The Medieval Ages - Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales & Arthurian Legends
Chivalry is dead.
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Political and Cultural Background:
- The Medieval Age refers, roughly, to the period between the Anglo-Saxon Era and The English
Renaissance/Tudor Period. This is about ________________________.
- The political system during the time was called ________________________ which is much like a
chess set.
- Chivalry – a complex set of ideals, demanded that a knight fight bravely in defense of three masters:
____________________________________________________________________.
- The Author’s Purpose in a folktale is to teach a ___________________________ and to ___________
Key Characters and Figures in the Legend
King Arthur
Gawain
Bedivere
Lancelot
Kay
Avalon
Guinevere
Mordred
Merlin
Excalibur
Hero’s Journey
Indirect Characterization
Direct Characterization
The Canterbury Tales
Frame Story: A story
within a story. Often
includes multiple narrators
and creative chronology.
General Prologue
Tale’s Prologue
Tale
The English Hus-Wife by Markham
To begin then with one of the most principal virtues which doth belong to our English
housewife: you shall understand that since the preservation and care of the family, touching
their health and soundness of body, consisteth most in her diligence, it is meet that she have
a physical kind of knowledge, how to administer many wholesome receipts or medicines for
the good of their health, as well as to prevent the first occasion of sickness as to take away
the effects and evil of the same when it hath made a seizure on the body. Indeed, we must
confess that the depth and secrets of this most excellent art of physic is far beyond the
capacity of the most skillful women, as lodging only in the breast of the learned professors.
Yet that our housewife may from them receive some ordinary rules and medicines which
may avail for the benefit of her family is (in our common experience) no derogation at all to
that worthy science. Neither do I intend here to lead her mind with all the symptoms,
accidents, and effects which go before or after every sickness, as though I would have her to
assume the name of a practitioner, but only relate unto her some approved medicines and old
doctrines which have been gathered together and delivered by common experience for the
curing of those ordinary sicknesses which daily perturb the health of men and women.
To speak then of the outward and active knowledges which belong to our English housewife:
I hold the first and most principal to be a perfect skill and knowledge in cookery, together
with all the secrets belonging to the same, because it is a duty really belonging to the woman.
And she that is utterly ignorant therein may not by the laws of strict justice challenge the
freedom of marriage, because indeed she can perform but half her vow, for she may love and
obey, but she cannot serve and keep him with that true duty which is ever expected.
To proceed then to this knowledge of cookery: you shall understand that the first step
thereunto is to have knowledge of all sorts of herbs belonging to the kitchen, whether they be
for the pot, for salads, for sauces, for serving, or for any other seasoning or adorning, which
skill of knowledge of the herbs, she must get by her own labor and experience, and not by my
relation, which would be much too tedious. And for the use of them she shall see it in the
composition of dishes and meats hereafter following. She shall also know the time of the
year, month and moon, in which all herbs are to be sown, and when they are in their best
flourishing, that gathering all herbs in their height of goodness, she may have the prime use
of the same.
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Homework:
Read Markham’s passage above. Record 2 quotes after the bullet points below that demonstrate
Markham’s beliefs about women’s role in medieval England. This will help give context to Chaucer’s
“Wife of Bath’s Tale.”
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The Wife of Bath’s Tale
Characters:

The Maiden, The Lusty Bachelor Knight, King Arthur,
Queen (Gwenevere), The 24 Dancing Maidens, The Old Hag
Reading Questions:
1. When is this tale set? (i.e., during the mythic reign of what king?)
2. What crime does the lusty bachelor commit? What is "maidenhead"? [Hint: This does not mean he
decapitated the girl, as some students have mistakenly declared.]
3. What is the initial punishment King Arthur orders for the knight? Who intervenes and requests a
special trial?
4. What must the knight do to save his head (i.e., what mission does the court give him)?
5. How long does the Knight have to fulfill this mission? How does this compare to the time allotted to
Sir Gawain in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight?
6. Name several responses given by women when he asks them the question:
7. What strange sight does the knight see while riding through the forest on his return journey?
8. What does the Old Hag say she wants in return for providing the answer to the knight's riddle?
9. What are the wedding celebrations like when the knight marries the hag? (trick question!)
10. What two options does the hag present to the knight?
11. Which of these two options does the knight pick?
12. How does the Hag’s external tranformation match the internal transformation of the rapist knight?
A. “Choose, now,” said she, “one of these two things, aye,
To have me foul and old until I die,
And be to you a true and humble wife,
And never anger you in all my life;
Or else to have me young and very fair
And take your chance with those who will repair
Unto your house, and all because of me.”
B. “My lady and my love, and wife so dear,
I put myself in your wise governing;
Do you choose which may be the more pleasing,
And bring most honour to you, and me also.
I care not which it be of these things two;
For if you like it, that suffices me.”
The Hero’s Journey and The Lusty, Despicable Knight: Below record how the Knight moves
through each of the stages. Record a line number for each.
1. Call to Adventure
5. Achieving the Goal
2. Crossing the Threshold
6. Return Home
3. Road of Trials
7. Applying the Goal/Sharing
4. Temptation
Pardoner’s Tale
Characters:
 The 3 Rioters, Death, The Old Man
Reading Questions:
1. What is his primary topic (the latin phrase)?
2. What are some of the things he does that make him a bad clergy person?
3. What is it that makes him a successful clergy person?
4. What sins do the three young men commit?
5. Who is involved in the altercation at the end of the tale? How is it resolved?
6. Why is this story ironic?
7. Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales have often been read as social critiques. What do you think Chaucer
intends to critique in this tale?
Sir Gawain and The Green Knight – Hero’s Journey Project
The hero’s journey is an archetype that a myth scholar, Joseph Campbell, made very popular. He relates the
archetype to the growth of an individual hero and claims the structure is seen in nearly all cultures.
For this project, you will independently read Sir Gawain and The Green Knight and create
a model of the Hero’s Journey from the story (your project can be completed in groups of
2-3). Your project should include a visual representation of Gawain moving through each
stage and a caption describing Gawain’s relationship with each stage. You may use
electronic resources (Prezi, PowerPoint, Moviemaker) or more traditional resources.
RUBRIC
Description
A
B
C
D
Includes all stages of
the hero’s journey,
complete descriptions
of plot events
showing each stage,
labeled center,
exceptional creativity
and effort apparent.
Includes all stages
of the hero’s
journey, complete
descriptions of plot
events showing
each stage, labeled
center, average
creativity and
effort apparent.
Includes all stages
of the hero’s
journey, but stages
may be out of
order, or
descriptions of plot
events are
inaccurate or
incomplete.
Average creativity
and effort apparent
Does not include
all stages of the
hero’s journey.
Does not have
sufficient
descriptions of plot
events. Weak
creativity and/or
apparent effort.
NOTE: Electronic
projects need a
works cited for
copied images.
Electronic projects
without a works
cited slide cannot
earn an A.