# Cecile — The Canterbury Tales character guide

> Cecile in The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Cecilia, Saint Cecile, Cecilie, Saint Cecilie

**First appearance:** 0068-the-second-nun-s-tale

## Snapshot

A Roman noblewoman who wears a crown of lilies and roses, defending her virginity with fire until the sword finally takes her.

## Who they are

Cecile belongs to the Second Nun's Tale, a saint's life told to edify the pilgrimage with an example of steadfast faith. Her story pits an unshakeable vow of chastity against a pagan husband and a persecuting prefect, turning her marriage into a battlefield of conversion. She matters to the tale-collection as the voice of devout legend, balancing the bawdy and worldly stories that surround her.

## Relationships

### [Palamon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_canterbury_tales_se/characters/palamon)

_social_

Cecile and Palamon are characters from different tales, connected only by the pilgrimage storytelling context.

### [Palamon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_canterbury_tales_se/characters/palamon)

_social_

Cecile and Palamon are characters from different tales, connected only by the pilgrimage storytelling context.

## In the story

### [The Second Nun's Tale](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_canterbury_tales_se/chapters/the-second-nun-s-tale)

Saint Cecilia, a devout Christian virgin who converts her husband and brother-in-law, withstands Almachius, and is martyred.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_canterbury_tales_se/characters/cecile
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_canterbury_tales_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_canterbury_tales_se/characters