Canterbury Tales: Introductory Notes 2

1. Canterbury Tales: Introductory Notes 2 The Tales and The Prologue

2. The Canterbury Tales(in general) • Chaucer presents the world as he sees it • Began to write it in 1387 (he had written a large number of works prior to this) • Incomplete (Chaucer died in 1400). “The General Prologue” and only 22 tales completed; there were supposed to be 120 total • Shows a cross section of Medieval society

3. The Tales (cont) • It has a frame story of the pilgrimage to Canterbury (80 miles from London) to visit the tomb of the martyr Thomas à Beckett (killed in Canterbury Cathedral in 1170) • pilgrimages to shrines were mass activities in the Middle Ages, partly because they were as likely to be vacations as religious observances

4. Canterbury Location • http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=canterbury+england&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Canterbury,+United+Kingdom&gl=us&ei=faijTJ6LFIaKlwf895GXBA&ved=0CCgQ8gEwAA&ll=51.45743,0.576782&spn=1.745651,3.147583&z=8 • Exterior/overview of cathedral • http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://neatnik2009.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/canterbury-cathedral-exterior.jpg%3Fw%3D562%26h%3D385&imgrefurl=http://neatnik2009.wordpress.com/2009/10/06/feast-of-lanfranc-of-canterbury-may-28/&h=385&w=562&sz=146&tbnid=ldlbH4vfwgqGEM:&tbnh=91&tbnw=133&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcanterbury%2Bcathedral&zoom=1&q=canterbury+cathedral&hl=en&usg=__ObzBhTs7n1HAiNoaW-LOknjIQKY=&sa=X&ei=IqmjTL_sKsLflgf3uK3XAw&ved=0CEgQ9QEwBQ • Cathedral at night • http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ippnw-students.org/OTT/canterbury.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.ippnw-students.org/OTT/route.html&h=768&w=1024&sz=138&tbnid=aerfxFTb_tEdJM:&tbnh=113&tbnw=150&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcanterbury%2Bcathedral&zoom=1&q=canterbury+cathedral&hl=en&usg=__cw2Bp8qgisYt-e35tzqakN28XTw=&sa=X&ei=IqmjTL_sKsLflgf3uK3XAw&ved=0CEYQ9QEwBA • Images of Pilgrims • http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://english.basd.k12.wi.us/mocarski/englishliterature/Lit1/lydgate.gif&imgrefurl=http://english.basd.k12.wi.us/mocarski/englishliterature/Lit1/middleages.html&h=326&w=346&sz=88&tbnid=bmKIth4Pc0aKnM:&tbnh=113&tbnw=120&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcanterbury%2Btales&zoom=1&q=canterbury+tales&hl=en&usg=__zlFC7UiF9B7GQ6QSBqrTumTgedk=&sa=X&ei=nKmjTO2RCoX7lwf4hoHjBA&ved=0CEQQ9QEwBA • http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.chaucertheatre.org/images/Canterbury_Tales_480.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.chaucertheatre.org/html/GCT_Home.html&h=261&w=480&sz=32&tbnid=CeJCwFD8xhXcyM:&tbnh=70&tbnw=129&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcanterbury%2Btales&zoom=1&q=canterbury+tales&hl=en&usg=__bVNEVTRQckDevzPXbLSSNDhz0cM=&sa=X&ei=56ujTNeSJYK8lQe-p6ycBA&ved=0CEcQ9QEwBg

5. The Tales (cont) • 26 pilgrims actually described; 29 referenced. Chaucer is one of the pilgrims for total of 30. • plan was to tell two tales each on the way to Canterbury and two more tales on the way back (30 pilgrims x 4 tales=120 total tales planned) • a tale is often so well fitted to a pilgrim’s character and opinion that the tale and teller illuminate each other • The Tales are distinguished from other similar types of the period because of the realism of the characters; they are more than types.

6. General Information • Tabard Inn (leave from here) • The owner is Harry Bailey (he is the host who established the contest---winner gets a free dinner paid for by other pilgrims) • Harry will be the judge of the best tale • The telling of the tales will help to pass the time more quickly

7. The Writing of the Tales • Narrative POV • narrator is actually a character (seems to approve) • creates multiple levels of irony • suspicions that author does not agree with narrator • written in iambic pentameter • lines rhyme in couplets

8. The Prologue • Opening lines provide a setting and motivation for the Canterbury pilgrimage • Prologue contains all levels of English life • The order of the introduction of each pilgrim is important because it provides the social standing of the different occupations; it begins with the highest social rank and descends in order.

9. The Prologue: Characters Highest rank is aristocracy or nobility • Knight and his household, including Squire (his son) • Prioress • Monk • Friar (should be in lower class but begged so well he is now in the company of nobles)

10. The Prologue: Characters Commercial Wealthy class • Merchant (illegally makes his money from selling French coins) • Sergeant of Law (used knowledge of law to buy up foreclosed property) • Clerk (good manners, knowledge of books) • Franklin (made enough money to be a country gentleman and push for a place of nobility)

11. The Prologue: Characters Guildsmen similar to specialized unions of craftsmen or guilds Haberdasher (makes men’s accessories) Dyer (dyes fabric) Carpenter (works with wood) Weaver (makes fabric) Tapestry-maker (makes rugs/carpets/wall hangings none of them tells a tale

12. The Prologue: Characters Middle-class group • Cook (ranked too high, but he is master of his trade and respected) • Shipman (knowledge of and travels in the world) • Physician (doctor of medicine[much less revered in Middle Ages than today]) • Wife of Bath (included here because of her knowledge and deportment)

13. The Prologue: Characters Virtuous poor or lower class • Parson • Plowman (very poor but represents all of the Christian virtues)

14. The Prologue: Characters Immoral lower class • Manciple (profits from buying food for the lawyers in the Inns of Court) • Miller (vulgar, steals from his customers) • Reeve (tells dirty stories and cheats his trusting young master • Summoner (corrupt, takes bribes) • Pardoner (corrupt: sells fake pardons and fake relics)