In <em>The Canterbury Tales</em>, Chaucer describes a pilgrimage that was common during medieval times among English Christians: a visit to Canterbury Cathedral to visit the shrine of Saint Thomas Beckett.
In his prologue, the author introduces several pilgrims he claims to have met. Most of these pilgrims are an exaggerated version of a medieval archetype. Therefore, by examining them, we can gain some insight into the issues that were present in medieval society.
For example, the priest is described as the "best one around," and as an extremely pious and honorable man. The nun is similarly praised for her good maners and innocence. This shows the influence that religion had at the time, as the priest is so admired for being a representative of the Church. It also shows that priests and nuns had more access to education and better opportunities in general. That is why the nun is so polite and has such good manners. People not having access to education was a major problem of medieval times.
Another example is the case of the knight and the summoner. While the knight is presented as an example of the perfect man, the summoner is physically repulsive. This gives us some insight into the issue of class and social status of the time. While knights are extremely valued and admired for their work, summoners are seen as dishonest and unethical.
