The Canterbury Tales

By Geoffrey Chaucer

english.basd.k12.wi.us/
 WHO?
29 pilgrims plus Geoffrey Chaucer (Narrator) and the Host (31 total)

Cross-section of Medieval Society

Ruling Class
Knight , Squire

Clergy Class
Monk, Friar, Prioress, Parson,
Summoner, Pardoner

Middle Class
Merchant, Reeve, Franklin, Doctor, O xford Student (Clerk),
Wife of Bath, Sergeant-at-law

Trade Class
Guildsmen, Cook, Manciple

Peasant Class
Miller, Plowman, Skipper, Yeoman, Host
 Tour Group: Pilgrims
KNIGHT:
Chivalrous
Battle-worn (mostly religious crusades)
Champion jouster (killed his opponent three times)
Wise, true, gentle, modest

SQUIRE:
A knight in training
Son of the KNIGHT
single,
20 years old
Member of the cavalry
Musical, artistic, poet/writer, dancer, jouster
Lover

YEOMAN:
Servant of the KNIGHT
Carried bows, arrows and other equipment
Rugged appearance
Wore a St. Christopher medal
all pilgrim images from: www.eng.fju.tw/
PRIORESS:
A nun; Priory Head just below an Abbess
Madame Eglantine
Refined, elegant, pretentious
Loved her small dogs
More interested in appearing cultured than religious
Wore a brooch saying, “Omnia Vincit Amour (Love Conquers All)”

MONK:
Took vows of chastity, poverty and obedience
Loved hunting
Owned greyhounds
Disobeyed his vows
Flashy dresser
Large in stature

FRIAR:
Hubert
Lisped
Violated vows of poverty and simplicity
Seduced young women
Hated dealing with lowest classes
Jolly; bald
MERCHANT:
Bought, sold and traded goods
Egotistical, pompous
In debt; kept business financials to himself
Expert at selling money on the Exchange
More interested in appearance than honesty

OXFORD STUDENT (CLERIC):

Religious scholar, student
Very poor
Studied philosophy
Spent any money he got on books
Orated on moral virtue

SERGEANT-AT-LAW (Lawyer):
Never took a case he couldn’t win
Specialty: deeds
Appeared busier than he was
Wore a multi-colored coat

HABERDASHER, CARPENTER, WEAVER, DYER, TAPESTRY-MAKER (GUILDSMEN):

 owned goods, money
Possessed reliable tools/equipment
True to how they appeared; unpretentious
FRANKLIN:
Property-holder
Not of noble birth
Lived for pleasure (food and drink)

COOK:
Boastful about his cooking prowess
Said that he could cook anything and make it tasty
Crude in manner
Generally slovenly
Had an ulcerated, open sore on his shin

SKIPPER (SEAMAN):
Good navigator of the seas
Owned a ship: Magdalen
Unscrupulous
Loved wine

DOCTOR:
Not at all religious
Could identify and cure all manner of diseases
Miserly with his money
Loved gold
WIFE of BATH:
From the town of Bath
Deaf
Always the first to give money at church
Vain, childish, needed attention
Married five times; liked to attract men
Had been on three pilgrimages to Jerusalem (more to find husbands
Than for religious reasons).

PRIEST (PARSON):
Sincerely religious
Humble
Lived for Christian service
Practiced what he preached
Gave to the poor before giving to himself

PLOWMAN:
Brother of the Parson
Honest; hardworking
Loved God above all
Loved his neighbor as himself
Poor, but Charitable
www.traumwerk.stanford.edu
MILLER:
Huge, homely and strong
Milled, grinded grain
Vulgar
Stole grain
Played bagpipes

MANCIPLE:
Purchased provisions for law students
Undereducated
Stole money from the law students

REEVE:
A manager of workers on an estate
From Norfolk
Keeper of his liege’s livestock
Shrewder than the Lord of the Manor at negotiating prices
Never behind on any type of payments
SUMMONER:
Caught and fined those violating Church law
Pocketed some of the money
Physically repulsive
Oozing sores on his skin
Seduced young women in the Church
Orated on not fearing excommunication
Drank heavily; spouted Latin phrases when drunk

PARDONER:
Raised money for the Church
Sold Papal indulgences to sinners
Sold fake religious relics as real
Well-read in Church lessons and parables
Sang and preached to make money

The HOST (HARRY BAILLY):

