The
Canterbury
Tales
by Geoffrey Chaucer
Literature Guide Developed by Jennifer Bassett
for Secondary Solutions®
ISBN-10: 0-9845205-4-6
ISBN-13: 978-0-9845205-4-1
© 2011 Secondary Solutions. All rights reserved.
A classroom teacher who has purchased this Guide may photocopy the materials in this publication
for his/her classroom use only. Use or reproduction by a part of or an entire school or school system,
by for-profit tutoring centers and like institutions, or for commercial sale, is strictly prohibited. No
part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, translated, or stored (digitally, electronically,
or otherwise) without the express written permission of the publisher. Created and printed in the
United States of America.
Secondary
Solutions
THE FIRST SOLUTION FOR THE SECONDARY TEACHER
®
WWW.4SECONDARYSOLUTIONS.COM
©2011 Secondary Solutions
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The Canterbury Tales Literature Guide
The Canterbury Tales Literature Guide
About This Literature Guide .......................................................................................... 5 How to Use Our Literature Guides.................................................................................6 Pre-Reading Ideas and Activities ................................................................................... 7 Monarchy Scavenger Hunt .................................................................................................................................8 Illuminated Texts ............................................................................................................................................... 10 Standards Focus: Author Biography—Geoffrey Chaucer .............................................. 12 Exploring Expository Writing: Author Biography—Geoffrey Chaucer ........................................................ 14 Standards Focus: Genre—Poetry, Narrative, and Satire ............................................... 16 Exploring Expository Writing: Genre—Poetry, Narrative, and Satire ......................................................... 17 Standards Focus: Unreliable Narrator ........................................................................ 19 Exploring Expository Writing: Unreliable Narrator...................................................................................... 21 Standards Focus: Structure of the Narrative—Frames ................................................. 22 Exploring Expository Writing: Frames ...........................................................................................................24 Standards Focus: Middle English and the Great Vowel Shift ........................................ 25 Exploring Expository Writing: Middle English and the Great Vowel Shift .................................................. 27 Historical Context: Life in the 1300s ............................................................................ 28 Exploring Expository Writing: Life in the 1300s ............................................................................................ 32 Historical Context: Pilgrimages ................................................................................... 33 Exploring Expository Writing: Historical Context—Pilgrimages.................................................................. 35 Historical Context: Biblical and Mythological Allusions .............................................. 36 Historical Context: Place and Time .............................................................................. 38 Standards Focus: Allusions from General Prologue, Selected Tales ............................. 42 Section One: Introduction, Knight through Friar (Pages 3-10) ................................................ 46 Comprehension Check .......................................................................................................................................46 Standards Focus: Satire .................................................................................................................................... 47 Section Two: Merchant through Plowman (Pages 10-17) ......................................................... 52 Comprehension Check ....................................................................................................................................... 52 Standards Focus: Characterization ................................................................................................................. 54 Section Three: Miller through Pardoner (Pages 17-22) ............................................................ 57 Comprehension Check ....................................................................................................................................... 57 Standards Focus: Similes and Metaphors .......................................................................................................58 Section Four: Conclusion of Prologue (Pages 22-26) ............................................................... 61 Comprehension Check ....................................................................................................................................... 61 Standards Focus: Allusions...............................................................................................................................62 Quiz: Sections One and Two—Introduction through Plowman ................................................ 65 Quiz: Sections Three and Four—Miller through Conclusion .................................................... 66 Part A Test: General Prologue ..................................................................................... 67 Part B: Individual Tales ...............................................................................................68 Vocabulary List ....................................................................................................................... 68 Vocabulary List with Definitions ............................................................................................. 69 Knight’s Tale ............................................................................................................................ 71 Note-Taking and Summarizing Chart—Sample.............................................................................................. 71 Comprehension Check ....................................................................................................................................... 72 Standards Focus: Theme ................................................................................................................................... 73 Assessment Preparation: Analogies ................................................................................................................. 75 Section Quiz: Knight’s Tale ............................................................................................................................... 76 Summary of the Knight’s Tale .......................................................................................................................... 79 Miller’s Tale ............................................................................................................................ 81 Note-Taking and Summarizing Chart ............................................................................................................. 81 Comprehension Check ...................................................................................................................................... 82 Standards Focus: Tone ......................................................................................................................................83 Assessment Preparation: Using Etymology to Understand Words .............................................................. 86 Section Quiz: Miller’s Tale................................................................................................................................ 88 Summary of the Miller’s Tale ............................................................................................................................ 91 Reeve’s Tale ............................................................................................................................. 92 Note-Taking and Summarizing Chart .............................................................................................................92 Comprehension Check .......................................................................................................................................93 Standards Focus: Mood ....................................................................................................................................94 Assessment Preparation: Punctuation ............................................................................................................. 97 ©2011 Secondary Solutions
