Chaucer S the Canterbury Tales

Name:______

Chaucer’s the Canterbury Tales

Before Reading the Prologue:

p. 96-97

1.  How is it helpful to know that the illustrations were created by an artist who also worked as a political cartoonist? How might Chaucer be like a political cartoonist?

As You Read:

Much of what we know about everyday medieval life comes from Chaucer’s Canterbury’s Tales (remember our essential questions! The literature reflects middle ages!). The work is an important view into history as a well as a work of literature. As we read the opening lines of the Prologue together, determine each of the following:

a.  Time of year:

b.  Number of pilgrims:

c.  The meeting place:

d.  The destination:

The Pilgrims:

As you read the prologue, find the following information for each pilgrim and write the information in the chart boxes below:

Rank: Aristocracy, upper class, middle class, virtuous lower class, degraded lower class

Type: Feudal (Land), Religious, Chivalric, Skilled Labor

Opinion: Good, Bad, or Mixed

Use Key Diction from the Text in Your Answers

Character / Lines / Rank in
Society / Physical Description and Type of Character
And Modern Counterpart / Chaucer’s Opinion
of the Character
The Knight / 42-80
The Squire / 81-102
The Yeoman / 103-121
The Nun / 122-166
The Monk / 169-211
The Friar / 212-279
The Merchant / 280-294
Sergeant
at the
Law / 319-340
The Franklin / 341-370
The Guildsmen / 371-388
The Cook / 389-397
The Skipper / 398-420
The Wife
of
Bath / 455-486
The Parson / 487-538
The Plowman / 539-555
The Miller / 561-584
The Manciple / 585-604
The Reeve / 605-640
The
Summoner / 641-688
The Pardoner / 689-734
The Host / 767-804

After you have filled in the chart, assign a color for each of the categories listed under each column. When you finish, the entire chart should be colored with the corresponding color.

In the rank column: In the description column: In the opinion column:

____ for aristocracy ____ for feudal characters (land) ____ for good

____ for upper class ____ for religious characters ____ for bad

____ for middle class ____ for chivalric characters ____ for mixed

____ for virtuous lower class ____ for skilled labor characters

____ for degraded lower class