A Study of
The Canterbury Tales
by Geoffrey Chaucer
Mrs. Conti
English 12
Geoffrey Chaucer Wrote
The Canterbury Tales
• The Canterbury Tales was written around
700 years ago, during medieval times in
England.
Chaucer is considered the Father of
English Literature
Chaucer did what no other author
before him did…
• He wrote for all levels of society, his characters
are from all classes, peasant to nobleman and
everyone in between.
• Most authors during Chaucer’s time wrote for and
about the nobility and upper class.
Social Class Chart
• Ruling Class:
• Clergy:
• Middle Class:
• Trade Class:
• Peasants:
Knight, Squire
Friar, Prioress,
Summoner, Pardoner
Franklin, Reeve,
Clerk/Scholar, Wife of
Bath
Miller, Innkeeper (host),
Merchant.
Yeoman
Chaucer wrote in Middle English
• During the 13th and 14th century most
manuscripts were written in French or Latin,
NOT Middle English.
Theme vs. Main Idea vs. Summary
Theme
The moral message or lesson of
story
Main Idea
Tells what the story is mostly about
(one or two sentence summary)
Summary
A brief review
important ideas
of
a
story’s
most
Prologue
Main Idea
A group of pilgrims meet up in an inn and decide to
make the pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral
together; to pass the time each pilgrim tells a story.
Prologue Summary
• A group of pilgrims meet at an inn in London,
they are going on a pilgrimage to Canterbury
cathedral to visit the tomb of Thomas a
Becket.
Prologue Continued…
• The Pilgrims decide to travel to Canterbury
together, they will each tell a story to pass
time.
Prologue Continued…
• The pilgrim who tells the best story will be
given a free meal.
The Knights Tale:
Chivalry and Rivalry
Main Idea
Two knights, Palamon and Arcite, fall in love with the same
woman, Emily; Palamon asks for Emily, Arcite asks for
victory and Emily asks for peace between the two men –
they each get what they ask for.
Theme
Be careful what you ask for.
The Knight’s Tale Summary
• Two knights, Arcite and Palamon, fall in love
with the same woman, Emily.
The Knight’s Tale Continued…
• They meet by accident in the forest and
begin to fight; the king decrees the winner
will marry Emily.
The Knight’s Tale Continued…
• Before the tournament, Palamon asks for Emily,
Arcite asks for victory, and Emily asks for peace
between the two men. They each get what they
want, but in a way that none of them would have
predicted.
The Knight’s Tale Continued…
• Arcite wins the battle but falls from his horse
and dies, Palamon marries Emily and they
live happily ever after.
The Moral of the Story is…
Be careful what you ask
for.
The Nun’s Priest Tale: The Nightmare
Beast of the firebrand Tail
Main Idea
A fox captures a cock rooster by tricking him with flattery,
after the cock rooster escapes the fox is unable to trick him
again.
Theme
Once bitten, twice shy.
The Nun’s Priest Tale Summary
• A fox captures a cock rooster by tricking him
with flattery, persuading the rooster to sing.
The Nun’s Priest Tale Continued…
• The cock rooster then tricks the fox into
opening his mouth and escapes.
The Nun’s Priest Tale Continued…
• The fox tries the same trick again but the
cock rooster is not fooled a second time,
“once bitten, twice shy”.
The Moral of the Story is…
Once bitten, twice shy
The Wife of Bath’s Tale:
What Women Most Desire
Main Idea
A knight, Sir Salvio has to answer the question, “What do women
most desire?”, he finally gets the answer from an old hag and has to
marry her in return. The old hag gives him a choice, have an ugly
wife who loves him or a beautiful one he can’t trust.
Theme
What a woman really wants is to be loved for
herself.
The Wife of Bath’s Tale Summary
• A Knight, Sir Salvio, must find the answer to
the question, “What do women most desire?”
to avoid being punished for breaking the law.
The Wife of Bath’s Tale
Continued…
• Sir Salvio travels the country looking for an
answer, he finally gets the correct answer
from an ugly old hag but he must promise to
grant her a wish.
The Wife of Bath’s Tale
Continued…
• After Sir Salvio delivers the correct answer, “What
women most desire is to have their own way in
everything.”, the old hag demands the knight
marry her.
The Wife of Bath’s Tale
Continued…
• Sir Salvio has no choice but to marry the old hag, he
becomes depressed but she convinces him it is better to
have an ugly wife who loves him rather than a beautiful wife
whom he can’t trust.
The Wife of Bath’s Tale
Continued…
• Sir Salvio agrees and the old hag becomes a
beautiful young woman.
The Moral of the Story is…
What a woman really wants
is to be loved for herself.
The Pardoner’s Tale: Death’s
Murderers
Main Idea
Three men find gold while searching for Death, each man wants a
larger portion of gold for himself so they plot to kill the others and
everyone dies in the end.
Theme
“Greed is the root of all evil.”
The Pardoner’s Tale Summary
• Three men set out to find death and kill him.
The Pardoner’s Tale Continued…
• They find gold during their search and become
greedy; they plot among themselves to kill each
other so they may have more gold for themselves.
The Pardoner’s Tale Continued…
• In the end they all end up killing each other.
The Moral of the Story is…
“Greed is the root of all evil.”