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The Canterbury Tales: The Reeve Prologue
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Part One The Reeve is a story from the prologue from The Canterbury Tales. The reeve is a manager of someone's estate or farm. This reeve is also a carpenter, which leads to trouble later in his tale. There were great demands for people with these skills during this time period due to the lack of technology and need for many laborers. He was a peasant who was a freeman but owned no land himself. He does not have a very high social standing (Reference Estates of the realm). The Reeve has been a manager for many, many years. As an experienced manager, he can estimate the yields of his master's crops and livestock based only on the rainfall from year to year. He was so good at being a manager that he is able to hoard his own money and property in a miserly fashion. A day in the life of a reeve would be monotonous and the same thing every day. The reeve supervised all work on a lord's property. He would ensure that everyone began and stopped work on time. The Reeve was so good at managing that the people with whom he works, like shepherds and farmers, are too afraid to attempt to cheat at their jobs. The modern day equivalent to the reeve would be the overseer of a farm or even an office manager. Part Two - Examining the language of the text L1: The reeve was slender and “choleric” or diseased looking L2: His beard was as short as a razor could cut it L3: His hair was cut even with his ears L4: The top of his head was cut like a priest’s hair L5: He had long, lean legs L6: His legs looked like a staff, and his calves were nonexistent L7: He was the manager of the grain and workers L8: No one could cheat him because he was so good L9: He could tell by the rain and drought L10: The yield of the crops and grain. L11: The lord’s sheep, oxen, and dairy L12: The pigs, horses, and chickens L13: Were totaled in his managing L14: And through agreement, he would get the account L15: Since the lord was young, twenty years old, L16: No man had ever found him late or behind in his work L17: There was no agent or group of people he would cheat L18: But he was cunning and deceiving L19: Everyone was afraid of him, like they feared death L20: He had a nice cottage L21: Shaded by green trees L22: It was better than what his lord could purchase L23: He was very rich L24: Because he had pleased his lord, day and night, L25: By giving or lending him his goods L26: And was thanked for that- by getting coats and hoods L27: When he was young, he learned a good trade and had been L28: A carpenter, the finest one in the land L29: And had himself a fine horse L30: It was dapple-grey and was named Scot. L31: He had a long, blue, coat he wore L32: And at his side, he carried a rusty knife. L33: The reeve was from Norfolk L34: From near a town called Bawdeswell L35: He wore clothing like a Friar would, from head to toe L36: When they traveled, he rode in the back of the group. Part Three Chaucer has mixed views on the reeve. He is seen in both a positive and negative light throughout the prologue. The fact that the reeve "could judge crops by watching drought and rain" has an element of positive diction and illustrates that the reeve has experience in running the manor. This is shown by the way Chaucer talks about his old age, and later in the tale, adds metaphors to elaborate. Even more telling is that "no auditor could gain a point on him", which shows the superiority of the reeve at his work. Additionally, the reeve was "a better hand at bargains than his lord" which illustrates his skill in financial matters especially. These are all positive things Chaucer tells about the reeve. However, there are some negative aspects of his character. The very first thing that is said refers to his appearance. The reeve is skinny and not nicely dressed. Chaucer also talks about his easily angered temper. 
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