...The Canterbury Tales Geoffrey Chaucer Key Facts full title · The Canterbury Tales author · Geoffrey Chaucer type of work · Poetry (two tales are in prose: the Tale of Melibee and the Parson’s Tale) genres · Narrative collection of poems; character portraits; parody; estates satire; romance; fabliau language · Middle English time and place written · Around 1386–1395, England date of first publication · Sometime in the early fifteenth century publisher · Originally circulated in hand-copied manuscripts narrator · The primary narrator is an anonymous, naïve member of the pilgrimage, who is not described. The other pilgrims narrate most of the tales. point of view · In the General Prologue, the narrator speaks in the first person, describing each of the pilgrims as they appeared to him. Though narrated by different pilgrims, 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. tone · The Canterbury Tales incorporates an impressive range of attitudes toward life and literature. The tales are by turns satirical, elevated, pious, earthy, bawdy, and comical. The reader should not accept the naïve narrator’s point of view as Chaucer’s. tense · Past setting (time) · The late fourteenth century, after 1381 setting (place) · The Tabard Inn; the road to Canterbury protagonists · Each individual tale has protagonists, but Chaucer’s plan is to make none of his storytellers...
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...Canterbury Tale Canterbury Tales are one of the most famous collections of the stories in Middle English written by English writer Geoffrey Chaucer who made big impact in Middle English literature. One of characters in this stories that impressed many people who read this stories is the Knight. From all characters in Canterbury Tales knight is the noblest of all of them. In “General Prologue: The Knight through the Man of Law” the author asserts that “the Knight is the noblest of the pilgrims, embodying military prowess, loyalty, honor, generosity, and good manners“(Classiclit.about). The Knight conducts himself in a polite and mild fashion, never saying an unkind word about anyone. Knight is motivated by pride and glory, he is brave and noble and he is not afraid of a challenge. In the the cantrebury tale: the knight's tale the author asserts that “ Chivalry is a big deal in "The Knight's Tale." Chivalry was a system of rituals, duties, and behaviors a knight was supposed to follow if he wished to behave with honor (Shmoop). In the tale the knight is presented as the chacarcter who brings glory and he is real example of how perfect knight sholud be. However the knight is described in terms of his commendable feats and his moderate dress and countenance, he possess moral values such as in first place honour, curtesie and fredom. The knight is described as the noble warrior who is always ready and prepared to serve to his lord, and with this serving to lord he traveled a...
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...TITLE · The Canterbury Tales AUTHOR · Geoffrey Chaucer TYPE OF WORK · Poetry (two tales are in prose: the Tale of Melibee and the Parson’s Tale) GENRES · Narrative collection of poems; character portraits; parody; estates satire; romance; fabliau LANGUAGE · Middle English TIME AND PLACE WRITTEN · Around 1386–1395, England DATE OF FIRST PUBLICATION · Sometime in the early fifteenth century PUBLISHER · Originally circulated in hand-copied manuscripts NARRATOR · The primary narrator is an anonymous, naïve member of the pilgrimage, who is not described. The other pilgrims narrate most of the tales. POINT OF VIEW · In the General Prologue, the narrator speaks in the first person, describing each of the pilgrims as they appeared to him. Though narrated by different pilgrims, 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. TONE · The Canterbury Tales incorporates an impressive range of attitudes toward life and literature. The tales are by turns satirical, elevated, pious, earthy, bawdy, and comical. The reader should not accept the naïve narrator’s point of view as Chaucer’s. TENSE · Past SETTING (TIME) · The late fourteenth century, after 1381 SETTING (PLACE) · The Tabard Inn; the road to Canterbury PROTAGONISTS · Each individual tale has protagonists, but Chaucer’s plan is to make none of his storytellers superior to others; it is an equal company. In the Knight’s Tale, the...
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...over there and find like seven or eight bags of gold and then they draw like a straw and they make the shortest go get food a wine ,but then they kill him and finally they separate the gold and finally the other two drink the wine and they end up all dying in the end. The readers learn that greed can lead to violence and ultimately lead to death. The reader learns about the way gold can lead to bad things. All of the guys betray each other and die in The Pardoner. In Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales , Betrayal is shown through The Pardoner and The Summoner . The theme for it is I judge he was a gelding or a mare means not everyone is equal (Chaucer 161).The Squire is the motif because he is very different because of his social standing compare to his dad the knight. The literary elements for The Pardoner is iambic pentameter because in a few sentences it shows a stressed syllable followed by one that is not stressed . Another theme for The Pardoner's is The Pardoner in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales is dishonest. The Pardoner often preaches about how money is the root of all evil. Money is the root of all evil...
