My Canterbury Entourage
Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales is about a group of 14th century pilgrims from all walks of life who
travel together for several days on their way to a shrine in Canterbury. They entertain each other on this
journey by telling stories. The person who tells the most entertaining story wins dinner at the local tavern,
courtesy of the other story-telling pilgrim.
Nobility:
Knight, Squire, Yeoman
High Clergy/ Mendicant Clergy:
Nun, Monk, Friar, Parson
Free, high-status non-nobles:
Merchant, Oxford Cleric, Sergeant of the Law, Franklin
Freemen, middle-status:
Skipper, Doctor of Physics, Wife of Bathe, Plowman, Cook
Freemen, contested status:
Reeve, Miller, Summoner, Pardoner, Manciple, Host
PART ONE: On your group’s page on the wiki, you are to include the following:
1. Name and a picture of your characters (pull something from the internet and cite it).
2. Physical description of the characters. (clothes? Complexion? Weight? Whatever applies…)
3. Any key personality traits that are directly or indirectly described.
4. Assess: did Chaucer like these people? How do you know? Answer for each. How was he possibly
criticizing the overall society through this pilgrim?
5. One significant quote about each pilgrim, with line numbers.
PART TWO: Your second task for this project is to create (as a class) and through the wiki, a contemporary
version of The Canterbury Tales. These will be included on the “Modern Day Pilgrimage” link.
If your group has FOUR or more people, you must provide TWO characters.
What to include for your new pilgrims:
1. Destination of the entire new group and mode of transportation. Ex. Bus trip to the Jersey casinos.
2. The name of the character (The Creeper, The Vice President, The Waterboy, etc.)
3. 15-20 lines that include:
 Physical description
 Personality traits (Friendly? Dishonest? Depressed? Honest?)
 Description as to WHY he or she was going on this journey.
 Anything else that adds creativity and tells a story or reveals something about your character.
 Feel free to include social satire, commentary, but be careful with boundaries/appropriateness.
**By the time reader finishes reading your story, we should know a great deal about your character.
OTHER OPTION (to replace Part two).

If you are not in the mood to write out an entire new stanza, you can create a character animation
through http://goanimate.com/. This site allows you to tell your story through animating your
character. You must provide sound (USB mics and music). You can include many of the same
elements listed above, but there is no set length of lines.