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The Canterbury Tales Literature Guide
Section Quiz: Reeve’s Tale ................................................................................................................................ 99 Summary of the Reeve’s Tale.......................................................................................................................... 102 Shipman’s Tale ...................................................................................................................... 103 Note-Taking and Summarizing Chart ........................................................................................................... 103 Comprehension Check ..................................................................................................................................... 104 Standards Focus: Using Multiple Tones ........................................................................................................ 105 Assessment Preparation: Connotation ...........................................................................................................107 Section Quiz: Shipman’s Tale ......................................................................................................................... 109 Summary of Shipman’s Tale ........................................................................................................................... 112 Prioress’s Tale ........................................................................................................................ 113 Note-Taking and Summarizing Chart ............................................................................................................ 113 Comprehension Check ...................................................................................................................................... 114 Standards Focus: Biblical Allusions ............................................................................................................... 115 Assessment Preparation: Using Definitions and Origins to Build Understanding ..................................... 117 Section Quiz: Prioress’s Tale ........................................................................................................................... 119 Summary of the Prioress’s Tale.......................................................................................................................122 Monk’s Tale ............................................................................................................................ 123 Note-Taking and Summarizing Chart ............................................................................................................123 Comprehension Check ..................................................................................................................................... 124 Standards Focus: Rhyme Scheme and Meter................................................................................................. 125 Assessment Preparation: Using Context Clues and Parts of Speech ........................................................... 129 Section Quiz: Monk’s Tale................................................................................................................................ 131 Summary of the Monk’s Tale ...........................................................................................................................134 Nun’s Priest’s Tale .................................................................................................................. 136 Note-Taking and Summarizing Chart ............................................................................................................136 Comprehension Check ...................................................................................................................................... 137 Standards Focus: Allegory ............................................................................................................................. 138 Assessment Preparation: Dependent and Independent Clauses ..................................................................139 Section Quiz: Nun’s Priest’s Prologue and Tale ............................................................................................ 142 Summary of the Nun’s Priest’s Tale ................................................................................................................145 Pardoner’s Prologue and Tale ................................................................................................146 Note-Taking and Summarizing Chart ........................................................................................................... 146 Comprehension Check ...................................................................................................................................... 147 Standards Focus: Patterns and Shift in Poetry............................................................................................. 148 Assessment Preparation: Diction (Word Choice) .......................................................................................... 151 Section Quiz: Pardoner’s Prologue and Tale .................................................................................................. 155 Summary of the Pardoner’s Tale ................................................................................................................... 158 Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale............................................................................................ 159 Note-Taking and Summarizing Chart ............................................................................................................159 Comprehension Check ..................................................................................................................................... 160 Standards Focus: Analyzing Appeals in Arguments ..................................................................................... 161 Assessment Preparation: Appositives ........................................................................................................... 164 Section Quiz: Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale ............................................................................................. 167 Summary of the Wife of Bath’s Tale ................................................................................................................170 Friar’s Prologue and Tale ....................................................................................................... 171 Note-Taking and Summarizing Chart ............................................................................................................ 171 Comprehension Check ...................................................................................................................................... 172 Standards Focus: Irony ................................................................................................................................... 173 Assessment Preparation: Complex Tenses Related to Time.......................................................................... 176 Section Quiz: Friar’s Tale ................................................................................................................................178 Summary of the Friar’s Tale............................................................................................................................ 181 Summoner’s Prologue and Tale .............................................................................................182 Note-Taking and Summarizing Chart ........................................................................................................... 182 Comprehension Check ..................................................................................................................................... 183 Standards Focus: Parallelism ........................................................................................................................ 184 Assessment Preparation: Active and Passive Voice.......................................................................................187 Section Quiz: Summoner’s Tale ...................................................................................................................... 189 Summary of the Summoner’s Tale ................................................................................................................. 192 Clerk’s Prologue and Tale ....................................................................................................... 193 Note-Taking and Summarizing Chart ............................................................................................................193 Comprehension Check ..................................................................................................................................... 194 Standards Focus: Sound Devices in Poetry ....................................................................................................195 Assessment Preparation: Misplaced Modifiers ............................................................................................. 197 ©2011 Secondary Solutions
