Honors English 12: Prologue to the Canterbury Tales

Mrs. Hall English II Canterbury Tales Web Hunt

Throughout the past few weeks, we have looked at the wit and artful writing of satirists from several different periods. Now we will jump back in time further than we ever have before to look at satire from a literary and historical perspective.

Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales have offered funny, brilliantly entertaining stories to readers for the past six hundred years. Chaucer weaves together social commentary, elements of the oral tradition, and sociological (and sometimes psychological) portraits of humankind. Though the world may change at an increasing rate with technology and scientific advances, reading The Canterbury Tales reminds readers that those satirists who have a piercing, insightful vision of society have played an integral role in culture for centuries. Writers like Chaucer will always have a following because of the profound commentary that lies between the lines.

To begin our journey into medieval England, and before we read the Prologue, you will become a scavenger hunter seeking information. Read the questions below, and using the Internet, find credible websites that will provide you with rich material about Chaucer’s world.

1. Geoffrey Chaucer: Who is he? What were his influences as a writer and lover of culture?

2. What was life like in Feudal England? Briefly describe feudalism in the Middle Ages.

3. Find out information about knights and the concept of chivalry. What were knights like in Chaucer’s time? How did knights treat women? What were squires?

4. What was the role of women in medieval life (secular and church)?

5. Who were town dwellers in medieval society? When did this aspect of society come into being in England?

6. What class system existed in Chaucer’s time in England? 7. Who is St. Thomas a Becket? Why was he made a saint? Why do people visit his shrine, and where is it?

8. What was food and medicine like in the Middle Ages?

9. Next to the type of person, describe their role in medieval English society and as much detail about the characteristics and social relevance of each:

A. The Yeoman

B. The Prioress

C. The Monk

D. The Friar

E. The Merchant

F. The Cleric

G. The Franklin

H. The Wife

I. The Parson

J. The Pardoner

Created by Meghan Marohn, CHS