Honors British Literature Exam- The Canterbury Tales
Direct and indirect characterization about the Pardoner
Direct: The pardoner preached to beware of greed but he practices the opposite Indirect: The Pardoner is a hypocrite
Direct and indirect Characterization about the Skipper
Direct: good sailor from the far west indirect: not a trustworthy character
Direct and indirect characterization about the Wife of Bath
Direct: had five husbands indirect: she was never happy, couldn't find what she was looking for
Direct and indirect characterization about the Miller
Direct: short and strong, broad shouldered and brawny Indirect: Interrupts stories and talks out of place
How do the deadly sins play a role within The Canterbury Tales?
Each traveler (or collective groups) represent one of the 7 deadly sins Pride, wrath, sloth, greed, gluttony, lust
What positive social ideals does the Wife of Bath and her tale reflect?
Feminism/Women's rights, wants equality/love, true beauty lies within, Don't judge something because of the way it looks, believe that bad men can change
What is the main theme of The Pardoner's Tale?
Greed is the root of all evil
What is the irony in the Tale that the Pardoner tells in relation to his job within the society?
He is the highest ranking member of the church and the irony is that he was abusing trust of people for personal gain. Shows the disastrous effect of greed. He is a HUGE hypocrite. He's a fraud and he practices everything that he preaches AGAINST.
What is the main frame of The Canterbury Tales?
It is a story within a story. The Prologue introduces the characters who will tell their own stories of their journey/pilgrimage.
The Court
Knight, Squire, Yeoman, Franklin, Plowman, Miller, Reeve
The Commoners
Merchant, Sergeant of the Law, Five Tradesmen, Cook, Skipper, Doctor, Wife of Bath, Manciple, Host
What negative social ideals does the Wife of Bath and her tale reflect?
Negative view on marriage, inequality in marriage, focus on appearance/youth, dominance by men
The Church
Nun, Monk, Friar, cleric, Parson, Summoner, Pardoner
What is the main theme of The Wife of Bath's tale? Why would she choose this theme? What does this tell you about her past?
The main theme is power. She would choose this theme because she's gone through 5 husbands and within each one she's searched for one to give her what she wants (which is power over her man). This tells us that in the past, no man has ever succumbed to her wished or given her what she wants.
What is the question that the Knight must answer? What is the answer to this question? Why is the Knight in this situation? How is this ironic?
What do women want more than anything in the world? The correct answer is power over husbands and final say. The Knight is in this situation because he raped a girl. This is ironic because he is suppose to be noble, but in reality he has no regard for women because he treats them like material things that he can exert his power over.
What setting does Chaucer supply in the frame to explain his story collection?
Written in middle England springtime 1387-1400 which represents fertility, rebirth, and spring fever.
Direct and indirect characterization about the Knight
direct: rapped the innocent girl indirect: constantly craved power
How does frame and setting make reading the different stories more interesting?
each person tells their own story with it's own additional setting and the narrator's voice changes between stories when the setting changes.
