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The Canterbury Tales · Character

The Squire

The Knight's twenty-year-old son, curly-haired and lovesick, who rides beside his father dreaming of his lady's favor.

supporting

Also known as The Squire, Squire

First appearance: The Prologue

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

The Knight's son, a young and lusty bachelor, skilled in love, music, and jousting.
In the storyThe PrologueOpen this moment free

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The Squire is a lusty young bachelor who has already seen cavalry service in Flanders and Artois, hoping to prove himself worthy of his lady. He dresses in embroidered flowers and sings and flutes all day, embodying the…

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The fuller portrait of The Squire sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See The Squire in The Prologue

Character Web

23 connections

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

CHChaucerFRFriarTCThe CookCECecileTMThe MerchantTSThe Squire

Relationship types

  • Other

Character groups

  • Diverse pilgrims and tale characters
  • Comic and authorial figures
  • Lower-class and bawdy characters
  • Animal fable and minor pilgrims
  • Moral exemplars and advisors

+18 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

SetupEscalationClimax
  • 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.

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In the story

The Squire appears across 7 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 Squire unlock in the free preview.

See The Squire in The Prologue
Who is The Squire in The Canterbury Tales?