The present study is written for the for the high school and undergraduate student who reads the Prologue because it is on his/her syllabus, or for the general reader who simply wants to enjoy Chaucer. The analysis offered goes beyond that found in the ubiquitous ‘Notes’ (helpful as these are to the first-time reader) without getting into the esoteric detail of the specialist literature. It is written to dispel the misapprehension that only scholars can understand and appreciate a text written in Middle English. The intention is to give the reader the confidence to develop his/her own understanding of a work which is an essential part of the European literary heritage.