I.
Opening (10 minutes) – Recap & Hook
You say:
“In our last class, we explored Chaucer’s portrayal of the Knight — noble, humble, the ideal of medieval
chivalry. Chaucer used the Knight to set a high moral tone at the start of his pilgrim gallery. But, as we
move to his son, the Squire, and the Yeoman, we begin to see how Chaucer shifts his tone — from idealism
to realism, from reverence to gentle irony.”
Recap Points (write briefly on board):
1. Knight = ideal of medieval chivalry; fought “for faith, for truth and honour, freedom and courtesy.”
2. Knight’s modest dress (“a fustian tunic stained by rust”) = outward humility matching inner virtue.
3. Symbolic use of Nature in the opening = moral and spiritual awakening.
4. Chaucer’s narrator: both admirer and naïve observer — tone often layered.
Ask class:
“Why do you think Chaucer starts with the Knight?”
“How does Chaucer’s tone make us trust his judgement — or question it?”
II. The Squire (20 minutes)
Text reference: Lines 73–100
You say:
“The next pilgrim is the Knight’s son — the Squire — and at first glance, he seems to follow in his father’s
footsteps. But look closer — the tone changes. The Knight was modest and experienced. The Squire is
youthful, colourful, and perhaps a little vain.”
Key Traits (on board):
‘A lovyere and a lusty bacheler’ → youth, romance, passion.
‘With lokkes crulle as they were leyd in presse’ → appearance-focused.
‘He coude songes make and wel endite’ → artistic, courtly lover.
‘Slepe namore than dooth a nyghtyngale’ → sleepless from love.
‘Embrouded was he, as it were a meede / Al ful of fresshe floures, whyte and reede’ → artificial
beauty.
You say:
“Where the Knight is realism and restraint, the Squire is performance — youthful energy, but also
superficial show. Chaucer is painting a generational difference: the world of crusades is giving way to the
world of courtly love and display.”
III. Critical Insights (15 minutes)
Jill Mann (Chaucer and Medieval Estates Satire, 1973):
Mann argues that the Squire reflects the changing nature of the knightly class — “from the battlefield to the
ballad court.” His virtues are ornamental, not moral.
C. David Benson (Chaucer’s Portraits, 2003):
“The Squire is not mocked — he is loved, but gently exposed. Chaucer’s irony is that of a father smiling at
his son’s youthful pretensions.”
You say:
“Notice, Chaucer’s tone isn’t harsh. He admires the Squire’s talents, but he also sees vanity creeping in. This
is a softer irony — not ridicule, but affectionate realism.”
Ask class:
“Does the Squire represent moral decline or natural youth?”
“How does Chaucer’s narrator’s tone differ between Knight and Squire?”
IV. The Yeoman (20 minutes)
Text reference: Lines 101–117
You say:
“The third figure completes the Knight’s company — the Yeoman, their servant. His inclusion is important
— Chaucer grounds the noble pair in practicality. The Yeoman represents skill, labor, and realism.”
Key Traits (on board):
‘A forster was he, soothly, as I gesse’ → Forester; practical and earthy.
‘His arrows drooped not with feathers lowe’ → precision and pride in work.
‘A sheef of peacock arwes bright and kene’ → decorative but functional.
‘A not-heed, and a broun visage’ → tanned, earthy realism.
‘Of woodcraft wel coude he al the usage’ → professional expertise.
You say:
“Unlike the Squire’s delicate embroidery, the Yeoman’s beauty lies in precision. He’s honest, efficient —
perhaps the most real of the three. Some critics even say Chaucer uses him to suggest that true nobility lies
in craft and competence, not title.”
Critical Insight:
E. Talbot Donaldson notes that Chaucer “balances the chivalric ideal with earthy realism — the
Yeoman brings the noble vision down to the soil of England.”
Kittredge (1915) viewed the Yeoman as “a symbol of England’s emerging middle class — skilled,
self-reliant, and proud.”
Ask class:
“Why might Chaucer place the Yeoman immediately after the Knight and Squire?”
“Is the Yeoman’s realism a silent critique of the courtly world?”
V. Contrast Summary (10 minutes)
Character Tone Values Chaucer’s Irony
Knight Reverent Chivalric ideal, experience Subtle idealization
Squire Playful, ironic Courtly love, appearance Gentle satire of vanity
Yeoman Realistic Skill, practicality Admiration for honest labor
You say:
“The first three portraits show Chaucer’s mastery of tone. He moves from idealism to realism, from the
world of crusades to that of common men. Together, they form a microcosm of 14th-century England —
noble, decorative, and industrious.”
VI. Discussion Prompts (10 minutes)
Ask the class:
1. “How do the Knight, Squire, and Yeoman reflect changing social values in Chaucer’s time?”
2. “Does Chaucer admire the Squire, or mock him?”
3. “What might Chaucer be saying about the future of chivalry?”
4. “Which of the three seems closest to the modern idea of a hero — and why?”
VII. Wrap-up (5 minutes)
You say:
“Through the Knight, Squire, and Yeoman, Chaucer introduces us to the diversity of medieval society —
ideal, courtly, and practical. His genius lies in tone: never preaching, always observing. Next class, we’ll
move to the Prioress — another kind of performance, but this time through piety.”