to be governor. he will pick two of the best story tellers and the winner will have a supper, paid bey all.
the host
Harry Bailey was the host of the Tabard Inn where the pilgrims in The Canterbury Tales gather before embarking on their journey to Canterbury.
The host in the Canterbury Tales proposes to entertain the pilgrims if they will follow his orders. The pilgrims are to vote on whether or not they will agree to the proposal.
The Host, Harry Bailey, does not have to tell stories in The Canterbury Tales. He is the one who proposes the storytelling competition among the pilgrims and serves as the master of ceremonies throughout the tales.
In "The Canterbury Tales," the pilgrims respond positively to the idea of sharing their stories and competing amongst themselves. The host agrees to judge the stories as well as to put together the meal that will be awarded to the winner.
The host!.... the host is the judge of the story telling competition
The pilgrims agree to set up the Host, Harry Bailey, as judge over themselves in the Prologue of "The Canterbury Tales." He proposes a storytelling competition to pass the time on their journey to Canterbury, with the best tale winning a free meal at the end of the trip.
The Tabard Inn is the starting point for the pilgrimage in Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales." It is where the narrator meets the other pilgrims and where the Host suggests they tell stories on their journey to Canterbury. The inn serves as the setting for the frame narrative of the collection.
parson oxford cleric wife of bath plowman the host monk nun squire knight clerk prioress cook friar pardoner summoner
In "The Canterbury Tales," Harry Bailey proposes that each pilgrim tell two tales on the way to Canterbury and two on the way back. After the trip was over, it is assumed that Harry Bailey returned to his inn, where he likely continued to run his business and host guests.
The game Harry Bailey suggests is the story game. Each pilgrim will tell two stories on the way to Canterbury, and another two stories on the way back. Whoever is agreed to be the best storyteller will have a slap-up meal paid for by all the other pilgrims. (Harry will sell them the meal at his Inn - the Tabard. So the one guaranteed winner is Harry himself).
In "The Canterbury Tales," the Host, named Harry Bailey, is the one who proposes the storytelling game and sets the rules. He suggests that each pilgrim tells two tales on the way to Canterbury and two on the way back, with the best storyteller receiving a free meal upon their return.