The Canterbury Talesby Geoffrey Chaucer

The “Father of English Poetry” takes a “picture” of

Medieval England

Chaucer’s biography

• 1343? – 1400• Born to middle-class merchant• Worked as a page in King Edward III’s court• 1359 – captured in France – POW – King Ed paid 16

pound ransom (huge!)• 1366 – married lady-in-waiting, Philippa Pan! (3 kids)• Jobs – controller at customs, justice of the peace,

member of Parliament, diplomat in Italy and France, supervisor of construction – Tower of London and Westminster Abbey, forester of King’s forest

• Buried – Poet’s Corner, Westminster Abbey

The Canterbury Talesthe Prologue

• Frame story – a pilgrimage to Beckett’s tomb in Canterbury (Who’s he?) 50 miles SE of London

• “9 and 20” pilgrims – Tabard Inn, Southwark• The beginning – read page 95• 24 tales completed out of projected 120• Pilgrims from 3 main segments of Medieval

society – ecclesiastical, feudal, urban• Your presentations will try to describe both what

each person was like and what Chaucer was trying to say about Medieval society

The Presentations

• 1. Perform Chaucer’s poetic description from the Prologue

• 2. Describe the character in your own words – appearance, personality, status, etc.

• 3. What historically do we learn from Chaucer’s portrayal?

• 4. Is Chaucer’s portrayal positive, negative, or balanced (neutral)?

• 5. Provide useful notes to the class

The Prologue Characters(italicized in text pgs.96 – 115)

• Knight Cook • Squire Skipper • Yeoman Doctor • Nun* Woman from Bath*• Monk* Parson • Friar* Plowman • Merchant Miller• Oxford Cleric Manciple • Sergeant at the Law Reeve • Franklin Summoner* • Guildsmen Pardoner*

Homework during the Prologue Presentations

• Read “The Nun’s Priest’s Tale” pg. 119

• Read “The Pardoner’s Tale” pg. 141

• Test on Prologue characters and 2 “Tales” follow – Source for much of the test will be the notes provided by the presentations