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...In school, Medieval Times is taught as an era with big castles and fortresses, kingdoms, and a feudal system with rigid three estates. By the late medieval times, these rigid estates began to have a breakdown. Between 1348 and 1350 the Black Death struck England and killed about thirty to forty percent of England’s population. This means that about half of the working class people died, therefore, the remaining ones were in great demand. By the fourteenth century England was more urbanized; in two centuries the population in London arose from 18,000 people to 45,000 people. This means that merchants and craftsmen had more possible clients in a more reduced space. Also, common people like the yeoman were able to get small pieces of land to farm. As a result to urbanization and factors like the Black Death; merchants, craftsmen, and peasants were benefited. Little by little, the division among the estates began to become blurry. It was inevitable to notice the rising of the middle class; first, second, and third estate people were well aware as were the writers and thinkers of the time such as William Langland and Geoffrey Chaucer who reflect these changes on their writings and even show how they support these changes. In early medieval times, the idea that the world was to be run under a system that separated people according to their roles on society led to the feudal system. Important people in the church supported this idea therefore there no one would question it. In the...
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...Tales’ summaries The Wife of Bath’s Tale starts with a Prologue in which she gives an account of her colorful life with five husbands. The tale continues the main question of women’s desire for sovereignty over men. A young Knight rapes a maiden while she was returning home. As a punishment for his heinous act he has to discover within a year what women most desire. The Knight was searching in the whole country in search of the answer. At the end he promises to grant a wish to an ugly old hag in return for the right answer. When he has given the answer in court and secured his liberty, the old hug jumps up and demands that he marries her. The Knight begs her to reconsider and wish for something else but the old hag stubbornly refuses. The Knight marries her secretly. At night as they lay in bed, the Knight keeps on turning restlessly. The old hag asks him if he would prefer her ugly and faithful or beautiful and faithless. The Knight allows her to decide. The old woman is delighted to have won ‘sovereignty’ over her husband and rewards him by becoming faithful and beautiful all the time. The Knight’s Tale describes how two kinsmen Arcite and Palamon fall in love with the same woman named Emily, whom they first see out of their prison window. Emily is the niece of King Theseus. Arcite gains his freedom but is banished from Athens. He comes back masked since he cannot bear to live away from Emily. In the meanwhile Palamon breaks out of prison and coincidentally meets Arcite...
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...The squire, son of the knight and knight in training, is a fine specimen to examine for imagery and physiognomic interpretation leading to characterization in Geoffery Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales”. These interpretations can be pulled from his outward appearance, his actual talents, and how his father differs from him. The squire, to begin, is a young lad who follows his father on this journey to learn how to be a knight. He has not yet faced a major battle, and he doesn't appear to possess the outward appearance of a knight. “A lover and cadet, a lad of fire with locks as curly as if they had been pressed. He was some twenty years of age, I guessed” (lines 82-84). Chaucer used this chance to describe the squire as being young, aware of his appearance, and a lover rather than a fighter. He uses the phrase, “a lad of fire” to describe the boy as possessing a passion, though that passion is not to be in a war. He also uses imagery when describing the squire’s hair by saying the locks are pressed. The squire has beautiful hair that leads the reader to picture him as a handsome young man who is well kept and conscious of his appearance. These are not the typical qualities of a knight. Furthermore, “He was as fresh as is the month of May” (line 94). Fresh is a word to describe youth and isn’t a positive reflection on his intelligence. He also says May, a month in spring. Spring is a time of youth and it is another parallel drawn to his age. Finally, “Short was his gown, his sleeves...
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...so. In the poem “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffry Chaucer, he tells a story about a knight and a squire. The knight and the squire just so happen to be father and son. Even though they are both aiming to be great and noble knights, they have different ways of getting there. Although they bear some minor similarities the difference between the knight and the squire are quit, clear. The knight is the most respected and honorable person on the pilgrimage. For example, he is motivated by his religion, and his service to the king. This shows that he is willing to put others and God before himself. This is important because this shows characteristics of a true and noble knight. In addition, the knight also does not care about how he dresses. He wears a fustian tunic stained with dark smudges from his armor. Therefore, this reflects on all the hard work the knight has put into battle. As a result the knight is what every knight should be....
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...Summary of CT The Canterbury Tales begins with the introduction of each of the pilgrims making their journey to Canterbury to the shrine of Thomas a Becket. These pilgrims include a Knight, his son the Squire, the Knight's Yeoman, a Prioress, a Second Nun, a Monk, a Friar, a Merchant, a Clerk, a Man of Law, a Franklin, a Weaver, a Dyer, a Carpenter, a Tapestry-Maker, a Haberdasher, a Cook, a Shipman, a Physician, a Parson, a Miller, a Manciple, a Reeve, a Summoner, a Pardoner, the Wife of Bath, and Chaucer himself. Congregating at the Tabard Inn, the pilgrims decide to tell stories to pass their time on the way to Canterbury. The Host of the Tabard Inn sets the rules for the tales. Each of the pilgrims will tell two stories on the way to Canterbury, and two stories on the return trip. The Host will decide whose tale is best for meaningfulness and for fun. They decide to draw lots to see who will tell the first tale, and the Knight receives the honor. The Knight's Tale is a tale about two knights, Arcite and Palamon, who are captured in battle and imprisoned in Athens under the order of King Theseus. While imprisoned in a tower, both see Emelye, the sister of Queen Hippolyta, and fall instantly in love with her. Both knights eventually leave prison separately: a friend of Arcite begs Theseus to release him, while Palamon later escapes. Arcite returns to the Athenian court disguised as a servant, and when Palamon escapes he suddenly finds Arcite. They fight over Emelye, but...
