The Canterbury TalesAn Introduction

Background Information

1066: Norman invasion causes shift in literature

and language

Middle English is created

The Canterbury Tales is one of the first major

works that uses English language artistically

About CT

Considered a frame narrative

Frame narrative: a main story with one or more

secondary stories within it

Modern day examples: “How I Met Your Mother,”

The Princess Bride, The Notebook

Written by Geoffrey Chaucer

Follows a group of people on a pilgrimage to

Canterbury

Characterization

The process of conveying information about

characters through description, dialogue, and

actions

Think of stereotypes activity

Stereotypes are a shortcut for characterization,

but not universally accurate

In CT, characterization can especially be seen in

prologue

Chaucer describes characters’ “station, degree

and array”