Canterbury Tales Questions
75 Points
Name:
Period:
Date:
Directions: Write an answer to each study question as you read the tales at home or in class.
Use the questions for review before group discussions and before your unit test.
Prologue Read p. 113-114 and answer the following question.
1. In what month did the pilgrims set out—for what destination?
2. What 3 things does Chaucer say he will describe about the pilgrims?
Knight Read p. 114-115 and answer the following question.
3. Why would Chaucer describe the knight first?
4. What 5 countries are named as places where he has done battle?
5. What has he won 3 times and how?
6. What could be a possible shortcoming or flaw to this character? Provide support from the text.
7. Name 3 virtues the Knight valued
Squire Read p. 115 and answer the following questions.
8. Who is the Squire's father?
9. Compare 3 things about the way the Squire looks, does, or what he has with what he would be like today if he
were a modern young man.
Then
Now
Yeoman Read p. 115-116 and answer the following questions.
10. Look up Yeoman in the dictionary and write the definition here (not the definition in the textbook):
11. What kinds of things does the Yeoman have with him? What do you think he does with those things?
J. Martin
1
Prioress Nun Read p. 116-117 and answer the following question.
12. The Prioress Nun is not what one might expect in several ways. Find 5 characteristics in her looks, actions, ect.
that are not what one would expect for a nun.
Monk Read p. 118 and answer the following question.
13. Explain how the following list of characteristics Chaucer uses to describe the Monk are unexpected for a Monk:
"hunting was his sport"-"many a dainty horse he had in stable"-"The rule of St. Benet. . .he tended to ignore"-"Was he to leave the world upon the shelf?"-"he spared no expense"-his clothes-his looks-Friar Read p. 118-119 and answer the following questions.
14. Looking in a dictionary (not the textbook) write all the definitions for "wanton".
15. He was a member of one of "The Four Orders." What does this suggest? How did he really bring in money for
his order?
16. What does "He'd fixed up many a marriage, giving each of his young women what he could afford her," imply
about him?
17. Why was he so popular with the "city dames of honor"?
18. What was stuffed in his tippet and why?
19. What's surprising about the type of people he knew best?
20. What does "He lisped a little out of wantonness" imply?
Merchant Read p. 120 and answer the following questions.
21. What can you infer about the Merchant from the description of his clothes?
22. Is that inference confirmed or refuted in the lines that follow?
Oxford Cleric Read p. 120-121 and answer the following questions.
23. What can you infer from the picture on p. 96 about the Oxford Cleric's style of living? List 3 details supporting
your conclusion.
24. Name a modern type of person who resembles the Cleric.
J. Martin
2
Sergeant at the Law Read p. 121 and answer the following question.
The term "Sergeant at the Law" referred to a member of a small, chosen group of lawyers--one who had at
least sixteen year's experience, was the King's legal servant, acted as judge, and was an eminent member of
profession. In Chaucer's day there were about 20 in this exclusive group.
25. Is the Sergeant at the Law skillful and competent? Support your answer with 3 examples of evidence.
Franklin Read p. 122 and answer the following question.
26. What were the greatest sources of pleasure for the Franklin?
Haberdasher, Dyer, Carpenter, Weaver, Carpet-maker Read p. 123 and answer the following question.
27. What are these men like? What are their wives like?
Cook Read p. 123 and answer the following questions.
28. What is the cook's one unappealing characteristic?
29. How might this alter his effectiveness as a cook?
Skipper Read p. 123-124 and answer the following questions.
30. What can you infer about the Skipper's riding ability from line 400?
31. Why do you think his riding ability is what it is?
32. How good was the Skipper at his craft? How do you know?
Doctor Read p. 124-125 and answer the following questions.
33. How does this Doctor seem different from modern doctors?
34. What is an apothecary? What deceit or sly trick is going on between the Doctor and the apothecaries?
Wife of Bath Read p. 125 and answer the following questions.
35. Describe her looks and clothing.
36. What might the Wife of Bath be looking for on this journey?
Parson Read p. 125-126 and answer the following question.
37. How is the Parson different from the other church People Chaucer describes? Give 5 examples to support your
claim.
Plowman Read p. 127 and answer the following questions.
38. What did he carry in a cart?
J. Martin
3
39. What kind of worker is he?
40. How does he express his love for God?
41. What's the significance of his paying tithes on what he owns and his earnings?
42. What does he wear and ride?
Miller Read p. 127-128 and answer the following questions.
43. How much did he weigh?
44. What did he look like and what did he wear?
45. How did he display his strength?
46. What is a "wrangler and a buffoon"? Find in dictionary.
47. What kind of stories did he tell?
48. What instrument did he play?
49. Where was he in the line of travelers?
Manciple Read p. 128 and answer the following questions.
50. How did he outsmart his employers?
51. What is the narrator's attitude toward the Manciple outsmarting his employers?
52. What does it mean that "this Manciple could wipe their eye"?
Reeve Read p. 128-129 and answer the following questions.
53. What does choleric mean?
54. What does the Reeve look like?
55. What was his job and how well did he do it?
56. How had he grown rich and what did he do with his money?
57. What was he wearing and what did he ride?
58. Where was he in the line of travelers?
J. Martin
4
59. Speculate on why the Miller and Reeve didn't ride together.
Summoner Read p. 130-131 and answer the following questions.
60. What did his face look like?
61. What was his breath like?
62. What does his being described as "lecherous as a sparrow" imply?
63. How smart was he and how do you know?
64. What would he do for a quart of wine?
65. How did he "bring duress on any young fellow in the diocese"?
66. What does a Summoner do?
Pardoner Read p. 131-132 and answer the following questions.
67. Put lines 689-690 in your own words.
68. What does he look like?
69. What does his voice sound like? speaking and singing.
70. Put lines 709-711 in your own words.
71. How does he make money?
The Narrator p. 132-134
72. Where are they when they start their trip?
73. The narrator apologizes in advance for using the exact words of his companions on the trip. What reasons does
he give for doing so?
Host Read p. 134-135
74. How does the narrator describe the Host?
75. What sort of contest does the Host propose?
J. Martin
5