Name ________________________________________
English 3A
Prelude to The Canterbury Tales
The Journey
You are about to go on a journey through the Middle Ages in 14th Century England to a land
called Canterbury. Along the way, you will meet lots of quirky characters who have very
unique stories to tell. Among them are a Knight, Doctor, Friar, Nun, Monk, Cook, Merchant,
Cleric, Miller, a Pardoner, and a Wife of the town of Bath. Don’t let their appearances fool
you though, because not all are as innocent as they seem! It is up to you to make your
judgment of each character as told through the Host in the frame story The Canterbury Tales.
Geoffrey Chaucer: (1343-1400)
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The author of The Canterbury Tales
Born into a middle-class family and later experienced life in aristocratic society
Was the son of a merchant, page in a royal house, soldier, diplomat, and royal clerk
Examined human character and personality traits in people of all social backgrounds
Although a writer and poet, his main job was working as a court officer for the king- first
Edward III, then Richard II, and Henry IV.
Married one of the Queen’s ladies-in-waiting, Philippa Pan
Considered to be the “Father of English Poetry” and recognized as a talented storyteller
Buried in Westminster Abbey in recognition of his literary contributions, a huge honor
The Canterbury Pilgrimage:
Pilgrimage: A long journey to a shrine or holy site, undertaken by people who wish to express
their devotion
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Pilgrimage: Chaucer himself went on a pilgrimage to Canterbury to visit Canterbury
Cathedral where former Archbishop, and later Saint Thomas a’ Becket was murdered in
1170 by order of King Henry II.
Miracles were said to take place at the shrine of St. Thomas, which attracted many
pilgrims
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Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales after witnessing many people from all walks of life
make the pilgrimage to Canterbury from his home in London
During a time of political disharmony, Chaucer wrote his tales as a satirical social
commentary on corruption, greed, immorality, and the flaws that all humans possess.
Premise of The Canterbury Tales
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Chaucer’s frame story begins with a group of pilgrims gathering at the Tabard Inn near
London in preparation of a pilgrimage to Canterbury to see the shrine of St. Thomas a’
Becket
The host of the Tabard Inn proposes that each person tell a story along the way to pass
time on the journey
The Host judges the storytelling competition so that the person who tells the best story
gets a free dinner at his Inn at the end of the journey
His fictitious characters and their tales vary from cautionary tales; crude, humorous
tales; advice on love and marriage; to heroic tales about good deeds. (Only 24 of
Chaucer’s tales were finished and still exist)
Social Stereotypes and Commentary:
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Each character embodies a different social stereotype from moral, to immoral
characters who are pleasure-seekers, materialistic, jokesters, and hypocrites.
Chaucer either glorifies, criticizes, or pokes fun at the flaws of all people and shows that
no one is perfect
Descriptions of clothing highlight the social status and personality of characters from
modest to immodest and deceptive
o Ex: The Wife of Bath wears finely woven clothing “of the finest scarlet red” which
shows her love of material things
o Ex: The Knight wears a coarse tunic that is “stained and dark” showing that he is
modest, since most knights wore fur and gold
The Knight is the highest character on the social ladder (no members of aristocracy are
on the journey)
Most characters are middle class, regular people (Doctor, Franklin, Wife of Bath,
Pardoner, Miller, Cook, etc.)
Characterization:
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Direct Characterization: presents direct statements about a character from descriptions
of clothing to comments about one’s personality
o Ex: The Host tells us that the Knight “followed chivalry”
Indirect Characterization: uses actions, thoughts, dialogue, and description to reveal a
character’s personality.
o Ex: By saying a character wears “blood-red garments…lined with taffeta” we can
imply that the character is not modest and likes material possessions