The Canterbury Tales · Character
The Nun's Priest
A poor priest riding with the Prioress who tells the mock-heroic tale of Chanticleer the rooster and the fox.
supporting
Also known as this priest, the priest
First appearance: The Nun's Priest's Tale
As a supporting figure in The Canterbury Tales, The Nun's Priest is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
The narrator of the tale, a humble priest who tells a lively beast fable.
The Nun's Priest is a modest, unremarkable cleric in the Prioress's company, but his tale of Chanticleer, Pertelote, and the flattering fox Daun Russell is one of the wittiest in the whole collection. He turns a barnyard fable into a meditation on dreams, flattery, and free will, complete with mock-epic rhetoric and a chase scene. His humble station and his brilliant storytelling make him the pilgrimage's quietest surprise.
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Character Web
26 connectionsA slice of how The Nun's Priest sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.
Relationship types
- Other
Character groups
- Diverse pilgrims and tale characters
- Protagonist
- Moral exemplars and advisors
- Noble romance and corruption
+21 more in the full Character Web
Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This passage marks the story's dramatic climax because it shifts the focus from the external, ritualistic acts…
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The Nun's Priest appears across 3 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
Chapter companion notes
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See The Nun's Priest in The Nun's Priest's Tale