The Canterbury Tales

The Prologue of Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales provides either a positive or negative description of each character presented by the narrator, namely the tavern keeper. He explains that some characters like the Reeve do not meet the standards of their class. At the beginning of the Reeve’s description, Chaucer tells the reader that he is an old, sick man that is well shaven, clean cut, and hard working on the farm. He also describes the Reeve as choleric, which means he is bad tempered or angry most of the time towards others, and is not as innocent as he looks. This Reeve in Canterbury Tales is primarily a manager of someone’s farm, which he has been doing for a long time. Since he is experienced for many years, the Reeve was said that “He could foretell, by drought and by the rain, the yielding of his seed and of his grain. His lord's sheep and his oxen and his dairy, his swine and horses, all his stores, his poultry, were wholly in this steward's managing…” (Lines 596-600), which means he could estimate the yields of his owner’s crops and livestock based only on the rainfall every year. He was also a part time carpenter, which leads him to trouble when the Miller tells an insulting tale about carpenters.

He describes, “His cottage was a good one, on a heath; by green trees shaded with this dwelling-place. Much better than his lord could he purchase. Right rich he was in his own private right…” (Lines 607-610). His lord does not know where the Reeves money comes from, nor does he take notice of his belongings. He bought a horse that was elegant, and dapple-grey, by the name of Scot, which the Reeve rode with a long blue surcoat like a friar would wear. The Reeve lived with style and of good health that was treated like a priest, but nobody liked him and was afraid of him like