Bartender and keeper of the Tabard Inn
Boasted about serving the “best food and drink.”
Mastermind of the story-telling challenge on the pilgrimage to Canterbury
Jovial, good-hearted
 GEOFFREY CHAUCER
Born in London
1343-1400
Author, poet, bureaucrat, courtier,
diplomat.
Satirist
Thought by many to be the “Father of
Modern English”
Adapted pilgrims from people he
encountered in his life.
Many plots, adapted from other literature.
The Canterbury Tales offers a cross-section
of life/people in the Middle Ages.
Knew that his job as a traveling poet, or
scop, was to entertain and to deliver the
news from one town to another.
Apoet’s viewpoint was considered less
than that of the Clergy class.
As a pilgrim, Chaucer could be the eyes for
his readers.
Wrote in Rhyme Royal:
5-stress line (decasyllabic)
Meter cousin to iambic pentameter
Rhyming couplets
Thanks to Wikipedia,com for some of the information.

www.umm.maine.edu
 WHAT? WHERE? WHY?
All Inclusive Spring Tour originating at The Tabard Inn in London .
Concluding at The Canterbury Cathedral in the city of Canterbury
Purpose: to visit the cathedral to pay homage to the holy martyr, St. Thomas Becket at his shrine.
Entertainment: each guest will tell two tales on the way to Canterbury and two tales on the way back
The winner will win a fine meal provided by Host, Harry Bailly, manager of the Tabard Inn.

wpcontent.answers.com/wikipedia/commons english2eso.files.wordpress.com

evergreen.loyola.edu
 WHEN?
From the General Prologue of The Canterbury Tales

When April with his showers sweet with fruit 1 1. April Showers
The drought of March has pierced unto the root 2 2-4.March drought has ended ; rain is helping the
And bathed each vein with liquor that has power 3 growth of spring flowers, plants, etc.
To generate therein and sire the flower; 4 5. Zephyr: Greek god of the West Wind and of
When Zephyr also has, with his sweet breath, 5 Spring.
Quickened again, in every holt and heath, 6 7. Ram (ARIES): Zodiac sign for March 21 st-
The tender shoots and buds, and the young sun 7 April 20th
Into the Ram one half his course has run, 8 9. Birds are singing now that winter has past.
And many little birds make melody 9 12-14 People like to go on pilgrimages in the
That sleep through all the night with open eye 10 spring.
(So Nature pricks them on to ramp and rage)- 11
Then do folk long to go on pilgrimage, 12
And palmers to go seeking out strange strands, 13
To distant shrines well known in sundry lands. 14
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/ct-prolog-para.html

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www.uk.filo.pl/uk_pilgrims_canterbury.jpg
 Literary Genres
Allegory
Using figurative language to show/represent an abstract idea or spiritual concept.
Dramatic; pictorial
Symbolic narrative; implies a comparison of traits
A fictitious representation; i.e. “peace and victory shown as women; Animal Farm showing a communist state.
Exemplum:
An anecdote (short narrative) given to prove a point or illustrate a moral concept.
Exemplum=example
Used by medieval preachers
Fable
Animals or inanimate objects represent human characters
Short
Teaches a moral lesson
Fabliau/fabliaux
Short story
Sometimes in verse form (using rhyming pentameters)
Coarse, earthy, bawdy
Sexual intrigue or obscene pranks are often central to the plots
Often satirized the clergy class
Lai
Story in song
Lais means voice
Several stanzas-no consistency in form
No repeating sections (like ballads)
Tales of love, daring deeds, chivalry, knights and their ladies
Courtly Romance
Originally referred to stories told in Romanz-(vernacular French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese)=romance languages
Latin= real language
Chivalric adventures of knights and their ladies (often King Arthur’s court: Arthurian literature)
Audience-largely royal women
Often knight subservient and obedient to women; did not correspond to the reality of the times.
Thanks to Wikipedia
 The Canterbury Tales Prologue Worksheet
Directions: Each student will be assigned two pilgrims to study in full.
Part 1: Copy the information on this sheet into your notebook, leaving room under each heading for notes from
this PowerPoint and from reading the different character descriptions in the Prologue.
Part 2: Pick a modern day counterpart for each of the two pilgrims and fill in the needed information.

Part 1: Then: 14th Century

Character_______________________ Profession_________________________________
Personality qualities that make person suitable to that profession:
Place in Medieval class system___________________________
References to qualities suitable or unsuitable to members of that class:
Physical characteristics:
Do physical features match character's profession and class? explain
Clothing?
Is clothing matched to profession and class? Explain
Activities or interests:
Prized Possessions:
Chaucer's attitude toward Pilgrim:
Part 2: Now- 20th Century
Profession/Career_________________________
Name_____________________________-
Modern Appearance(Physical characteristics and dress):
Mode of Transportation____________________________
Entertainment or hobbies:
Pilgrimage to_____________________________________
Status in society___________________________________
The Canterbury Tales “Prologue” Writing Assignment 100 points

