The Reeve is described as a slender and choleric man who carefully shaves his beard and keeps his hair trimmed short, implying deceitfulness. He is in charge of managing his lord's estate including livestock and stores, and is able to steal from it while still keeping detailed records. Through subtle flattery and loans to his lord, the Reeve has become secretly rich by taking the maximum profit for himself from the estate while giving the minimum to his lord.
1. The Reeve’s Portrait 587: The reve was a sclendrecolerik man. 588: His berd was shave as ny as ever he kan; 589: His heer was by his erysful round yshorn; 590: His top was dokkedlyk a preestbiforn 591: Fullonge were his legges and fullene, 592: Ylyk a staf, ther was no calf ysene. 593: Welkoude he kepe a gerner and a bynne; 594: Ther was noon auditourkoude on him wynne. 595: Welwiste he by the droghte and by the reyn 596: The yeldynge of his seed and of his greyn. 597: His lordes sheep, his neet, his dayerye, 598: His swyn, his hors, his stoor, and his pultrye 599: Was hoolly in this revesgovernynge, 600: And by his covenant yaf the rekenynge, 601: Syn that his lord was twenty yeer of age. 602: Therkoude no man bryngehym in arrerage. 603: Thernasbaillif, ne hierde, nor ootherhyne, 604: That he ne knew his sleighte and his covyne; 605: They were adrad of hym as of the deeth. 606: His wonyng was ful faire upon an heeth; 607: With grene trees yshadwed was his place. 608: He koudebettre than his lord purchace. 609: Ful riche he was astoredpryvely: 610: His lord welkoude he plesensubtilly, 611: To yeve and lenehym of his owene good, 612: And have a thank, and yet a cote and hood. 613: In youthe he haddelerned a good myster; 614: He was a wel good wrighte, a carpenter. 615: This reve sat upon a ful good stot, 616: That was al pomely grey and highte scot. 617: A long surcote of pers upon he hade, 618: And by his syde he baar a rusty blade. 619: Of northfolk was this reve of which I telle, 620: Biside a toun men clepenbaldeswelle. 621: Tukked he was as is a frereaboute, 622: And evere he rood the hyndreste of oure route.
2. Reeve in Medieval period - Reeve: supervised the work on landlord's property. He checked that everyone began and stopped work on time, and made sure nothing was stolen. - Chaucer has used satire, humour and irony to describe him. Because Reeves were robbers in disguise.
3. Critical Analysis of Reeve “The reve was a sclendrecolerik man. His berd was shave as ny as ever he kan.” (l. 587) Explanation Reeve is slender and short tempered. Slenderness of Reeve, is compared with his deceiving nature and toughness. And shaving of his bread as close as razor can, could imply his stealing of property from the owner as untraceable.
4. “His heer was by his erysful round yshorn” (l. 89) Explanation Reeve’s hair was cut round with his ears exposed. Metaphorically, he keeps his ears open for opportunities in making more profit. And to make sure nobody talk bad about him.
5. “They were adrad of hym as of the deeth” (l. 605) - Everyone is afraid of him as of death. - We see his temper, when Miller narrates a tale of a carpenter, who was easily fooled. Reeve feels insulted and vow for vengeance, as he was carpenter once.
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7. “And ever he rode hindmost of our troop.” (l. 622) Explanation He rides his horse behind everyone on their journey. The symbolism could be, because he can keep a sharp eye on everyone else to make sure, they do not cheat him. At the same time, no one can watch him, so he can cheat them.
8. Questions 1. How is Reeve being described by Chaucer? 2. Explain the line, “Ther was noon auditourkoude on him wynne.” (l. 594)
