Chaucer devotes a lot of space to describing this character, who is not the way we would expect the head of a religious house to be. She is young and attractive with grey eyes, and clearly spends a lot of money on clothes, especially a large brooch with "Love Conquers All" on it. She is very careful of her appearance generally, and has meticulous table manners, always wiping her mouth after eating (this would have seemed very dainty in Chaucer's time.) She likes to impress and enjoys showing off her French, even though she speaks it with a Cockney accent; Chaucer (himself bilingual) is careful to point out that "French of Paris was to her unknown." The Prioress has a tender heart, but it's not human suffering that moves her; hr great love is for her little dogs, which she feeds on luxury foods and protects from all harm. There is no mention of her doing anything for the poor, though.
