The Canterbury Tales Prologue Character:
Who Would They Be Now?*
Now that we have an idea of the time period and the circumstances surrounding the trip to
Canterbury, we will examine the characters on the journey. Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales is filled with
colorful characters. His characters range from the noblest of individuals to the most despicable. In
order to gain a better understanding of the array of characters that he presents in his Prologue and
how they create a cross-section of society, you will be assigned one of the pilgrims Chaucer describes.
You will be investigating that character and then answering the question “Who would he or she be
now?” by creating a modern day equivalent, writing a description and creating a virtual character.
Goals:
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To read, examine and analyze the description of one character from the prologue.
To assert the characterization of the character.
To create a modern equivalent of that character and stay true to the characterization.
o To create a virtual character based on that modern equivalent through www.voki.com .
o To have that virtual character come alive and describe him or herself.
o To justify the decisions made for the virtual character using text.
o To upload your virtual character on the trip wiki.
To explore the wiki and meet the various modern characters in the mindset of the original character.
Process:
1.
Read and Analyze Your Character: You must work to analyze the description of your character. Take
your time, use the marginal notes and ask the teacher questions. You will figure out information about
your pilgrim, based on what is stated in the prologue and what can be inferred- this means reading
between the lines. Complete the chart to gather evidence on your character. Use direct textual
evidence as support.
2. Create a Modern Equivalent: Now that you understand the character, his or her characterization and
Chaucer’s opinion of him or her, you need to answer the question: Who would this character be now?
You need to stay true to the spirit of the character, but think about who they would be in our society.
You may choose to make them a type of person or a specific celebrity or famous individual; however,
your choice must be grounded in the text. Complete the section of the chart for this purpose.
3. Create a Talking Virtual Character: Using the information that you gathered on the original character
and the ideas you decided on for the modern equivalent, you need to design a virtual character AND
script what he or she would say to introduce himself or herself to the other characters on the modern
trip. You need to maintain the personality that Chaucer presented. For example, if he saw the
character he created as a snob, then the modern character should come across as a snob too. Use the
script guide to get you started. You must include the type of information suggested there, but feel free
to add additional information. You also must justify the decisions you make for the virtual character.
This means explaining the reason why you dress them a certain way or give them a certain
background. Place this on the Voki justification chart.
4. Explore the Other Characters: Thinking as your character, you will go to the wiki and “meet” the
other characters. You need to think about how you would react to them. Complete the review, Who
Did You Meet and What Did You Think Travel Journal? on your wikispace page.
*Idea inspiration from Lyn Yetto