Chaucer: Intro to Canterbury tales

Warm-Up: Observations

• Make observations about your neighbors in the classroom and write those observations down on a sheet of paper. You can write about what they are wearing or doing and what their clothes or actions might say about them. Choose at least 3 students to write about. You will have 10 minutes to complete your warm-up.

• Please, remember to be respectful: do not say anything that is immoral, mean, or hurtful.

• Volunteer your observations!

Canterbury Tales: Set Up

• Pilgrims going on a pilgrimage (religious) to see St. Thomas Beckett

• England got religion

• No more mystery of death

• Everyone could attain heaven and would do anything to go

• Followed strict rules of church: CORRUPRION

• Stealing, lying, adultery could be wiped out for yourself or others.

• Selling of indulgences: How Prior/Bishop made money

• Still pilgrimages today: Jewish right of passage to Jerusalem.

Why do You think….people would go to

Canterbury on a Pilgrimage?

Where would you…Want to go on a pilgrimage? Would

you want to visit your homeland, place grandparents were born, a place that is important to you?

Why?

Canterbury Tales: Explanation

Written by Chaucer, who uses stories, sketches, humor, satire, and convention.

• What is satire?

• People were diverse

• Holy journey that was long, tiresome, and often boring Who has played Oregon Trail?

• 29 Pilgrims decided to tell stories along the way. Each pilgrim would tell 4 stories

• All pilgrims would vote to determine a winner. Stories were based on characters.

• Story telling contests in England at the time so this was not uncommon.

• The narrator noticed all pilgrims and wrote about them disclosing interesting (even scandalous) details about their dress, actions, and personality.

• Was supposed to be made of 120 stories, but never completed with 29 pilgrims (plus Chaucer).

Written in Middle English

What do you think middle English is (comparing to Old English in Beowulf)?

You will receive 15 lines of the Prologue!

Try to read it!

Written…

• In iambic pentameter

• Usually with 10 syllables in each line, but sometimes 11 (with extra “e”)

• With caesuras

• With a sing-song quality at times with rhyming couplets

The Work: Techniques • Exemplum-Allegorical type of writing to teach a lesson

Lorax

• Fabliaux: short bawdy humorous story Simpsons

• Romance: story of love Cinderella

• Sermons: lesson of holy life Reading from the bible or other book2 brothers

• Beast Fable: story that personifies animals Animal Farm

• Saints’ lives: story about a saint Story about the Pope

Chaucer: Early Years• First great poet in English

• Born between 1340 & 1345 (probably in London)

• Father was a prosperous wine merchant

• Not much is known about early life

• 1357-Servant for Countess Elizabeth of Ulster

• Went to fight in 100 Years’ War: Captured and Ransomed

• King Edward III paid ransom

Image of Chaucer

Chaucer’s Life: Cont. • Married Phillippa Roet in 1366

• Completed diplomatic missions in France from 1370-3

• Appointed the Comptroller of Customs

• More diplomatic missions to find a wife for Richard II

• Wife died and Chaucer suffered financial hardship.

• Wrote many works

• After Richard II went to the throne, held a dangerous job as Clerk of the works.

• Took a job as gardener at the King’s park.

• Henry IV gave him his former position back.

• Lived in Westminster until died in 1400 (60)

Story Time

• Create a story based on your favorite type. Write 1 paragraph of your story.