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The Canterbury Tales Literature Guide
Section Quiz: Clerk’s Tale ............................................................................................................................... 200 Summary of the Clerk’s Tale .......................................................................................................................... 203 Merchant’s Prologue and Tale ............................................................................................... 204 Note-Taking and Summarizing Chart .......................................................................................................... 204 Comprehension Check .................................................................................................................................... 205 Standards Focus: Point of View..................................................................................................................... 206 Assessment Preparation: Subject-Verb Agreement ...................................................................................... 210 Section Quiz: Merchant’s Tale ........................................................................................................................ 213 Summary of the Merchant’s Tale.................................................................................................................... 216 Franklin’s Prologue and Tale ................................................................................................. 217 Note-Taking and Summarizing Chart ........................................................................................................... 217 Comprehension Check ..................................................................................................................................... 218 Standards Focus: Plot ..................................................................................................................................... 219 Assessment Preparation: Avoiding Sentence Fragments .............................................................................222 Section Quiz: Franklin’s Tale ..........................................................................................................................224 Summary of the Franklin’s Tale ..................................................................................................................... 227 Parson’s Prologue and Tale ................................................................................................... 228 Note-Taking and Summarizing Chart .......................................................................................................... 228 Comprehension Check .....................................................................................................................................229 Standards Focus: Rhyme ............................................................................................................................... 230 Assessment Preparation: Writing with Conciseness.....................................................................................232 Section Quiz: Parson’s Tale .............................................................................................................................236 Summary of the Parson’s Tale ........................................................................................................................239 Chaucer’s Retraction ............................................................................................................. 240 Note-Taking and Summarizing Chart .......................................................................................................... 240 Comprehension Check ..................................................................................................................................... 241 Standards Focus: Theme .................................................................................................................................242 Assessment Preparation: Shifts and Consistency in Writing ...................................................................... 244 The Canterbury Tales Final Exam ............................................................................. 247 The Canterbury Tales Final Exam—Multiple Choice Version..................................... 249 Teacher’s Guide ......................................................................................................... 258 Notes for Teaching The Canterbury Tales .............................................................................. 258 Post-Reading Activities and Alternative Assessment ............................................................. 259 Essay/Writing Ideas .............................................................................................................. 265 Project Rubric A .................................................................................................................... 268 Project Rubric B .................................................................................................................... 269 Response to Literature Rubric .............................................................................................. 270 Answer Key ............................................................................................................... 272 ©2011 Secondary Solutions
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The Canterbury Tales Literature Guide
About This Literature Guide
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The Canterbury Tales Literature Guide
Name _________________________________
Period ______
Knight’s Tale
Note-Taking and Summarizing Chart—Sample
Directions: As you read The Canterbury Tales you will be completing Note-Taking
and Summarizing Charts to help you remember the events of each tale. As you read,
complete the chart using bullet points or phrases, as shown in the sample chart below from
the Knight’s Tale. Once you have completed the four categories for Summary, Characters,
Theme, and Narrator, analyze why Chaucer included this particular pilgrim’s tale in the
collection—in other words, what is Chaucer’s message through this particular pilgrim’s
tale?
Knight’s Tale
Summary of the Tale
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
Characters Involved in the Tale
Through two different battles, Theseus
obtains his wife, Hyppolyta, her sister,
Emily, and two prisoners, Arcite and
Palamon.
While imprisoned, both men fall in love
with Emily, though only Palamon’s
appears to be true love.
Each prisoner escapes individually and at
different times.
Arcite returns to Theseus’s castle
disguised as a servant; however,
Palamon’s escape reveals both of their
identities, and under Theseus’s direction,
they agree to battle for Emily.
Arcite asks Mars to let him win the
battle, but Palamon asks Venus to let him
win Emily.
Emily asks Diana to let her remain a
maiden, or at least be given to the man
who truly loves her.
There is a quick battle in heaven after
which Arcite wins the battle but dies
shortly thereafter, and Palamon wins
Emily after Arcite dies.
Theseus, Arcite, Palamon, Emily,
Hippolyta
Theme or Message of the Tale
True love, which is sometimes called
courtly love, is stronger than physical
desire.
What We Learn About the Narrator
The Knight believes in courtly love and
chivalry, and that women are objects to be
won by men.