Geoffrey Chaucer described his pilgrims in rhymed couplets of iambic pentameter. In this assignment
you will accurately describe yourself, imitating Chaucer’s style, meter, and rhyme scheme. I will read these out
loud to see if your classmates can identify you by your candid and eloquent description. A sample follows at the
bottom of the page; see if you can identify the subject! Due Date: The next class period
Grading Criteria:
Typed and double spaced
In your title identify your pilgrim (yourself) through an occupation or avocation
Sixteen lines minimum
Rhymed couplets of iambic pentameter (Proofread aloud so you can hear the meter.)
Creative and honest depiction
Sample:
The English Teacher
With them was a teacher of English;
And good grammar in essays was her wish.
She was not too tall: stood at five foot four
And looked quite kind, but could roar like a boar.
She wore flowy tops and jewelry galore;
Proofreading essays was rarely a bore.
In the summertime she loved to write;
Finding time to create was always her plight.
She was often seen with other teachers,
Or in the hallways with teenage creatures.
She wore mostly flat shoes, rarely high heels.
At her desk she ate her brown-bagged meals
Her room was adorned with Terrible Towels
When the Steelers lost she was known to howl.
Her forty-one year mate was a man named Tim;
Smiling, white-haired and long in the limbs.
Quiz: The Canterbury Tales Prologue 30 pts. Page 1
Part 1: Write the letter that correctly completes the sentence in the blank.

Multiple Choice
_____1. The pilgrimage takes place in the month of
a. March b. April c. May
_____2. Chaucer met the pilgrims at a medieval motel called
a. Tapboard Inn b. Tabard Inn c. Tabbard Inn
_____3. The total number of people in Chaucer’s pilgrimage group were
a. 29 b. 30 c. 31
_____4. The pilgrims were traveling to the town of
a. Canterbury b. Canterburgh c.Canterburry
_____5. They planned to visit the shrine of
a. St Thomas of Assisi b. St. Thomas of Becket c. St. Thomas of Canterbury
_____6. A medieval poet, as well as being an entertainer, was to be the source of
a. news b. gossip c. sermons
_____7. A scop’s viewpoint was considered to be inferior to that of
a. royalty b. clergy c. poets
_____8. The medieval ? genre idealizes characters from the highest social classes and their actions in love and war.
a. lay b. courtly romance c. exemplum
_____9. The ? genre uses animals who speak and act like humans and teaches a lesson or offers a moral.
a. allegory b. fable c. fabliaux
____10. The type of story in which the characters, settings and events stand for abstract or moral concepts is called a
_____.
a. allegory b. exemplum c. sermon
_____11. The Canterbury Tales is known for its humorously ______ tone.
a. malevolent b. negative c. satiric
_____12. As a pilgrim, Chaucer serves as his readers’
a. ears b. eyes c. hands (writer)
_____13. The contest for the trip is suggested by
a. the bard b. the knight c. the host
_____14. The only two pilgrims Chaucer felt were sincere in their beliefs and actions were the
______________________ and the _______________________.
a. Host and Monk b. parson and plowman c. Friar and Reeve
Quiz: The Canterbury Tales Prologue Page 2

Part 2: Write the letter of the correct description on the right in the square by the pilgrim’s name
on the left.

Matching
____1. miller a. disliked the Church’s rules
____2. skipper b. preferred books over clothes
____3. prioress c. helps himself to the cargo he transports
____4. friar d. had a pillowcase full of religious relics
____5. monk e. an in-debt businessman
____6. squire f. chivalrous
____7. knight g. loved to tell earthy, dirty stories
____8. Wife of Bath h. a “beggar” named Hubert
____9. clerk i. practiced astrology; loved gold
____10. doctor j. Madame Eglantine
____11. Pardoner k. stole from law students
____12. Manciple l. a lover, not a fighter
____13. Merchant m. gaped-toothed; married numerous times

Part 3: Answer the following questions in complete sentences.

Short Answer (2 pts)

Explain the Host’s challenge to all of the pilgrims. What is each to do? What is the prize?
 The Canterbury Tales Prologue Quiz Answer Key

Part 1: Multiple Choice Part 2: Matching

1. b 1. g
2. b 2. c
3. c 3. j
4. a 4. a
5. b 5. h
6. a 6. l
7. b 7. f
8. b 8. m
9.b 9. b
10. a 10. i
11. c 11. d
12. b 12. k
13. c 13. e
14. b

Part 3: Short Answer

Students answers should contain the following information:

The Host challenges each of the pilgrims to tell four stories: two on the way to
Canterbury and two on the return trip home. The one who tells the best story (the Host
will be the judge) will win a fabulous meal from the Tabard Inn.

The Canterbury Tales Introductory PowerPoint (18 slides):

Copyright © 2011 Constance D. Casserly All rights reserved by author.
Copying for more than one teacher, classroom, department, school, or school system is prohibited.