British Literature
Entry Task: On Thursday (A day) and Friday (B day) you
will be assessed on your understanding of the Middle
Ages/Canterbury Tales; write down any questions you have
for me about the material. (look at the learning targets to
assess your understanding)
Learning Goals
• Students will be exposed to other cultures and time
periods, quality literature and effective/varied writing
styles
• Students will begin to understand key facts that influenced
and developed literature
• Students will write effectively in expository mode to
examine/analysis a complex idea
- Students will recognize cultural aspects of the Middle
Ages and the corresponding effects on literature
(women’s roles/chivalry)
- Students will recognize the social influence of the
Norman Invasion (feudalism/Hierarchal society)
- Students will recognize the “Great Happenings” and
their effects on the culture and literature (Crusades,
Magna Carta, Black Death)
- Students will recognize the concept of a pilgrimage
- Students will recognize Chaucer’s style: (Frame story;
iambic pentameter & couplets; satire; indirect/direct
characterization)
- Students will analyze the satire of typical British
citizenry in the Middle Ages: (the church, Lesser
nobility, Laborers, dishonest and greedy business
people)
Learning
Targets For
Middle Ages
You will be using a scantron to take the test. Once you are
finished with the scantron portion of the test please turn in
the scan and proceed to Part V. Writing Response.
For the writing response you may use your journals.
Please write in ink (borrow one from me/school I.D) and
please skip lines.
Once and Future King
6th Block Honors only
What has the power to corrupt?
In the introduction to his tale, the Pardoner states, “Radix
malorum est cupiditas,” which is Latin for “The love of money is
the root of all evil”– a passage from the Bible. The expression
suggests that the desire for riches often seduces people into
abandoning their moral principles. Today, as in Chaucer’s time,
greed and other elements of human weakness often trigger grave
acts of corruption.
With your elbow partner discuss types of corruption and what
prompts people to commit corrupt acts. Be prepared to discuss.
Canterbury Tales cont.
• Exemplum is a short anecdote or story that illustrates a
particular moral point. Developed in the late Middle
Ages, this literary form was often used in sermons and
other didactic literature. The “Pardoner’s Tale” which
focuses on greed is one famous example.
• As we read this piece, pay attention to the actions of the
characters and the narrator’s description of his own
practices
Pardoner’s Tale
Answer question 6 on page 181. Make a chart and fill in the
examples.
What theme, or central message, about corruption do you
think Chaucer conveys in this story? How does it still hold
true today?
Pardoner’s Tale
6th Block Honors Only
1. Review lines 404-432. Is the conclusion of the story
satisfying? In your response, consider the knight’s crime and
the outcome of his actions.
2. The enduring appeal of The Canterbury Tales stems in part
from Chaucer’s remarkable ability to match stories and
storytellers. In what way is the Wife of Bath’s unusual tale
well-suited to her personality? Cite evidence from the text to
support your answer.
3. Compare the tales of the Pardoner and the Wife of Bath.
Which character tells a better, more entertaining story? Cite
evidence from both tales to support your opinion.
The Wife of Bath’s Tale
 Unit Assessment on the Middle Ages and The
Canterbury Tales will be on November 6th (A) and 7th
(B). There will be a review for the unit on 11/4 and 11/5
as well as opportunities during tutorial.
Middle Ages/Canterbury Tales
Complete the chart using all of the charts on the pilgrimage.
Use any in class resource.
You will have 30 minutes to complete. Will discuss at the
end of class.
Canterbury Tales Review
Exit task
Reflect on the learning targets for today. Do you feel
you met the targets?
• Students will be exposed to other cultures and time periods, quality
literature and effective/varied writing styles
• Students will begin to understand key facts that influenced and developed
literature
• Students will write effectively in expository mode to examine/analysis a
complex idea
1. What is one thing that you completed or learned
today that you found interesting?
2. What is one thing that you feel you can improve in
future classes?