Why This Tale is Important to the Whole
The Knight’s Tale depicts courtly love as well as other elements of chivalry. His depiction
of romance and marriage contrasts greatly with that of other tales including the Wife of
Bath’s tale wherein a knight who violates the code of chivalry learns that women need to
be in control in a marriage.
©2011 Secondary Solutions
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The Canterbury Tales Literature Guide
Name _________________________________
Period ______
Knight’s Tale
Comprehension Check
Directions: As you read the Knight’s Tale, complete the following activity.
Answer the questions using complete sentences on a separate piece of paper.
1. The Knight’s tale is about the two princes, Arcite and Palamon, so why does the
Knight spend so much time talking about Theseus’s battles with the Amazons and
King Creon?
2. Theseus takes Hippolyta, the former queen of the Amazons, to be his wife after he
conquers her army. According to the Knight, there is a great wedding feast.
What does this part of the tale reveal about the nature of marriage, from the
Knight’s point of view?
3. What happens to set Arcite free from perpetual imprisonment?
4. Explain the reasons Arcite and Palamon give for envying each other after Arcite is
freed and then state what these reasons say about each man’s character.
5. What does each prince do when he is out of jail?
6. What is the original agreement between Palamon and Arcite when they meet up
in the thickets?
7. How does Theseus intervene in the battle between Palamon and Arcite?
8. Describe the coliseum and temples that surround it.
9. Before the battle three characters visit the shrines. A. Identify who visits which
shrine and summarize the request each one makes to the respective god or
goddess. B. Briefly state what each person’s request says about him or her.
10. Who wins the battle? Who wins Emily? What theme or message does the
outcome of the battle for Emily give the reader?
©2011 Secondary Solutions
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The Canterbury Tales Literature Guide
Name _________________________________
Period ______
Knight’s Tale
Standards Focus: Theme
Theme is the central idea or message in a work of literature. Because theme is so
important to a piece of literature, the title, plot, characters, setting, and mood all
creatively work together to create a message from the author to the reader. There
can be one major theme in a work, or the novel can have several underlying themes.
Part One
Directions: The prompts in this section ask you to think about the theme of love
and marriage in the context of both modern day and the 13th Century. Answer each
question fully on a separate piece of paper. You may work with a partner or in a
small group if your teacher allows.
1. Think about images of love and marriage in today’s society. Identify and describe
different images or symbols of love and marriage from TV, movies, books, and
other sources within society. In other words, when you think of the “ideal” of
love and/or marriage, who or what do you think of? Is the ideal of love different
from the ideal of marriage? Explain.
2. Summarize the connection between love and marriage as it appears in current
society.
3. If you research the story of Hippolyta and Theseus, you will find different
variations. The one Chaucer uses states that Theseus battled the Amazons and
took Queen Hippolyta to be his wife. Using this version of the story, what is the
reason for the marriage?
4. Clearly the marriage between Theseus and Hippolyta was not created for love and
yet the Knight says there was great feasting after the wedding. In fact, Theseus
rebukes the women in black for trying to ruin his party. Think about this
situation from Hippolyta’s point of view and write an entry in her diary or a letter
she would write to a friend about her experiences.
5. The two princes, Arcite and Palamon, are taken prisoner and condemned to
spend the rest of their days in Theseus’ prison. While in prison, they see Emily,
sister of Hippolyta. Both immediately fall in love with her. There are references
to “serving her” and yet she does not know they exist because there are no
interactions between her and either prince. Despite her lack of involvement in
either relationship, both princes claim her and agree to fight to the death for her
hand. Identify the underlying assumptions about the role of women in love and
marriage in this story.
6. How does the reader learn of Emily’s thoughts about marriage with either Arcite
or Palamon?
7. Compare Hippolyta’s marriage to Theseus with Emily’s marriages to Arcite and
Palamon.
©2011 Secondary Solutions
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The Canterbury Tales Literature Guide
Name _________________________________
Period ______
Part Two
Directions: For Part Two, you will need to use the Internet or your library
resources to research Courtly Love, Marriage and Chivalry in the Middle Ages
specifically.
As you read about courtly love, marriage and chivalry, take notes and write down the
source information in the chart below.
Courtly Love
Summary
Source(s)
Marriage
Summary
Source(s)
Chivalry
Summary
Source(s)
Write a short essay (2-4 paragraphs) in which you identify the theme pertaining to
love and marriage in the Knight’s Tale and then explain how it reflects the morality
of the Middle Ages in comparison with today’s views of love and marriage.
©2011 Secondary Solutions
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The Canterbury Tales Literature Guide