Tale of a Canterbury Tale

The Cook's Tale

Summary: 

The tale is about a man who has the nickname of Perkin Reveller. In the beginning of the tale he is very happy and of high spirits as a prentice for an important master. He spends his nights dancing, drinking, and gambling and is carefree about his money. His master begins to notice his actions and does not like what he sees. He thinks about it for a while and decides that he cannot let Reveller stay there because he will negatively influence the rest of the people that work for the master. So the master decides to let Perkin Reveller go. Now Reveller has no money, which he lost gambling and drinking, and has no job. He goes to live with those of his sort and ends up marrying a girl who owns a shop and works in her shop to make a living. 

Indirect Characterization: 

The central character of the story is Perkin Reveller. 

A. "When there was any festival in Cheap, 

Out of the shop and thither would he leap, And, till the whole procession he had seen, And danced his fill, he'd not return again."

This quote shows that Reveller is very social and likes to go to outings within the community. 

B. "Who better knew the way to throw the dice Than Perkin; and therefore he was right free With money, when in chosen company."

Revellers actions in this scene show that he is not frugal with his money and chooses to spend the money he makes rather than save to help himself.

C. "He gathered many fellows of his sort 

To dance and sing and make all kinds of sport. And they would have appointments for to meet And play at dice in such, or such, a street."

This shows that Reveller may have had a gambling problem and was taking advantage of his life as a prentice within a nice or wealthy community.

D. "Though he was checked and scolded early and late, And sometimes led, for drinking, to Newgate;"

This quote shows that Perkin was warned about his actions, but choose to continue in living this lifestyle. He was disobedient to the master's request. 

E. "Anon he sent his bed and his array 
To one he knew, a fellow of his sort, 
Who loved the dice and revels and all sport, And had a wife that kept, for countenance, A shop, and whored to gain her sustenance."

This quote shows that Perkin still was his same self and did not change even after losing his job. He still lived off of other people, in this case his wife. 

2. In this tale, Chaucer is using sarcasm to describe the role of the cook in society and to show how the cook was taking a simple job or place in social status and trying to make himself seem much higher or of more wealth. Chaucer also shows how the cook starts off really happy by explaining him dancing and being jolly, but by the end of the tale he has lost his job and is living off another person, his wife. Chaucer is showing that this is embarrassing or should be embarrassing to the cook. 

A. "There lived a 'prentice, once, in our city, And of the craft of victuallers was he; 
Happy he was as goldfinch in the glade, 
Brown as a berry, short, and thickly made, With black hair that he combed right prettily."

This quote shows how Chaucer was being sarcastic when describing the prentice and making him seem that he was much wealthier and better then he actually was. 

B. "And thus this jolly 'prentice had his leave."

This quote shows that Chaucer was explaining how the prentice used to be joyful, but now he will "take his leave" or be fired. Chaucer is getting at the question of how will you act now, which again shows sarcasm.