A Study ofThe 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: Knight, Squire

• Clergy: Friar, Prioress, Summoner, Pardoner

• Middle Class: Franklin, Reeve, Clerk/Scholar, Wife of

Bath

• Trade Class: Miller, Innkeeper (host), Merchant.

• Peasants: 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

ThemeThe moral message or lesson of

story

Main IdeaTells what the story is

mostly about (one or two sentence summary)

SummaryA brief review of a story’s

most important ideas

Prologue

Main IdeaA 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 IdeaTwo 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 IdeaA 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 IdeaA 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 IdeaThree 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.”