Chaucer's Personal Life
FORMAT of The Canterbury Tales
IMPACT of The Canterbury Tales
PLOT & SETTING of The Canterbury Tales
NEW Vocabulary
100
Where was Chaucer born? (city and country)
London, England
100
What 3 languages influenced Middle English?
Anglo-Saxon, French & Latin
100
Why does it matter that Chaucer used Middle English for his poetry instead of French or Latin?
He lent credibility and popularized the use of the "language of the everyday people" in literature.
100
To where are the pilgrims traveling and why?
To Canterbury, to see the shrine of St. Thomas a Becket. (15)
100
What is vernacular?
The "everyday language" or "the language of the common people."
200
What is Chaucer’s “nickname” in the world of literature?
The Father of English Poetry or The Father of English Literature
200
What types of couplets is The Canterbury Tales written in?
Heroic Couplets
A heroic couplet is a traditional form for English poetry, commonly used in epic and narrative poetry, and consisting of a rhyming pair of lines in iambic pentameter.
200
How did The Canterbury Tales represent and relate to "everyman"?
It describes pilgrims from all walks of life, all social classes, and therefore gave readers of all classes stories about people who were just like them. (101)
200
What happened to St. Thomas a Becket to make him a martyr?
He was murdered in Canterbury Cathedral by King Henry II's knights over a conflict regarding religious differences. (15)
200
What is a frame tale?
A larger story within which there are other, smaller stories. (14)
300
Where is Chaucer buried?
In Westminster Abbey--in The Poet's Corner
300
A tale in which a larger story contains is referred to a/an ___________________?
A frame narrative
300
Which is a more elegant language used by the nobility, Anglo-Saxon or French?
French
300
How many pilgrims are traveling to Canterbury for their pilgrimage?
29 pilgrims + the host = 30 travelers (14)
300
What does the Prologue reveal about society in Chaucer's time?
It reveals the social structure
400
Chaucer was buried in the Abbey not for his poetry but because he had been Clerk of Works at the Palace of Westminster.
True or False
True.
400
What is the overarching story that Chaucer uses for The Canterbury Tales?
30 different pilgrims are traveling to Canterbury and have to tell stories along the way.
400
What is a pilgrimage in The Canterbury Tales? ( Define in the context of this story.)
A pilgrimage is a journey to a sacred place as an act of religious devotion
400
What is the setting of The Prologue in The Canterbury Tales?
Tabard Inn in Southwark, England
A bar or tavern in England
400
What is another word for Middle Ages?
Medieval Ages
500
Who is the narrator in The Canterbury Tales?
Chaucer
500
What was Chaucer’s original plan for the tales before he died? How many did he complete?
He wanted to write 120 different tales (30 pilgrims X 4 tales each), but died after only writing 22. (14)
500
What are the different social classes in The Canterbury Tales?
- Nobility/Ruling Class - Knight and Squire.
- Clergy - Monk, Friar, Prioress, Parson, Summoner, Pardoner.
- Middle Class – Merchant, Doctor, Student, Wife of Bath.
- Peasants – Miller, Plowman, Skipper
500
Why was the feudal system falling apart? Name the factor that damaged it and the outcome that feudal lords had to deal with.
The feudal system was falling apart because the ruling classes were losing power. The Black Death/Plague had killed a huge percentage of the workers that supported the system and a new middle class emerged to fill those roles, but demand more power.
500
What is connotation as it relates to language?
the associated or secondary meaning of a word or expression in addition to its explicit or primary meaning: A possible connotation of “home” is “a place of warmth, comfort, and affection.”