The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories by Geoffrey Chaucer that was first published in 1400.
Summary
Read our full plot summary and analysis of The Canterbury Tales, chapter by chapter breakdowns, and more.
-
Summary & Analysis
- General Prologue: Introduction
- General Prologue: The Knight through the Man of Law
- General Prologue: The Franklin through the Pardoner
- General Prologue: Conclusion
- The Knight’s Tale, Parts 1–2
- The Knight’s Tale, Parts 3–4
- The Miller’s Prologue and Tale
- The Wife of Bath’s Prologue
- The Wife of Bath’s Prologue (continued)
- The Wife of Bath’s Tale
- The Pardoner’s Introduction, Prologue, and Tale
- The Nun’s Priest’s Prologue, Tale, and Epilogue
-
Full Book
- Full Book Summary
- Full Book Analysis
- Key Facts
Characters
See a complete list of the characters in The Canterbury Tales and in-depth analyses of The Knight, The Pardoner, The Wife of Bath, The Miller, and The Host.
Literary Devices
Here's where you'll find analysis of the literary devices in The Canterbury Tales, from the major themes to motifs, symbols, and more.
Questions & Answers
Explore our selection of frequently asked questions about The Canterbury Tales and find the answers you need.
Quotes
Find the quotes you need to support your essay, or refresh your memory of The Canterbury Tales by reading these key quotes.
-
By Theme
- Social Class
- Corruption
- Deceit
- Love
-
By Section
- General Prologue: Introduction
- General Prologue: The Knight through the Man of Law
- General Prologue: The Franklin through the Pardoner
- General Prologue: Conclusion
- The Knight’s Tale, Parts 1–2
- The Knight’s Tale, Parts 3–4
- The Miller’s Prologue and Tale
- The Wife of Bath’s Prologue
- The Wife of Bath’s Prologue (continued)
- The Wife of Bath’s Tale
- The Pardoner’s Introduction, Prologue, and Tale
- The Nun’s Priest’s Prologue, Tale, and Epilogue
-
By Character
- Wife of Bath
- The Narrator
- The Knight
- The Pardoner
- The Reeve
Quick Quizzes
Test your knowledge of The Canterbury Tales with quizzes about every section, major characters, themes, symbols, and more.
-
Book
- Full Book Quiz
- General Prologue: Introduction
- General Prologue: The Knight through the Man of Law
- General Prologue: The Franklin through the Pardoner
- General Prologue: Conclusion
- The Knight's Tale, Parts 1-2
- The Knight's Tale, Parts 3-4
- The Miller's Prologue and Tale
- The Wife of Bath's Prologue
- The Wife of Bath's Prologue (continued)
- The Wife of Bath's Tale
- The Pardoner's Introduction, Prologue, and Tale
- The Nun's Priest's Prologue, Tale, and Epilogue
Essays
Get ready to ace your The Canterbury Tales paper with our suggested essay topics, helpful essays about historical and literary context, a sample A+ student essay, and more.
Further Study
Go further in your study of The Canterbury Tales with background information, movie adaptations, and links to the best resources around the web.
