Canterbury Tales Intro
English 12 Writing
Feudalism
 Result of the Norman invasion with combined the
Norman emphasis on law with Anglo-Saxon democracy
and culture
 Caste system (social class)
 Military system
 Property system
 System of social behavior
 Top of the ladder: William the Conqueror
What are the Canterbury Tales?

Written by Geoffrey Chaucer between 1381 and 1386

Historically, what was going at this time in England?

CT is an example of:

Frame story: a story within a story

Satire: a literary technique of writing or art which principally
ridicules its subject often as an intended means of provoking
or preventing change

Allegory: an expressive style that uses fictional characters
and events to describe some subject by suggestive
resemblances
The Basic Plot
 A group of English people from various
backgrounds go on a pilgrimage to Canterbury,
England, to visit the shrine of St. Thomas a Becket.
 What is a pilgrimage, and why do people go on
them?
 They meet at the Tabard Inn in Southwark.
 The host, Harry Bailey, decides to create a storytelling contest.
 On the way to the shrine, they tell one another
stories.
The Pilgrims – A Recap
 The pilgrims are divided into three social classes for
the most part: nobility, clergy, and everyone else
(back in the Middle Ages, these are the only classes
that existed).
Nobility
 Nobility was the second highest class in the Middle
Ages, coming only after royalty. This included
knights, lords and courtiers.
 Noble pilgrims: The Knight, The Squire, and The
Yeoman (although technically a servant, he works
for the Knight and so is included).
Clergy
 In the Middle Ages, the Orthodox Catholic Church
received much criticism. Throughout the tales,
Chaucer pokes fun at these people involved with the
church.
 The pilgrims: The Prioress (the nun), The Nun’s
Priests, The Friar, The Monk, The Parson, The
Pardoner, The Summoner, and The Clerk (the
Oxford Cleric).
The Rest
 Upper, middle, and lower classes were not defined
in the Middle Ages. Of course, there were those
with more money than others, so the rest can be
divided into two subgroups.
 The “upper” class: The Wife of Bath, The
Merchant, The Franklin, The Skipper, The
Manciple, The Reeve, The Miller, The Physician,
The Lawyer, The Host.
 The “working” class: The Weaver, The Dyer, The
Carpenter, The Tapestry Maker, The Cook, The
Haberdasher (The Guildsmen).
The Good…
 Notice how Chaucer’s tone changes when he
describes the different pilgrims. There are some
with whom we can find nothing wrong; these are
known as the “ideal characters,” or those whom
Chaucer created to be morally good.
 The five ideal characters are The Knight, The
Squire, The Clerk, The Parson and The Plowman.
The Bad…
 Chaucer disagreed with MANY of the things the
church was doing in the Middle Ages. His clergy
characters are almost all shady, greedy, and
hypocritical; only The Parson is spared Chaucer’s
ridicule and mocking.
 The pilgrims whom Chaucer offends are The Monk,
The Friar, The Pardoner, The Summoner, and The
Reeve.
…and the Ugly.
 In the Middle Ages, people believed that a person’s
physical traits signified his or her moral character.
The study of how looks affected personality was
considered a “pseudo-science” called physiognomy.
 The Wife of Bath’s gap tooth signifies sexual
knowledge and promiscuity; The Cook’s ulcer
(moral disease); The Miller’s wart (lechery/sexual
misconduct); The Pardoner’s blond hair (sexual
ambiguity).
Everybody has a story
Quick-Write Prompt
Describe a journey you have been on. Your quick-write should tell
the reader:
 Why you were on the journey
 What you discovered on your journey
 Who took that journey with you
 What essential items you took with you
 How the nature of your journey dictated who the other
members of your group were
Note: This may be read by members of your class, depending on our
time, so write accordingly.