The Canterbury Tales · Character
The Franklin
A white-bearded country gentleman whose table groans with food and whose tale tests whether a promise can outlast despair.
supporting
Also known as the Franklin, Franklin
First appearance: The Prologue
As a supporting figure in The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
Interrupts the Squire's tale with praise, leading to the tale being left incomplete.
The Franklin rides among the pilgrims as a wealthy landowner who has served as sheriff and MP, his dagger and purse of silk hanging at his belt. He bristles at the gentility of birth, insisting that true gentleness lies in deeds, and his tale of Dorigen and Arveragus argues the same case. His preoccupation with 'trouthe'—keeping one's word at any cost—sets up the collection's most searching debate about love, honor, and obligation.
Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.
Character Web
13 connectionsA slice of how The Franklin sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.
Relationship types
- Other
Character groups
- Magic and gentility
- Moral exemplars and advisors
- Protagonist
- Comic and authorial figures
+8 more in the full Character Web
Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This passage marks the story's dramatic climax because it shifts the focus from the external, ritualistic acts…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingIn the story
The Franklin appears across 5 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
Chapter companion notes
Spoil-light check-ins for The Franklin unlock in the free preview.
See The Franklin in The Prologue