Canterbury tales (reeve charac
Canterbury tales (reeve characIn The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer�s descriptive technique used to present the
Reeve emphasized his physical characteristics as well as the success he
attained in his occupation. It is evident that Chaucer gives two different
perceptions of the Reeve, one perception is of his physical makeup and the
other is of his success achieved in his occupation.
In Chaucer�s introduction of the Reeve, he immediately begins with the
Reeve�s physical makeup, as shown in this excerpt from The Canterbury
Tales:
�His beerd was shave as neigh as evere he can;
His heer was by his eres ful round yshorn;
His top was dokked lik a preest biforn;
Ful longe were his legges and ful lene,
Ylik a staf, ther was no calf yseene (590-594).�
This excerpt shows the attention to detail Chaucer selected to introduce the
Reeve. Chaucer also gives the Reeve a name, which is not commonly done
for most pilgrims in The Canterbury Tales. Chaucer announces the Reeve�s
name in The Miller�s Tale, as shown in this excerpt:
�The Reeve looked up and shouted, �Shut
your trap!�. . . To this the drunken Miller responded,
�My dear old brother Oswald, such is life...�
This excerpt from The Miller�s Tale shows Chaucer getting very specific by
connecting the Reeve with a name. This act of naming the Reeve gives
evidence to support the argument that the Reeve seems to be more of a
specific individual than a representative of a large class of people.
After Chaucer presents the physical characteristics of the Reeve, he
then describes the Reeve�s occupation. A reeve by definition is a minor
official or superintendent on an estate, generally an intermediary between a
lord and his serfs. His job included being responsible and accountable for
all his master�s accounts and animals, as shown in this excerpt from The
Canterbury Tales:
�His swin, his hors, his stoor, and his pultrye
was hoolly in the Reeves governinge,
and by his covenant yaf the reckeninge,
sin that his lord was twenty-yeer of age (600-603).�
This excerpt shows the Reeve controlling what happens with his master�s
property and taking care of his financial situation because the master himself
was too young to do it.
The Reeve was excellent at managing his master�s estate and he
himself had grown rich from his success as a superintendent, not hesitating to
shower his master with gifts...
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