Geoffrey Chaucer
Geoffrey Chaucer
 Known
as the father of English
literature
 Born between 1340 and 1345
 Father was a wealthy wine
merchant
 Chaucer received a well-rounded
education.
Geoffrey Chaucer
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Favored by the monarchy for his diplomatic
work
Published 4 works between 1370 and 1386
First poet buried in the “Poets’ Corner” of
Westminster Abbey
Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer’s
masterpiece, was never completed
 Began in 1387
 Ended with Chaucer’s death on October 25, 1400
Background
 Kings
and nobles had all power
politically.
 Corruption abounded in government
and the church.
 The Canterbury Tales was wellreceived by the public.
 The work departed from the norm.
 Important works were usually
written in Latin or French; Chaucer
wrote in English
Background
29 pilgrims plus Chaucer, who is the
Narrator, and the Host
 Leaving from The Tabard Inn outside
London
 Traveling to the shrine of St. Thomas à
Becket

Do Now

What is love? What makes for a good
relationship?
Courtly Love

The Art of Courtly Love
 Certain rules
 Love comes into a person through the eyes
 Not a meeting of the minds
 Exclusively based on adultery
 Love is always increasing and decreasing
 Jealousy is a good thing
 Makes the men better
 Totally benefits the man
 Go-betweens are used
Chivalry and Honor
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Women are on a pedestal
Constantly tested
Loosely connected with the Church
 Fighting for the Crusades
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Loyalty to your lord
Carrying yourself
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Must look good
Brave and selfless
Fight in someone’s name
Strong sense of ethics
Generous
Not usually what happened – persona
Medieval Romances
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Idealized images of how people in the
higher classes behave, especially in love
and war
Love is inspired by perfect beauty and
virtue.
All characters deal with one another in
completely chivalrous ways.
The settling of a quarrel through a test of
combat
Everyone is perfect
 Fictionalized version of good people
 Creates communities
 Nationalism
Do Now
Have you ever had to fight for something you loved or felt
passionate about? How did it turn out? Did you feel the ends
results were fair? Explain why or why not.
 #1 – Storytelling
 Why do we tell stories? In what situations? What makes a
good story?
 #2 – Medieval Times
 What do you know about the medieval period? What was life
like? What role did the church play in people’s lives? What
problems did people face?
 #3 – Love and Marriage
 What do you think most women want? Most men? Is it
something different? Was it the same hundreds of years ago?

Homework

Read The Miller’s Prologue and Tale and
answer corresponding questions.
Do Now

Is revenge ever sweet? Does it ever have
any purpose? Or does it only create more
trouble?
The Miller's Prologue and Tale
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Fabliau
 A short tale, usually vulgar, with a quick funny
ending.
 The Merchant’s Tale is also an example of this.
The Miller’s Prologue and Tale

Fully describe the character Absalom.
Classwork

Contemplate Chaucer’s reason for
including such a crude tale and the
response medieval audiences may have
had to the story.
Homework

Read The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale
and answer corresponding questions.
Do Now

Make a list of words that you feel
adequately describe the Wife of Bath.
The Wife of Bath’s Prologue
and Tale
What religious attitudes about women are
attacked by the Wife of Bath?
 What is ironic about her anger against
these attitudes?

The Wife of Bath’s Prologue
and Tale
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A contradiction
 She uses the same arguments that men use to
degrade women.
 Says women are good liars (Page 170)
 Nags her husband (Page 174)
 Suffers “through his lust and pretend enjoyment” for
“profit” (Page 174)
Is she a stereotype or is she an
empowered woman?
 Says that all women truly want is control
over their husbands (Page 187)
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Classwork

Examine the debate over the Wife being a
stereotype of women or an empowered
female character. With your group, look
for specific examples of how the Wife fits
your side of the argument. You will then
write your findings on the board and share
with the class.
Do Now

In your day to day life, you most likely
encounter hypocrisy in some form or
another. How do you deal with such
things? Do you find hypocrisy especially
rampant in a particular area (a profession,
a group of people, etc.)?
Do Now

The tales we’ve read deal a lot with
relationships, namely love and marriage.
In your experience, what are some of the
issues/events that can doom a
relationship? Are there certain things that
can doom a relationship from the start?