Chaucer uses the prologue of his story to "set the stage". He wants to introduce all of the characters and to establish two things: 1) they are meant to represent some aspect of Medieval society; and 2) they are still individual people with their own quirks. Chaucer, not naming himself, is making it clear that he is there only to report on the stories that are presented, and not to judge. However, with the somewhat exaggerated and jocular descriptions provided, Chaucer's message is that these tale will be a light-hearted one. Like much of the satire that would come hundreds of years later, Chaucer conceals criticisms about his society under humorous anecdotes.
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