#  Synopses and Prolegomena 

 



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The full text of The Tales, along with intralinear translation, can be found in the [Texts and Translations](/pages/text-and-translations) section of the website. This section of the site provides the opening lines of each Tale, a short summary of their plot, and contextual information such historical and literary context, additional readings, etc.  
  
The Tales are organized by the Fragment in which they appear:

**Fragment I:**

- The General Prologue ([Prolegomenon](/pages/general-prologue); [Text and Translation](/pages/general-prologue-0))
- The Knight's Tale ([Prolegomenon](/pages/knights-tale); [Text and Translation](/pages/knights-tale-0))
- The Miller's Tale ([Prolegomenon](/pages/millers-tale-0); [Text and Translation](/pages/millers-prologue-and-tale))
- The Reeve's Tale ([Prolegomenon](/pages/reeves-tale); [Text and Translation](/pages/reeves-prologue-and-tale))
- The Cook's Tale ([Prolegomenon](/pages/cooks-tale); [Text and Translation](/pages/cooks-prologue-and-tale))

**Fragment II:**

- The Man of Law's Tale ([Prolegomenon](/pages/man-laws-tale); [Text and Translation](/pages/man-laws-introduction-prologue-tale-and-epilogue))

**Fragment III:**

- The Wife of Bath's Tale ([Prolegomenon](/pages/wife-baths-prologue-and-tale); [Text and Translation](/pages/wife-baths-prologue-and-tale-0))
- The Friar's Tale ([Prolegomenon](/hwpi.harvard.edu/chaucer/pages/friars-tale); [Text and Translation](/pages/friars-prologueand-tale))
- The Summoner's Tale ([Prolegomenon](/pages/summoners-tale); [Text and Translation](/pages/summoners-prologue-and-tale))

**Fragment IV:**

- The Clerk's Tale ([Prolegomenon](/pages/clerks-tale); [Text and Translation](/pages/clerks-prologue-tale-and-envoy))
- The Merchant's Tale ([Prolegomenon](/pages/merchants-tale); [Text and Translation](/pages/merchants-prologue-tale-and-epilogue))

**Fragment V:**

- The Squire's Tale ([Prolegomenon](/pages/squires-tale); [Text and Translation](/pages/squires-introduction-and-tale))
- The Franklin's Tale ([Prolegomenon](/pages/franklins-tale); [Text and Translation](/pages/franklins-prologue-and-tale))

**Fragment VI**

- The Physician's Tale ([Prolegomenon](/pages/physicians-tale); [Text and Translation](/pages/physicians-tale-0))
- The Pardoner's Tale ([Prolegomenon](/pages/pardoners-tale); [Text and Translation](/pages/pardoners-prologue-introduction-and-tale))

**Fragment VII**

- The Shipman's Tale ([Prolegomenon](/pages/shipmans-tale); [Text and Translation](/pages/shipmans-tale-0))
- The Shipman-Prioress Link ([Text and Translation](/pages/shipman-prioress-link))
- The Prioress' Tale ([Prolegomenon](/pages/prioress-tale); [Text and Translation](/pages/prioress-prologue-and-tale))
- The Tale of Sir Thopas ([Prolegomenon](/pages/tale-sir-thopas); [Text and Translation](/pages/prologue-and-tale-sir-thopas-and-hosts-interruption))
- The Tale of Melibee ([Prolegomenon](/pages/tale-melibee); [Text and Translation](/pages/tale-melibee-0))
- The Monk's Tale ([Prolegomenon](/pages/monks-tale); [Text and Translation](/pages/monks-prologue-and-tale))
- The Tale of the Nun's Priest ([Prolegomenon](/pages/nuns-priests-tale); [Text and Translation](/pages/prologue-tale-and-epilogue-nuns-priest))

**Fragment VIII:**

- The Second Nun's Tale ([Prolegomenon](/pages/second-nuns-tale); [Text and Translation](/pages/second-nuns-prologue-and-tale))
- The Tale of the Canon's Yeoman ([Prolegomenon](/pages/canons-yeomans-tale); [Text and Translation](/pages/canons-yeomans-prologue-and-tale))

**Fragment IX**

- The Manciple's Tale ([Prolegomenon](/pages/manciples-tale); [Text and Translation](/pages/manciples-prologue-and-tale))

**Fragment X**

- The Parson's Tale ([Prolegomenon](/pages/101-parsons-tale); [Text and Translation](/pages/parsons-prologue-and-tale))
- Chaucer's Retraction ([Prolegomenon](/pages/chaucers-retraction); [Text and Translation](/pages/chaucers-retraction-0))