Table of Contents
The Parson and The Plowman: True Virtue
After exposing the deep corruption of the Monk and the Friar, Chaucer presents the ultimate, unironic ideal of Christian priesthood: the Parson. He introduces him simply: “A good man was there of religion”(Asked in Exam).
Though materially poor, the Parson is infinitely rich in holy thought and work. Unlike the Friar who chased wealth, the Parson actually visits his widespread parishioners in all weather, refusing to leave them for a more lucrative post in London. Chaucer sums up his absolute integrity by stating that he taught Christ’s teachings, but followed them himself first(Asked in Exam).
Exam Quote to Remember: The Parson's guiding philosophical metaphor is highly tested: “If gold rusts, what shall iron do?”(Asked in Exam). This means that if the priest (the gold) is corrupt, one cannot expect the common laymen (the iron) to remain pure.
Riding with the Parson is his biological and spiritual brother, the Plowman. He represents the ideal, honest Christian laborer. He lives a simple, back-breaking life shoveling manure, but he is kind, good-hearted, helps his neighbors for free, and works purely for the love of Christ without complaint.
The Reeve: Shrewdness and Theft
Contrasting the honest laborers are the deceptive estate managers. The Reeve is a slender, choleric man who manages a massive agricultural estate for his lord. Outwardly, he is incredibly efficient—no auditor can ever find a mistake in his books, and he knows exactly how much grain the land will yield.
However, this efficiency masks a deep corruption. He secretly steals immense wealth from the very estate he manages. He is greatly feared like the plague by the lower serfs and herdsmen beneath him, yet he continuously ingratiates himself with his young lord by "loaning" the lord his own stolen money.
The Miller: Brawn, Bawdiness, and Bagpipes
One of the most physically imposing and disruptive pilgrims is the Miller. He delights in breaking the social order, both physically and narratively. Chaucer describes him as a “stout fellow indeed,” completely built of heavy muscle and bone. He is so strong that he wins every wrestling prize and can tear any door off its hinges.
His physical appearance is famously grotesque and animalistic, mirroring his crude, lewd nature:
- His beard is as red as a fox.
- He has a massive wart on his nose tipped with a tuft of red bristles.
- His nostrils are wide and black, and his mouth is “as large as a furnace.”
Professionally, he is a thief. He grinds grain for the local peasants but routinely steals the corn, famously possessing a “golden thumb” (he presses his thumb on the scales to cheat his customers threefold). Clad in a white coat and a blue hood, it is the Miller who loudly blows his bagpipes, leading the entire company of pilgrims out of town.
Match the List Checkpoint
The Parson
The only genuinely pure and devoted clergyman on the trip, who follows Christ's gospel before teaching it.
The Plowman
The Parson's brother; a humble, manure-shoveling peasant who perfectly embodies Christian charity and labor.
The Reeve
A slender, choleric estate manager who outwardly runs a tight ship but secretly steals from his lord.
The Miller
A grotesque, brawny wrestler with a mouth like a furnace who plays the bagpipes and steals corn.
Active Recall: Check Your Mastery
- Q: "If gold rusts, what shall iron do?" Who says this, and what do the "gold" and "iron" symbolize?
A: The Parson says it. The "gold" symbolizes the priest/clergy, and the "iron" symbolizes the common laypeople. - Q: What specific musical instrument does the Miller play to lead the pilgrims out of town?
A: The bagpipes. - Q: The Plowman and the Parson share what specific family relationship?
A: They are brothers. - Q: The Miller is said to have a "golden thumb." What does this idiomatic phrase actually mean?
A: It means he is a thief. He pushes his thumb down on the scale when weighing grain to overcharge his customers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Chaucer make the Parson and the Plowman so perfect?
While Chaucer heavily satirizes the corrupt members of the elite clergy (the Monk, the Prioress, the Friar) and the greedy merchants, he provides the Parson and Plowman as moral anchors. They represent the idealized "Estates" of the church and the peasantry. By showing what a true priest and a true laborer should look like, it makes the corruption of the other characters even more glaring and inexcusable.
What exactly is a "Reeve"?
In medieval England, a Reeve was an estate manager or an overseer. When a wealthy lord owned massive amounts of farmland, he couldn't manage it all himself. He hired a Reeve to coordinate the serfs, track the crops, manage the livestock, and balance the financial books. Chaucer's Reeve is highly competent, but he uses his complex bookkeeping skills to embezzle money from the lord.
Why is the Miller's physical appearance so ugly?
Chaucer relies heavily on "physiognomy," a medieval pseudoscience that believed a person's physical appearance reflected their inner moral character. The Miller's red beard connects him to the cunning fox. His wide, black nostrils and mouth "like a furnace" associate him with hell, gluttony, and unchecked, animalistic lust. His physical ugliness is a direct map of his moral ugliness.
Why does the Miller play the bagpipes?
In medieval iconography, the bagpipes were often associated with the lower classes, drunkenness, and sexual looseness (due to the instrument's shape and loud, disruptive sound). By having the Miller drown out quiet conversation with loud bagpipes as they leave town, Chaucer instantly establishes him as a chaotic, disruptive force who cares nothing for the solemn, religious nature of the pilgrimage.
