Mcnair S Honors English 12

McNair’s Honors English 12 “The Canterbury Tales”

~Prologue (p.144):

1. In lines 1-18, what does the narrator suggest about the pilgrims’ motives for going to Canterbury? 2. What does Chaucer say he will do in lines 35-42? How or in what manner, will he do it? 3. Who have gathered at the Tabard? 4. What do lines 54-65 indirectly suggest about the Knight’s character? 5. What is the relationship among the Knight, the Squire, and the Yeoman? 6. What two basic qualities does the sentence in lines 141-145 attribute to the Nun? 7. What can you infer about the Prioress based on the detailed description of her jewelry? 8. What is the Monk’s main interest? 9. What do the details about the Monk’s habits and tastes indirectly suggest about religious institutions of the time? 10. In lines 244-254, what is Chaucer saying indirectly about the Friar? 11. What is the main thought in lines 259-263? 12. How does the Friar earn his living? 13. What are the Cleric’s interests? 14. What question do lines 346-348 answer about the main idea in line 345? 15. What are the Franklin’s interests? 16. In lines 379-388, what point is Chaucer making about the relationship between these men and their wives? 17. What picture of the Skipper is created by the mixture of details about his heartlessness with details about his competence? 18. In lines 421-428, what is said about how the Doctor practices medicine? 19. What is the main idea in lines 493-500? 20. In lines 504-539, how does Chaucer use his characterization of the Parson to comment on the way priests ought to behave? 21. In lines 543-555, what social commentary does the description of the Plowman provide? 22. What does the comparison of the Miller’s hair color to that of a sow or fox indirectly suggest about his character? 23. What is the Miller like? 24. In lines 652-659, what is the indirect characterization say about the Summoner? 25. How does the Summoner turn religion to personal profit? 26. What facts in lines 719-726 indirectly characterize the Pardoner? 27. Why does Chaucer apologize in the sentence starting with line 745? 28. What concern does the Host raise? 29. What does the Host’s decision to accompany the pilgrims suggest about him?

~The Pardoner’s Tale (p.170)

1. What vice does the Pardoner admit to having, even though he preaches against it? 2. Which details in the opening three lines enable the audience to form a quick opinion of the main characters? 3. What earlier line explains the reference to the “adversary” in line 79? 4. In lines 82-87, what details of the publican’s comments build the danger of the situation? 5. What lines explain the “bargain” the rioters are said to have made in lines 99? What do the three rioters swear to do? 6. What role does the old man play? 7. Into what new sin does greed lead the rioters? 8. What does the old man say the rioters will find under the tree? What do they find there? 9. What does the first rioter mean by “as in game”? Which earlier lines explain this meaning? 10. What new sin does greed lead the youngest rioter to contemplate? 11. In addition to avarice, or greed, against what sins does the tale preach in the final lines? 12. How does each rioter meet his end?