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The Canterbury Tales

by Geoffrey Chaucer
England: island of peoples,
languages and divisions
 The 3 estates in the Middle
Ages:
– Clergy
 Those who pray to save
everyone’s soul (Latin)
– Nobles
 Those who fight to
protect, provide peace
and justice (French)
– Commoners
 Those who work to feed
and clothe all above them
(English)
feudalism
 The economic system of much
of the Middle Ages (800-1100)
 Commoners (peasants) lived on a
feudal manor. The lord of the
manor gave them land to farm.
 In return, the vassals received
protection from roving bandits. Yet
they were taxed and had to
surrender a portion of their crops
to the lord.
 Feudalism is important as it
created ties of obedience and
fostered a sense of loyalty
between the vassals and their lord.
A tenant (vassal) renews his oath of loyalty
to his lord
Medieval Literature
 A notable amount of medieval literature
is anonymous.
 Medieval authors often tended to re-tell
and embellish stories they heard or read
rather than invent new stories.
 Characteristics:
– Heroism: Beowulf / SG and TGK
– Presentations of Idealized behaviour:
loyalty, chivalry, moralization
– Use of Kennings: storm of swrods (battle)
Medieval Literature II
 Characteristics (continuation)
– Romance: Courtly Love
– Christian message: salvation
– The Quest: Hero’s journey towards a goal.
Deeds of a knight following a code of
bahaviour (Arthur)
– Use of allegory
 Figurative mode of representation. It conveys a
meaning other than the literal, usually abstract
qualities, events and institutions.
 It was used to convey the morals that the author
had in mind when writing.
THE HIGH MIDDLE AGES
 They begin with the First Crusade
(1095)  reclaim Jerusalem from
infidels
– Trade routes are opened
– Vassals are liberated to fight in the
Holy Lands  Feudalism dies out.
– The Church becomes incredibly
corrupt
– Transition to the RENAISSANCE
begins
With the Crusades comes
The Black Death
 spreads along trade routes
 kills 1/3 European population
 the plague outbreaks occur
through the Middle Ages and
into the Renaissance

 First seen in Britain 1348


 Brought over by
rats/fleas on cargo ships
 Made worse by horrible
living conditions in
British cities
Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343-1400)
 Dominant literary figure in the 14th century
 Life experiences
--child of wealthy wine merchant
--page in a royal household
--spoke French, Latin, & Italian
--Soldier & diplomat
--member of Parliament
Geoffrey Chaucer and
The Canterbury Tales
 “Father of English Literature”
 He went against tradition—should have
written in French BUT he wrote them in
Middle English
 “Father of the English Language” because
he defied rules/law and wrote in the
people’s language
Geoffrey Chaucer and
The Canterbury Tales
 wrote about all classes in The Canterbury Tales
giving the best picture of English society at the
time
 Each character tells a tale on the pilgrimage to
the cathedral at Canterbury
 Originally planned 120 tales, but only 24 were
completed before his death
 First piece of literature printed in Britain—The
Canterbury Tales in Middle English (W. Caxton
1476 build 1st print in England vs Gutemburg
1436 in Germany: The Bible)
Chaucer Images
The Middle Ages
Background
Hierarchy –
Nobility/Ruling Class -
Class Structure Knight and Squire
During Chaucer’s
Time Clergy - Monk, Friar,
Prioress, Parson,
Summoner, Pardoner

Middle Class – Merchant,


Doctor, Student, Wife of Bath

Peasants – Miller,
Plowman, Skipper
Knight’s Code of Chivalry
A knight must be:
1. true to his God and a
defender of the faith.
2. true and loyal to his
lord and king.
3. true to his lady.
4. humble and modest
in daily actions.
5. brave and fierce in
war and adversity.
Code of the Clergy
A member of the clergy must:
1. be chaste and pure.
2. be devoted to God.
3. obey God / Biblical law.
4. take vows of poverty.
5. reach heaven through
earthly denial.
Seven Deadly Sins
 Gluttony
 Avarice / Greed
 Sloth
 Lust
 Vanity
 Pride
 Anger
Moral Virtues (opposite of sins)
 Moderation
 Generosity
 Diligence
 Love
 Modesty
 Humility
 Forgiveness
Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales
 Each pilgrim has speech and tale that matches a
real person during his (Chaucer’s) time (Different
genres, different views of the world, different vocabularies, and different images
for truth)
 Romance- deals with human emotions and
relationships
 Fabliau- deals with the basic human needs of food,
sex, or money
 Saint’s Life- deals with the operations of God
 Sermons and Ethical Treatises- deals with spiritual
matters
Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales (cont.)
 30 characters representing all social classes
--Chaucer, as a parody of himself, is one of the
pilgrims
--Although fictional, does have realistic settings
and occupations
*Tabard Inn
*Canterbury & Canterbury Cathedral
*Shrine of Thomas Becket (martyr with
healing powers killed by Henry II)
 Chaucer’s tone: IRONIC
The Prologue
 Introduction: 30 pilgrims are on their way to
Canterbury to pay homage at Becket’s
tomb.
 Each agrees to tell two tales on the way to
the shrine and two tales back.
 The winner will receive a supper paid for by
all.
List of 30 Pilgrims
 Narrator – line 20 Cook – line 390
 Knight – line 43 Skipper – line 398
 Squire – line 81 Doctor – line 421
 Yeoman – line 103 Wife of Bath – line 455
 Prioress (+ 3) – line 122 Parson – line 488
 Monk – line 169 Plowman – line 539
 Friar – line 212 Miller – line 561
 Merchant – line 280 Manciple – line 585
 Oxford Cleric – line 295 Reeve – line 605
 Serjeant at Law – line 319 Summoner - line 641
 Franklin – line 341 Pardoner – line 689
 Guildsmen – (Haberdasher,
Dyer, Carpenter, Weaver,
Carpet-Maker) - line 371
Literary Terms
 Satire: literary mode based on criticism of people and
society through ridicule.
 Characterization: method used by a writer to
develop a character such as appearance, actions, thoughts,
others’ reactions)
 frame narrative/story: one or more small stories
inserted within the body of a larger story.
 Prologue: establishes the situation of the characters or
presents information about the setting, period and action.
 Hyperbole: Exaggeration or overstatement.
 Stereotype: conventional, formulaic, oversimplified
conception, opinion, or image.
Tales’ links
 The Wife of Bath (Presentation)
 The Wife of Bath’s Tale
 The Knight’s Tale
 The Miller’s Tale
 The Clerk’s Tale
THE END

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