Name Period
©2011 Secondary Solutions - 8 - The Canterbury Tales Literature Guide
Pre-Reading Activity
Monarchy Scavenger Hunt
Throughout The Canterbury Tales the pilgrims refer to historical figures including
monarchs and people who worked closely with the monarchs. For this reason, it is helpful to
understand a little bit about the history of the kings of England. The Saxons were the first to
rule as king of all England, so that is where this scavenger hunt begins. The Danes were next
to seize the throne, and they ruled for a few generations before the Saxons reclaimed the
crown. The Normans were next followed by the Plantagenets, two of whom ruled during
Chaucer’s lifetime. Chaucer’s life and this scavenger hunt end with the first of the Lancaster
line.
Directions: Using sources available online or in your library, identify each of the
following English monarchs.
To help, a list from which to choose has been provided below.
Egbert 802 – 839
Henry II 1154 – 1189
Alfred ―the Great‖ 871 – 900
Richard I ―the Lionheart‖ 1189 – 1199
Ethelred II ―The Unready‖ 978 – 1016
John Lackland 1199 – 1216
Canute the Dane 1017 – 1035
Henry III 1216 – 1272
Hardicanute 1040 – 1042
Edward I ―Longshanks‖ 1272 – 1307
William I 1066 – 1087
Edward II 1307 – 1327
William II 1087 – 1100
Edward III 1327 – 1377
Henry I 1100 – 1135
Richard II 1377 – 1399
Stephen 1135 – 1154
Henry IV 1399 – 1413
1. ____________________ A king at the age of 9, he was raised by the clergy and
therefore easily led by the church. His wife was also influential. He redefined the
monarchy such that the king was limited by a pre-Parliament council.
2. ____________________ This cruel and greedy Plantagenet king abused taxes to the
point where every part of society, including the clergy and the Archbishop of Canterbury
Stephen Langdon, rose against him. The Church excommunicated him. He was also
forced to sign the Magna Carta.
3. ____________________ Son of Sweyn (Swein), this king was a Dane who created
four earldoms in England.
4. ____________________ This Norman king was known as the ―Lion of Justice.‖ He
became king when his brother was killed in a hunting accident.
5. ____________________ This Saxon king bears a superlative name. He is the son of
Aethelwulf and is known for creating the Royal Navy as well as being a Christian,
scholar, and wise king.
6. ____________________ This king redefined the laws including the Statute of
Gloucester in 1278. He was nicknamed for his height.
7. ____________________ A Saxon king whose name does not inspire confidence. He
was crowned at the age of ten and retreated to Normandy when Sweyn (Swein) the
Danish King raided England and eventually took the crown. He started a tax known as
Danegeld to bribe the Danes not to attack.
8. ____________________ The first of the Norman line of kings, this one is also
known as ―the conqueror.‖ He fought Harold at the Battle of Hastings and won the
crown.
9. ____________________ The first of the Plantagenet kings, this one was a strong
and wise soldier. He started the English Jury System and used taxes to pay for the army.
It was this king’s comments following a quarrel with Archbishop Thomas à Becket that
led to the Archbishop’s assassination.
10. ____________________ The last of the Saxon kings, this one died in 1042 while
drinking.
11. ____________________ This Plantagenet king is known for feline cardiac
characteristics and his courage in battle during the crusades.
12. ____________________ The first of the Lancaster line, this king was on the throne
when Chaucer died. He died of leprosy in 1413. This king was also the son of Chaucer’s
patron.
13. ____________________ This incompetent king was overthrown by his wife and her
partner Mortimer. The treacherous pair had the king imprisoned and eventually killed.
14. ____________________ The entire country was almost destroyed by this weak
king. He was succeeded by Matilda’s son. This king also argued with Roger, Bishop of
Salisbury.
15. ____________________ This king’s desire to rule Scotland and France as well as
England started the Hundred Years War. The Black Death also took place during this
king’s reign.
16. ____________________ This monarch is of the Saxon line of kings. He ruled from
802– 839 but was not considered king of all England until 830. In 802, he was King of
Wessex and slowly conquered the rest of the lands until he became the ruler of the united
land.
17. ____________________ This king was the son of the Black Prince. As a teenager,
he faced the Peasants Revolt of 1381.
18. ____________________ An exceptionally cruel and extravagant Norman king;
killed, apparently by a stray arrow, while hunting in the forest.