is something†¦show more content†¦Chaucer introduces two new characters, the Canon and his Yeoman. The Canon is an imposing figure, a mysterious and intimidating character who differs greatly from the Canterbury pilgrims, who are either jovial and boisterous or quiet and respectable. The Canon is nearly silent, yet his reticence does not stem from chivalric honor or rel igious principles. He is a man of menacing action afraid to be definitely identified as part of his dubious profession. This automatically marks him as different from the other travelers, who primarily exist as part of their particular job and accept it, even when that line of work  ­ as in the cases of the summoner and the pardoner  ­ is not respectable. The Canons Yeoman serves as the voice of his master, but that voice proves inadequate. The Canons Yeoman reveals too much about his master and then turns on him, condemning the Canon for his fraudulent practices. The Canon Yeomans Tale: The Canons Yeoman admits that he has served the Canon for seven years and knows a great deal about his craft. He warns that anybody who becomes involved with a canon will suffer similar miseries: losing ones wealth and esteem. He tells about the wicked craft of alchemy from which they try to gain wealth. He claims that there is a canon of religion of how an alchemist can defraud a person. He then begins his tale of a priest in London who was visited by a false canon who begged for a loan. Two days