The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-06-01
The CANTERBURY PILGRIMS

The drama, THE Canterbury Pill
grims," by Percy Mackaye, to be pre-
evening of June 8, on the Agricultural
College campus, as the name implies,
deals with the travellers wife undertook
that most wonderful pilgrimage in
ard Inn at Southwark, opposite Lon
don on The Thames. This play neces-
sarily deals with many ~personages.
which gives 1t something of a pa
pecially fits it for an outdoor perform
ance. Mr.. Mackaye has not only used
the characters based on the Canter-
Tales, but also Richard IL, some of his
archbishop of Canterbury, Canterbury
Brooch girls, vendors Of relics and
various others, to portray wildly the
scene connected with the Canterbury
cathedral c~eremonials.
The drama is presented in four acts
every n of which is replete with the
spirit of that charming and interesting
journey: The play is written in verse
which BELTS the atmosphere of the
theme. The first act takes place in the
Tabard Inn, and Chaucer, the princi-
pal character, is introduced with these
lines:
"a books a mistress all the world may
love and nom be Tilted"
The Wife of Bath (Alisoun), takes
the leading woman's part and comes in
singing:
When the folk of Faerie
Are laughing in the laund,
And the nix pipes low in the miller's
pond,
Come hither love, to me-"
Chaucer is incognito, but the Squire
man of the poetic temperament is Dan
Chaucer. Alisoun chooses him for heI
suspects and finally is certain that this
Oberon, and is determined to win him
She Is jealous of the Prioress, and
ma X ca n hif with n 1Innr
IF that my lady Prioress shall give
You brooch of gold from off her pref
ty waist,
Unto the man whom she expects tc
meet,
And that same man prove not to be
her brother,
Then thou shalt marry me at Canter-
bury"
To accomplish her purpose she dis
guises herself as the Knight and be
fools the Prioress and thu wins thu
wager, but not the poet, for Chaucel
law to the illegality of 9
sixth husband, and the punishment
thereof, ito hang, dame, by the neck
Till thou are art dead"
The comedy element is sustained
however, by Richard H., giving heI
the privilege of a sixth husband if he
be a miller, which gives her lover Of
that occupation the coveted opportun.
ny oL Weoolng TINS clever, but bolster
Gus Wife of Bath.
The scene of the second act takes
place in the Garden of the One Nine
Pin Inn, at the little hamlet of Rob-Up.
and-Down, enroute to Canterbury
Herein occur many interesting incid.
ents. An especially charming one is be.
tween Chaucer and the Prioress. The
plot begins to brew through the accom-.
plices of Alsoun, the Wife of Bath.
The happenings of the third act oc.
cur in the hall of the One Nine Pin
which is the climax of the drama. The
great attraction of Chaucer for the
Prioress and the love of the Squire and
Johanna are interviewer in the machi.
nations of the plot to further Alisoun's
plan.
The closing scene in act ". trans.
plres before the front of Canterbury
cathedral, and is exceedingly attract.
i've in it's diversity. 1t is here the
verdict is sounded for the miller, anG
where, Chaucer and Alisoun CRY
quits" It is here the splendor of thu
noted pilgrimage is displayed with al
Its regal and celestial grandeur.