The Canterbury Tales Reading Guide

Name: ________________________ English 10 Regents The Canterbury Tales Pre-reading pg 1 Mr. Valentin The Canterbury Tales Reading Guide About the au...
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Name: ________________________ English 10 Regents

The Canterbury Tales Pre-reading pg 1 Mr. Valentin

The Canterbury Tales Reading Guide About the author:

Geoffrey Chaucer was the son of a merchant and saw quite a bit of the medieval world. His varied experiences helped prepare him to write The Canterbury Tales. The exact date of Geoffrey Chaucer’s birth is unknown, but official records furnish many details of his active life. Born into a middle-class family, Chaucer was sent in his early teens to work as page to the wife of Lionel of Antwerp, a son of the reigning monarch, Edward III. Through this position, middle-class Chaucer was introduced to the aristocratic society of England. In 1350, while serving in the English Army in France, Chaucer was captured and held prisoner. King Edward paid a sixteen pound ransom for his release – a sum that was eight times what a simple laborer might make in a year. Chaucer began writing in his twenties, practicing and honing his skills as a poet as he rose through the ranks of medieval society. His early poems were based on the works of European poets. These were followed by various translations of French poetry. His first major work, The Book of the Duchess, was probably completed in early 1369, almost one year after the death of Blanche of Lancaster, for whose grieving husband, John of Gaunt, he wrote the poem. Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales in his later years. No one knows for certain what prompted him to begin this work. Chaucer’s inspiration may have come from his own participation in the pilgrimage to Canterbury. A pilgrimage is a long journey to a shrine or holy site, taken by people who wish to express their devotion. Chaucer certainly had the opportunities to observe many pilgrims starting their journeys – a window of his London home overlooked the pilgrim road that led to Canterbury. In this masterwork, each character tells a tale on the way to Canterbury. Just as the tellers of The Canterbury Tales come from the length and breadth of medieval society, the tales encompass medieval literature – from romance to comedy, from rhyme to prose, from crude humor to religious mysteries. Only 24 of the projected 120 tales were finished, but they stand together as a completed work. In his own lifetime, Geoffrey Chaucer was considered the greatest English poet. Today, he is considered the father of English poetry.

Structure of the story:

Or should we say lack of structure? The Canterbury Tales prologue, which is one of only two items we are reading from Chaucer, lacks a conventional structure. Thirty people are going on a pilgrimage. This is the beginning, the middle, and the end; instead, what we read is basically a laundry list of characters. While this may sound mundane, the characters often reveal

Name: ________________________ English 10 Regents

The Canterbury Tales Pre-reading pg 2 Mr. Valentin

thoughts on Chaucer’s society. We may also find ourselves relating to certain characters and finding humor or disgust in others. Setting and Atmosphere:

The story takes place in a tavern in the 14th century and takes place in England. The reason the story is called The Canterbury Tales is because the story is about the adventure to Canterbury to pay respects to the holy blissful martyr Thomas a Becket.

Note to the reader:

The story introduces the characters with the highest social standing and class first, as well as the characters with the highest morality. As the prologue continues, we are introduced to characters who are less wealthy and with poorer morals.

Important Literary Terms: Direct Characterization:

Indirect Characterization:

Social Commentary:

Frame:

Name: ________________________ English 10 Regents

The Canterbury Tales Pre-reading pg 3 Mr. Valentin

Canterbury Tales - Vocabulary List 1 Adversity

n

great hardship; misfortune

Agility

n

ability to move with ease and speed

Dainty

adj

tiny and delicately beautiful

Devout

adj

extremely religious, pious

Frugal

adj

thrifty; economical; inexpensive

Pilgrimages

n

journeys to shrines or sacred places.

Prudent

adj

using good judgment; acting wisely

Repent

v

to feel remorse or regret; resolved to reform

Sundry

adj

miscellaneous; various

Unanimously adv

with everyone agreeing

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The Canterbury Tales Pre-reading pg 4 Mr. Valentin

Canterbury Tales - Vocabulary List 2 Ceaselessly

adv

without stopping; continuously

Crone

n

an ugly old woman; hag

Defiance

n

open resistance to an opposing force or authority

Disperses

v

to drive off; scatter; distribute widely

Extort

v

to obtain by using violence or threats

Enquire

v

to seek information by asking a question

Forlorn

adj

abandoned or forsaken; sad and lonely

Incentive

n

something that encourages you to do something

Maim

v

to injure; impair; mutilate

Void

adj

empty; containing no matter

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The Canterbury Tales Pre-reading pg 5 Mr. Valentin

Canterbury Tales Anticipation Guide Read the following statements. Circle the number on the scale that fits your opinion the best. Write at least two sentences explaining your thoughts about each statement. There are no right or wrong answers!

1

2

always true

sometimes true

3 depends

4

5

sometimes false

always false

1. Greed is the root of all evil. 1

2

3

4

5

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2. Power corrupts everyone who has it. 1

2

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5

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3. Dreams are often predictors of the future. 1

2

3

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5

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4. No one understands morality better than the immoral. 1

2

3

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5

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The Canterbury Tales Pre-reading pg 6 Mr. Valentin

5. The more educated you are, the better a person you are. 1

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_____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ 6. Society must be divided into classes in order to function properly. 1 2 3 4

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7. Society must be divided into classes in order to function properly. 1

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8. “Turning the other cheek” is the best response to cruelty. 1

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9. When an agreement is made, it must be honored, no matter what. 1

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10. Women should have all the power in a relationship. 1

2

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