The Canterbury Tales English 12 - ERWC and AP English Lit & Comp Class Notes © Copyright Academic Year 2007-2008, by M. Baltsas. All Rights Reserved. The Medieval Period – 1200-1450 Period of great change in culture, politics, science, society, agriculture and economics. Urbanization of northern and western Europe took place © Copyright Academic Year 2007-2008, by M. Baltsas. All Rights Reserved. The Seven Deadly Sins • • • • • • • gluttony - too much food or drink ambition - strong desire to get ahead sloth - laziness avarice - greed pride - conceited wrath - anger envy - jealousy which leads to hate Literary Terms • Allusion - A reference to a historical person, place, or event that the average reader is unfamiliar with. • Frame story – A story is told within a narrative story or frame. – The frame is introduced in the prologue of the “Canterbury Tales” • Characterization – Development of characters through speech, thoughts, feelings, actions, appearance • Genre – A category that literature is grouped into • Fiction, mystery, science fiction… © Copyright Academic Year 2007-2008, by M. Baltsas. All Rights Reserved. Literary Terms • Oxymoron – A statement which brings together two contradictory terms • civil war, jumbo shrimp, awfully good • Satire – Ideas, customs, and behaviors are ridiculed for the purpose of improving behavior • Tone – The writer’s attitude toward the work satirical, comical, objective, condescending © Copyright Academic Year 2007-2008, by M. Baltsas. All Rights Reserved. Literary Terms – Types of Irony • Irony – Contrast between expectation and reality. • Sarcasm – Literal meaning is complementary, but actual meaning is critical • Hyperbole – Truth is exaggerated for emphasis or humorous effect • Understatement – Creating an emphasis by saying less than is literally true. IRONY © Copyright Academic Year 2007-2008, by M. Baltsas. All Rights Reserved. Background Information Point of view Each of the tales is told from an omniscient third-person point of view, providing the reader with the thoughts as well as actions of the characters. Omniscient – all knowing Narrator The primary narrator is an anonymous member of the pilgrimage, who is not described. The other pilgrims narrate most of the tales. © Copyright Academic Year 2007-2008, by M. Baltsas. All Rights Reserved. Background Information Setting (Time) - The late fourteenth century, after 1381 Setting (Place) - The Tabard Inn and the road to Canterbury Time and place written – Around 1386–1395, England Author • Geoffrey Chaucer © Copyright Academic Year 2007-2008, by M. Baltsas. All Rights Reserved. Social Class • Feudal (knighthood) • Ecclesiastical (church) • Urban (working class). © Copyright Academic Year 2007-2008, by M. Baltsas. All Rights Reserved. Major Conflicts involve clashes between social classes differing tastes competing professions conflict between the sexes © Copyright Academic Year 2007-2008, by M. Baltsas. All Rights Reserved. The Prologue • Prologue - An introduction to the characters going on the pilgrimage • Setting - Spring in the city of Southwark at the Tabard Inn • 30 pilgrims in all • 3 groups of pilgrims – – 1)Oratores (those who pray), – 2) Bellatores (those who fight), and – 3) Laborares (those who work)