The Cantebury Tales is a collection of good stories, a snap shot, and a .
picture frozen in time of the Middle Ages. Geoffrey Chaucer often known as the .
father of English poetry gives us a look into life in the Middle Ages. The .
characters in the story pass many of the same characteristics of modern people. .
The Merchant, the Skipper, and the Franklin are much like certain people in .
today's society.
.
The Merchant is much like a trader on Wall Street " he was an expert at .
dabbling in exchanges." (P.112 line 288) The Merchant is a finely .
dressed man wearing a multicolored dress. Stockbrokers today must wear .
the finest suits and look respectable to their clients so they can sell as .
many stocks as possible at a premium price. The Merchant made it seem .
like he was very wealthy "his wits to work none knew he was in debt." .
(P.112 line 290) People who trade stocks today may one day be on top of .
the world and the next day owe everyone an amount of money. The .
Merchant cheated people by negotiating them out of their money, stock .
brokers cheat by giving away stock tip to their friends and families and .
selling their own stock before the market crashes so they make out with a .
large amount of money. Like the market today the market during the .
Middle Ages changed everyday and the people working it had to know .
how to work it the Merchant and that stock broker know how.
The Skipper like Captain Ahab from the classic novel Moby Dick .
is a proud man in all things he does. " As for his skills in reckoning his tides, .
currents and many other risks besides moons, harbors, pilots he had such dispatch .
that none from the hull to Carthage was his match." (P.115 line 411) The .
Skipper takes no prisoners; also Ahab takes no prisoners he is only after one thing .
the great white whale and he wants no other whales but that one. The skipper is a .
man with some physical characteristics much like the physical appearance of .