The Canterbury Tales · Character

The Reeve

A thin, choleric estate manager and former carpenter who answers the Miller's tale with a sharper one about a cuckolded miller.

supporting

Also known as the Reeve, The Reeve, Osëwold the Reeve, Reeve

First appearance: The Prologue

As a supporting figure in The Canterbury Tales, The Reeve is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Angrily rebukes the Miller for his drunken plan to tell a tale that defames carpenters and wives.

In the storyThe PrologueOpen this moment free

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Oswald the Reeve rides at the back of the pilgrimage, a wiry, close-shaven Norfolk man whose lord's wealth he manages with cunning and quiet theft. When the Miller tells a story mocking a carpenter, the Reeve takes it personally and retaliates with a tale of a proud miller outwitted by two clerks. His thin skin and long memory turn the storytelling contest into a feud, showing how the pilgrimage's fellowship frays when old trades and grudges collide.

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See The Reeve in The Prologue

Character Web

14 connections

A slice of how The Reeve sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Diverse pilgrims and tale characters
Moral exemplars and advisors
Protagonist
Lower-class and bawdy characters
Animal fable and minor pilgrims

+9 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative 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…

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In the story

The Reeve appears across 5 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Prologue
Angrily rebukes the Miller for his drunken plan to tell a tale that defames carpenters and wives.
The Reeve's Tale
Tells a tale of revenge against a miller, retaliating for the Miller's earlier tale about a carpenter.
The Prologue
Angered by the Miller's tale about a carpenter, he delivers a speech on old age and vows revenge.
The Reeve's Tale
The narrator of this tale, telling a story of revenge against a miller.
The Prologue
The Reeve is the subject of the Cook's praise, having just finished his tale.

Chapter companion notes

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See The Reeve in The Prologue