Pilgrimages † Properly undertaken to give thanks for anƒwered prayers † Uƒually taken in the ƒpring, after planting ƒeaƒon † Medieval “vacation trip”

The Canterbury Tales Prologue: Lines 1–42

Whan that Aprille with his ƒhoures ƒoote The droghte of March hath perced to the roote, And bathed euery veyne in ƒwich licour Of which vertu engendred is the flour, Whan Zephirus eek with his ƒweete breeth Inƒpired hath in euery holt and heeth The tendre croppes, and the yonge ƒonne Hath in the Ram his halue cours y-ronne, And ƒmale foweles maken melodye, That ƒlepen al the nyght with open ye (So priketh hem Nature in hir corages), Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages, And palmeres for to ƒeken straunge strondes, To ferne halwes, kowthe in ƒondry londes; And ƒpecially from euery ƒhires ende Of Engelond to Caunterbury they wende, The hooly bliƒful martir for to ƒeke, That hem hath holpen whan that they were ƒeeke.

Setting † Deƒcription of ƒpring—the pa†oral † Zephyrus: Greek god of the We† Wind † April 17, 1387 † Framing device

Pilgrimages

Window at Canterbury Cathedral

† Favorite de†inations of the Engli‡ included the Holy Land, Rome, ‡rine of Santiago de Compo†ela (Spain) and ‡rine of St. Thomas à Becket

Canterbury

Canterbury in the 12th Century

† Located in Kent, ƒouthea† of London † Founded by St. Augu†ine † Seat of the Catholic Church in England from A.D. 640

1

Canterbury

Canterbury in the 12th Century We† Gate, where the pilgrims entered Canterbury

Chri† Church Gate, at the entrance to the cathedral grounds

Canterbury Cathedral † Seat of the Archbi‡op of Canterbury † Site of the ‡rine of St. Thomas à Becket † Current cathedral fini‡ed in A.D. 1245

The Shrine of St. Thomas à Becket † Chancellor of England and Archbi‡op of Canterbury † Martyred at Canterbury Cathedral, A.D. 1177 † Favorite ƒaint of the Engli‡

Southwark

The Tabard on Borough High Street (Watling Street). Original Tabard run by Harry Bailley burnt down in 1676; replacement torn down in 1873

† Oppoƒite London on the ƒouth ‡ore of the Thames † Gathering place for pilgrims to Canterbury

The Route to Canterbury

† London to Canterbury: about 50 miles † Pilgrims would travel about 10 miles a day

The Route to Canterbury

† Pilgrims followed Watling Street, ancient Roman road from Southwark to Canterbury

2

Geoffrey Chaucer

The Elleƒmere Manuƒcript

† c. 1343–1400 † Middle-claƒs family † Courtier to Edward III and Richard II † Favorite poet of mediæval England † Works were intended to be read aloud

Opening of the Wife of Bath’s Tale from the Elleƒmere Manuƒcript

Geoffrey Chaucer

The Elleƒmere Manuƒcript

† Fir† literary man to write in Engli‡— “Father of Engli‡ Poetry” † Other works include Boke of the Ducheƒse, The Parlement of Foulys, Troilus & Criƒeyde, The Legend of Goode Wimmen, A Treatiƒe on the A†rolabe

Opening of Chaucer’s Tale of Melibee from the Elleƒmere Manuƒcript

The Elleƒmere Manuƒcript † One of the olde† exi†ing manuƒcripts of The Canterbury Tales (c. 1403)

The Pilgrims

Geoffrey Chaucer

The Prioreƒse

The Knyght

The Squier

The Nonne

Opening of the Knight’s Tale from the Elleƒmere Manuƒcript

3

The Pilgrims

The Pilgrims The Sumnour

The Nonnes Pree†

The Monk

The Pardoner

The Frere

The Clerk of Oxenford

The Marchant

The Chanons Yeman

Economic Structure of Fourteenth Century England

The Pilgrims

The Sergeant of the Lawe

The Frankeleyn

The Cook

The Doctour of Phiƒik

The Shipman

The Pilgrims

The Good Wif of Bathe The Reue

The Perƒoun

† Death of the feudal ƒy†em † End of ƒerfdom † Riƒe of the middle claƒs † Pilgrims epitomize fourteenth-century Engli‡ middle claƒs

Middle Engliƒh

The Millere The Maunciple

† Melding of Anglo-Saxon (ƒpoken by common people) and Mediæval Anglo-French (ƒpoken at court) † Develops into modern Engli‡ within 100 years after Chaucer’s death

4

Development of the Engliƒh Language Anglo-Saxon (Old English) A.D. 1000 Fæder ure þu þe eart on heofonum; Si þin nama gehalgod to becume þin rice gewurþe ðin willa on eorðan swa-swa on heofonum. Urne gedæghwamlican hlaf syle us todæg and forgyf us ure gyltas swa-swa we forgyfað urum gyltendum and ne gelæd þu us on costnunge ac alys us of yfele. Soþlice.

Words to Know † engendering (line 4): giving riƒe to; producing † ƒign of the Ram (line 8): the a†rological ƒign of Aries (March 21–April 20) † palmers (line 13): people who have made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land † ‡ire (line 15): an Engli‡ county † array (line 38): everything a perƒon wears (clothing, iewelry, etc.)

Development of the Engliƒh Language Middle Engliƒh (A.D. 1389) Oure fadir that art in heuenes, Halwid be thi name. Thi kyngdome cumme to Be thi wille don As in heuen and in erthe; Gif to vs this day oure breed ouer other ƒubstnce And forgeue to vs oure dettis, As we forgeue to oure detours; And leede vs nat in to temtacioun, But delyuere vs fro yuel. Amen.

Development of the Engliƒh Language Modern Engliƒh (A.D. 1549) Our father whiche arte in heauen, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kyngdome come. The wyl be done in earth as it is in heauen. Geue vs this day oure daylye bread And forgeue vs oure treƒpaƒses, As we forgeue theim that treƒpaƒse again† vs. And let vs not be led into temptacion. But delyuer vs from euell. Amen.

5