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...content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org. University of Illinois Press is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Journal of English and Germanic Philology. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 182.69.107.77 on Mon, 17 Aug 2015 10:45:38 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions A CONJECTURE ON THE WIFE OF BATH'S PROLOGUE of Bath's the Wife When for the first reading Prologue time, I remember my surprise upon reaching line 193 to find continued for several hundred lines, whereas that the Prologue a tale to follow. With I had expected each reading since, I in adjusting my expecta the same difficulty have experienced found. This repeated experience, tion to what I actually and I suspect it has come to all readers of Chaucer, in finally the matter. The result is a theory cited me to investigate which holds that the first part of the Prologue through line 193 was originally Pro by the present preceded Shipman's a number of lines which were later omitted, and that logue plus to the present the whole served as a Wife's...
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...Throughout the Canterbury Tales, Chaucer has various characters tell their tales about one of the seven deadly sins. The seven deadly sins are wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and gluttony. The Pardoner's Tale displayed wrath. The sin of wrath is manifest in the individual who spurns love, but instead takes the side fury. Three men kill each other for gold, "two murderers receive their due so did the treacherous young poisoner". When the three rioters come across bags full of gold coins they send one of the rioters out to go fetch for some wine and bread. While he is gone the other two rioters come up with a plan to get rid of their other friend by killing him so that they receive more wealth. When they go and kill the friend their...
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...Shlok Kumar Professor Padma Baliga English Literature Upto 1900 13 September 2010 The Canterbury Tales and the Panchatantra: Two Frame Narratives contrasted The East has a wonderful tradition in teaching morals through interesting tales; India has given the world the earliest such tales in the form of the Panchatantra, the Hitopadesa and even the Puranas. The Canterbury Tales and the Panchatantra are both frame narratives- often known as ‘story within a story.’ Yet the target audience of both these works is different. And this arises from the nature of these works. Whilst The Canterbury Tales was written by Chaucer originally for a courtly, upper class audience, the Panchatantra was written to teach the high morals and sensibilities of Vedic literature to three disinterested princes in the simplest language, using animals as symbols and characters. Indeed, the Panchatantra and its derivative work, the Hitopadesa are often dismissed as stories for children. Though these fables are indeed vastly instructive, they also teach a way of thriving in the material world and a way of life itself; the Panchatantra is referred to as a niti-shastra. This paper attempts to contrast the Canterbury Tales with the Panchatantra and illustrate the manner in which the latter is a niti-shastra without being merely populated by abstruse, pithy phrases. We know that in The Canterbury Tales, a group of about 30 pilgrims gather at the Tabard Inn in Southwark, across the Thames from...
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...The Knight: Pilgrim Analysis In the general prologue of the Canterbury Tales, the Knight is the first of the pilgrims to be described because he is of the highest rank. Therefore, it is only fitting that he goes first. In Chaucer’s work, he “. . . creates his knight in such a historical detail that we can easily explore the specific kind of knight he might have been . . .” (Calabrese 3). Chaucer describes his knight as “. . . a most distinguished man . . .” (Coghill 4). The narrator illustrates the Knight to be a man who “followed chivalry, truth, honor, generousness and courtesy” (4). Furthermore, the Knight presents himself in a polite fashion, never speaking insensitive words about anyone. Through Chaucer’s words and descriptions, it...
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...Top Ethical Pilgrims Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales depicts a wide range of characters of different class, ages, background, and financial background, and each of these components have an effect the pilgrim’s morality. Chaucer portrays four characters in particular as more principled than the rest: The Knight, the Parson, the Clerk, and the Yeman. These four virtuous characters share common ethical traits, the most important being the motivation to help others, the next rejecting luxury, and the last showing skill in their jobs. Chaucer bases morality on the motivation to help others before yourself, a trait that these four principled characters have in common. Helping others ranks first as the most important virtuous trait because improving the...
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...such a way that they seem personally experienced. Imagination is always associated with the created power and is a poetic principle. It is a transforming power as it has the ability to change the usual and ordinary in an unusual and uncommon way. Poetry is a modified "image of man and nature”. The poet is able to impart "the glory and freshness of a dream" to ordinary things of nature. He can present in his poetry the light that never was on land and sea. He is able to do so to the creative faculty of imagination. It is thus an active power. Poet is not a passive reflector of images formed from nature. He is a man who not only feels strongly but also thinks long and deeply. He is able to treat absent things as if they are present. Here Canterbury tales present an example of this imaginative power to visualize objects which are not present before poet’s eyes in their concrete forms but he presents them before us that they seem real. 29 pilgrims of Chaucer are his imaginative characters, all their qualities, merits and demerits are his own creations and here his creation is supported by his imagination. Imagination enables the poet to look deep into the heart and soul of things. It is through the imaginative faculty that he arrives at...
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