← All chapters
The Canterbury Tales · Chapter
The Cook's Tale explained
The Cook begins a tale about a young apprentice named Perkyn, who is a reveller and thief.
What happens
The Cook begins a tale about a young apprentice named Perkyn, who is a reveller and thief. His master dismisses him, and he goes to live with a friend who is also a thief, and whose wife is a prostitute. The tale is incomplete.
Themes in this chapter
Corruption and Hypocrisy in the Church
The tale depicts moral corruption in the secular realm, with characters engaged in thievery and prostitution.
Characters to notice
- The Cook
The Cook is the teller of this tale, which is left unfinished.
Key passages
“And therefore, for the love of God, beware / Of such a wife, and keep your own life clear.”
The Cook warns the audience to avoid such a wife and to live virtuously.
The Cook ends his fragmentary tale with a moral warning.