Canterbury Tales

Pardoner

Can't grow a beard, bulging eyes, small voice, sell relics

Knight

Chivalry, noble, distinguished, wise, modest, truthful, won lots of battles, dressed plain.

Yeomen

Dressed in green, lots of weapons but his main weapon is the bow, he is a forester.

The cook

He does his job good and has an ulcer on his knee

What does the author intend to do?

He is going to characterize all of the characters

How does the pardoner abuse his holy office and take advantage of the religious faith of his victims?

He takes advantage buy selling fake relics

Plowman

Honest worker, followed the gospel, paid his tithes

Host

Hospitable, witty, humor, charming

Given this information, how is line 405 ironic?

In line 405 he considered a good person, but he makes his prisoners walk the plank

What are the qualities does the speaker admire in the knight?

Knight is distinguished man, chivalry, noble gentle knight, truth, honor, generous, and courtesy, won many battles

Reeve

Old, thin, hair stopped growing, anti-social, suspicious

Nun

Phony, very vain, tender hearted towards animals

Summoner

Pimples, scabs, narrow eyes, bad breath, thin beard, drunk, rascal, fake smart

How were religion and traveling linked in the middle ages?

Religion and traveling is linked in the middle ages pilgrimage was a way to vacation and it was okay to take as many as you wanted because it was a religious trip

How does the squires character differ from that of the knight?

Squires is he don't sleep because he is in love and knight is truth, honor, and generous

The parson

Taught the gospel by example, he was giving, patient, a shepherd, he visits people

How does the friar misuse his position and power within the church?

The Friar misuses his position and power within the church by taking advantage of the rich people in the church

How does the friar represent the corruption in the medieval church?

The Friar represents the corruption in the medieval church by taking bribes, the more money they give him the more forgiveness he gives in return

How is the merchant characterized as a hypocrite?

The Merchant is a hypocrite because he uses his smarts to make bargains, loans, and negotiations, but he is secretly in debt

How does the character of the cleric contrast with the character of the Friar?

The character of the Cleric contrasts with the Friar is the cleric poor but he is honest, and would rather stay in than go to bars, unlike the Friar who is corrupt

What character traits of the host have gained him the trust of the pilgrims?

The character traits that have gained him the trust is he planning and organizational skills

Paraphrase Chaucer's description of the reeve in lines 603-638.

The description of the reeve is he is old, thin, hair stopped growing, anti-social, suspicious

How does the host decide who will tell the first tale? Paraphrase line 838-841

The host decides who goes first by drawing straws

What information in lines 435-454 about the doctor contradicts the characterization in line 432?

The information in the previous lines contradicts line 432 because in line 432 it says he was a perfect physician, but in lines 435-454 it talks about how he sells drugs

Squire

The knight's son, around 20 dresses flashy, didn't sleep a lot because of girls.

What "notion" does the host propose in lines 785-805?

The notion the host proposes is two stories going two stories gone

How does the plowman demonstrate the ideals of the Christian religion?

The plowman demonstrates the ideals of the Christian religion by his honesty, generosity, and hard work

What does the speaker say about the Summoner's knowledge and intelligence? Paraphrase lines 660-662.

The speaker says that he is fake smart, he quotes stuff to sound smart.

STORY QUESTIONS Paraphrase the opening lines (1-12) that introduce the subject of the poem.

The subject of the poem is spring and people want to go on vacation.

How does this proverb contrast the parson's character with that of other clerics, such as the monk and friar?

This proverb contrast to the monk and friar is he doesn't do it for the money

Paraphrase the monks philosophy of life

To paraphrase the monks philosophy of life is he disobeys all the rules of being a Monk and he is worldly

3 priest

Travels with the nuns

Another Nun

Travels with them

Carpenter

Travels with them

Carpet maker

Travels with them

Dyer

Travels with them

Haberdasher

Travels with them

Worthy woman

Wealthy, 5 husbands, travels a lot

What motivates the Franklin?

What motivates the Franklin is pleasure and sensual delight

What qualifies the wife of bath as an expert on love?

What qualifies the wife is She had lots of husbands

Given the characterization of the miller, what sort of tale would you expect him to tell when his time comes?

You would expect him to tell tavern stories

Oxford cleric

a student, likes books better than fancy clothes, unemployed, quiet

Miller

brawny/buff, red beard, wart on nose, plays bagpipes

Monk

he is a hunter, balled, and doesn't live at the monastery

Sergeant at the law

he is a lawyer, does land deeds, court cases, writes perfectly, knows all defenses, dresses ugly

Franklin

he is rich but he shares, especially food

Merchant

he uses his smarts to make bargains, loans, and negotiations, but is in debt

Friar

hubert, doesn't dress like he's supposed to, takes bribes, he stays away from beggars and lepers, he only serves the rich

The skipper

traveled , Dartmouth, woolen gown, dagger

BUILDING BACKGROUND: In the Canterbury Tales, Chaucer uses a frame story, which is a plot structure that includes the telling of a story in a story the pilgrims contest and journey, narrated in " the prologue", is the frame story, the various tales told by pilgrims on their journey comprise the stories within the frame.

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Characterization refers to the methods a writer uses to reveal the values and personalities of his or her character. A writer may make explicit statements about a character or may reveal a character indirectly through well-chosen, words thoughts, and actions

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Chaucer wrote in middle English

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When you paraphrase, you put a text you have read into your own words. Paraphrasing is a useful strategy to help you review the content of complex passages. A paraphrase differs from a summary in that a summary is always shorter than the original, while a paraphrase may need approximately the same length as the original

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Doctor

A good doctor, special love for gold, sells drugs