Canterbury Tales Close Reading Guide
Pg. 144-146
1. Paraphrase Lines 7-12. Around April or so, when the birds begin
to sing, people travel to Canterbury.
2. Where do the pilgrims meet? (1st Period) In Southward at the
Tabard
3. Is the narrator in or out of the story? What is the narrator’s P.O.V.?
The narrator is in the story, and expresses a first person point of
view.
4. Name three characteristics of The Knight. Answers may vary.,
Pg. 147
5. Where can we infer that the Knight has arrived from and/or
recently been doing? (2nd Period) (4th Period) recently home from
battle.
6. What does Chaucer compare The Squire’s dress too? (7th Period)
A meadow
7. Using his description and characteristics, what celebrity might be
cast to play the Squire in the Canterbury Tales? And Why?
Pg. 148-149
8. Where is the The Nun from? Where does she act like she is from?
What kind of appeal is this? Is this indirect or direct
characterization?
9. Paraphrase Lines 131-135.
10. What can we assume about the author’s feelings are about the
Nun?
11. What does the Monk enjoy doing?
12. How is this Monk unlike a monk? (Lines 177-192, name two
characteristics).
Pg. 150-151
13. What are the physical characteristics of the Monk?
14. What makes this Friar worldly?
15. Define penitents.
16. What skills does the Friar possess? What emotional appeal does
he use?
Pg. 155
17. Describe how the doctor is superstitious.
18. If malady means disease and malignant means infectious, what can
we assume about the prefix mal-?
19. What is the author implying in lines 435-437?
Pg. 156-157
20. Read Lines 455-457. Is this an example of direct or indirect
characterization?
21. If you had to cast the Woman of Bath, who would play her part?
Why?
22. How is the Parson unlike the Monk/Friar?
23. Read Lines 510-512. What comparison is the Parson making?
Pg. 158
24. Who might be “the wolf”? The crooked priest and preachers.
Pg. 161
25.
26.
27.
28.
What is a Summoner in medieval times?
If salvation means “deliverance from ruin” what does salve mean?
What does the Summoner look like?
What words do we get from “Questio” and “juris”?
Pg. 162-163
29. How is the Pardoner superficial?
30. What is a Pardoner’s function in the Roman Catholic Church?
31. The Pardoner is efficient in using persuasive techniques. Provide an
example of one of the listed appeals: (Ethical, Pity, Bandwagon,
Snob, Appeal to Authority, Plain Folks, and Appeal to Loyalty)
Pg. 164
32. Describe the temperament of the host?