Meet the Pilgrims
An experienced and honorable warrior who has fought in many battles and represents the ideals of medieval chivalry.
The Knight
Three young men make a decision to find and kill this person after hearing that he has killed one of their friends.
Death
The crime committed by the knight at the beginning of the tale results in him being sentenced to death.
Sexual assault
This sin causes the three young men in The Pardoner's Tale to turn against one another and ultimately leads to all three deaths.
Greed
Why does Chaucer include pilgrims from all different occupations and social classes?
To give an accurate depiction of medieval society.
An experienced, outspoken woman who has been married five times, has strong opinions about marriage, and values her independence and authority.
The Wife of Bath.
An old man tells the three young men that they will find Death underneath this.
A Tree
The queen gives the knight one year and one day to discover the answer to this question.
What do women desire most?
The Pardoner demonstrates this quality because he preaches against greed while admitting that he himself is greedy.
Hypocrisy(he's a hypocrite).
Chaucer uses humor and exaggeration to point out the flaws, weaknesses, and contradictions of people and institutions. This type of writing is called this.
Satire
A religious official who sells pardons and preaches against sin, but is himself greedy and openly admits that he uses religion to make money.
The Pardoner
The three young men discover this item underneath the tree, which causes their friendship to turn into greed and betrayal.
Gold(8 bushels worth)
According to the old woman, what do women desire most?
Sovereignty/control over their own lives and choices
The Wife of Bath's Tale suggests that relationships work better when people understand and respect this...
Shared control/power/sovereignty(50/50)
Chaucer makes the Pardoner a hypocrite so that the character can demonstrate this important lesson.
Even immoral people can tell moral tales.
Even hypocrites can still give good advice.
The owner of the inn who organizes the storytelling contest and serves as the leader and guide of the group of pilgrims.
The Host.
The youngest of the three men uses this to kill the other two and keep the treasure for himself.
Poison
This elderly woman agrees to give the knight the answer that saves his life, but only if he agrees to do what?
Marry her.
The stories the pilgrims tell often reveal this about the storytellers themselves...
Their beliefs, values, personalities, and concerns.
The Wife of Bath's tale challenges traditional...
gender roles/norms.
A highly educated professional who knows the works of many famous physicians but is also portrayed as someone who is very interested in making money from his patients.
The Doctor.
The Pardoner is guilty of this major character flaw even though his entire sermon warns people about its dangers.
Greed
When the knight is faced with the decision between a beautiful but unfaithful wife, or an ugly but loyal wife, which does he choose?
Neither. He gives his wife the power to choose for herself leading to her being both beautiful AND faithful.
In both The Pardoner’s Tale and The Wife of Bath’s Tale, characters initially try to gain power or control over others(the woman in the woods, the old lady, the old man). What do both stories ultimately suggest about the consequences of using power selfishly?
Selfish or abusive use of power leads to conflict and negative consequences, while respect and giving others control over their own choices can lead to better relationships.
Why does Chaucer have the pilgrims tell stories to one another instead of simply telling all of the stories himself?
It adds another layer of characters that allows the reader to analyze THEIR personality, beliefs, values, and attitudes through the stories they tell.