The Canterbury Tales
Study Guide
1. Geoffrey Chaucer adopted the plan for The Canterbury Tales in 1386 and the
Prologue in 1387.
2. The Prologue is the frame tale involving 29 pilgrims plus the author/narrator
(total of 30) going to see the shrine of St. Thomas in Canterbury-about 6065 miles away from their starting place of the Tabard Inn in Southwark. The
journey would take about 4 days each way.
3. Each pilgrim was to tell two tales going to Canterbury and two returning, for
a total of 4 each. Out of the 120 stories, only 24 were completed.
4. The opening lines state the reason for the pilgrimage. First-to seek aid for
illness; second-weather is pleasant for a vacation; third-religious
commitment. The second is the most common reason.
Prologue
1. At what time of year does the pilgrimage take place?
2. List 4 actions that take place at that time of year.
3. Why do people want to go on pilgrimages?
4. In England, what was the favorite pilgrimage?
5. Who is the narrator?
6. How many pilgrims are there-including the narrator?
7. When do the pilgrims plan to start?
8. What four kinds of information about each pilgrim will the narrator give?
The Knight
9. What code does the knight follow? Define the word.
10. Name 5 places the knight has fought.
11. How is the knight's personality described?
12. List several details of his physical appearance.
The Squire
13. How old is he?
14. Describe his appearance in detail.
15. What skills or talents does he have?
16. Where and how has he fought?
17. How is his personality described?
18. What do we learn about the squire's nocturnal activities?
The Yeoman
19. Who is the yeoman?
20. How does he dress?
21. What equipment does he carry?
The Prioress
22. What is a prioress?
23. What things does the prioress do well?
24. What events arouse her sympathy?
25. Describe her appearance.
26. What is inscribed on her brooch (necklace/pin)?
27. Who accompanies her?
The Monk
28. What is his favorite activity?
29. How does he feel about the rules of his order?
30. How does the author feel about the monk's opinions on hunting and staying
outside the cloister for monks? Is he being sincere or sarcastic?
31. How is he dressed? What does his face look like?
The Friar
32. What kind of friar is he? Describe his personality.
33. What are his duties as a friar?
34. How does one gain absolution from this friar?
35. Where does he like to pass the time away?
36. From whom does the friar beg?
37. Describe his appearance. What is he carrying?
The Merchant
38. How is he dressed?
39. What does he brag about?
40. What does he do well?
The Student
41. Describe his appearance.
42. What does he prefer to food and fancy clothes?
43. On what does he spend money?
44. What does he like to do?
The Lawyer
45. How is he dressed?
46. What two adjectives describe him?
47. What dishonest activity is hinted at?
The Franklin
48. Describe his appearance.
49. What does this mean: "He was the true son of Epicurus."?
50. What are his major interests?
51. What office has he held?
The Guildomen
52. How many are there?
53. How are they dressed?
54. What do they want to become?
55. Why do their wives want that for them, too?
The Cook
56. Whom does he accompany?
57. What does he do well?
58. What distinguishes his physical appearance?
The Skipper
59. How does he dress and look?
60. From where does he come?
61. What is the name of his ship?
The Physician
62. What sort of relationship does he have with the druggist?
63. What sort of knowledge does he have?
64. How is he dressed?
65. Why does he love gold?
The Wife of Bath
66. What is her occupation?
67. How does she dress and look?
68. How many husbands has she had?
69. On what other pilgrimages has she been?
70. Of what game does she know all the tricks?
The Parson
71. What kind of man was he?
72. Explain the meaning of the following line: "He was a shepherd and not a
mercenary."
73. How does the narrator feel about him?
The Plowman
74. To whom is the Plowman related?
75. What kind of man is he?
76. Why does he help poor people?
77. What is his view on tithing?
The Miller
78. Describe all the details of his appearance.
79. What actions of his are mentioned?
80. What is he playing as they leave town?
81. Explain the term "a golden thumb",
The Manciple
82. What is a manciple?
83. Is he an honest man?
The Reeve
84. What is a reeve?
85. Describe his appearance.
86. Describe his disposition.
87. What is his trade?
88. Where does he ride in the group of pilgrims?
The Summoner
89. What is the job of the summoner?
90. Describe his appearance.
91. What does he love?
92. What is he carrying? What is he wearing on his head?
The Pardoner
93. What is a pardoner?
96. Describe his appearance.
97. How does he get money from people?
98. Why does he sing the offertory so well?
Chaucer, the pilgrim narrator
97. What information is given to the reader?
98. What does he beg you to excuse?
99. How does Chaucer, the pilgrim, describe himself?
The Host
100. What is the Host's plan for the pilgrims?
101. Describe the Host.
The Pardoner's Tale
1. Who are the four main characters in the story?
2. Where are three of them when the story opens?
3. What do they see?
4. Who has died and how?
5. What do the rioters vow to do?
6. Where do the three rioters set out for?
7. Whom do they meet?
8. What is the answer to the question about why the old man is living so long?
9. Where are the three told they can find Death?
10. What do the three men find under the tree (figuratively and literally)?
11. Why must the treasure be taken at night?
12. What is the main plan?
13. Who drew the straw that meant going to town?
14. Explain the plot of the two who stayed with the treasure.
15. What was the plan of the one who went to town?
16. Who was dead at the end of the story? How?
17. What is the moral of the story?
18. Why is it ironic that the Pardoner tells a story with this moral?
The Wife of Bath's Tale
1. Explain the line: "Better it is to marry than to burn..
2. What are her views on virginity?
3. What does she say her views are offered to do?
4. In her prologue, what is the wife telling women how to do?
5. What were her first three husbands like?
6. How did she treat her first three husbands?
7. What did her fourth husband do? How did she get him back?
8. Why was her fifth husband the worst?
9. Which was the only one she married for love and not for money?
10. From whom did she learn about men?
11. How did she lose her hearing in one ear?
12. What did the knight do to the maiden?
13. What was his punishment according to the king?
14. What question did the queen ask the knight to answer?
15. How long did he have to find the answer?
16. What does he see as he is returning to court without an answer?
17. Whom does he meet on the road?
18. Who gives him the answer to his question?
19. What is the answer?
20. What was he to give the person who told him the answer?
21. Did he live up to his promise?
22. Of what four things did he accuse his wife on their wedding night?
23. How did she answer each accusation?
24. What choice did she ask him to make?
25. What did he choose? What did he get?