The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer is a collection of different stories, all told by different characters and conveying different messages. The story presented in the general prologue is that a group of pilgrims are traveling to the sanctuary of St. Thomas Becket and during the journey they take turns telling stories and talking about themselves. Chaucer uses pilgrims to express his beliefs about religion, marriage, social class, and many other topics. One of the pilgrims is the Manciple, who is a commoner and is tasked with providing supplies for an institution and in this case acts as a caterer for a group of lawyers. Through the character of the Manciple, his prologue, and his tale, Chaucer showcases the importance of silence and discretion of speech, or what some believe reveals the instability of the Manciple's character. In the "General Prologue" of the Canterbury Tales, the Manciple is described as quiet, wise, and somewhat of a role model, but as the general prologue progresses, it can be assumed that he is devious and dishonest. For example, “All restaurateurs might follow his example/ In purchasing provisions; he was never reckless/ Whether he bought on credit or paid in cash” (Chaucer, “General Prologue” 586-588). Chancer begins to say that people can turn to the Manciple for help in purchasing supplies and that he is careful with his money, always paying attention to what he has. She is said to work for the Inn of Courts, a law school, where she assists lawyers by preparing their meals. Chaucer describes his being so keen that he can even swindle those he works for, "That swich a lewed mannes wit shall pace / The wisdom of a flock of learned men?" (Chaucer, "General Prologue". One can deduce...... middle of the paper ...... the conversation in his Prologue and the tale he shares. Although Chaucer ultimately used the character of the Manciple, the General Prologue, the Manciple Prologue, and the Manciple Tale to convey the importance of silence and discretion of speech It might seem that Chaucer's writing was long and imperfect due to his age, but the irony of the speech is precisely the way in which Chaucer conveyed his point.Works CitedChaucer, Geoffrey. “General Prologue to the Canterbury Tales.” Eds Janet Alan, et.al. “The Canterbury Tales. 14 March 2014. Handout.Chaucer, Geoffrey.” Manciple's Tale", The Canterbury Tales. 14 March 2014. HandoutRossignol, Rosalyn.. "'The Manciple's Tale'" Bloom's Literature File, Inc. Web. 12 March. 2014.