The Canterbury tales

Welcome to Class! Monday, October 24, 2016 Do Now: Indulge me by reading and annotating “Corruption in the Medieval Church.” Then tell me how this relates to The Canterbury Tales. Lastly, identify my hilarious, witty joke on this PPT slide.

SGGK Test Tomorrow 15 multiple-choice questions Mostly close-reading and paraphrase questions A few questions about the Middle Ages A few questions about literary devices.

Questions & Notes Write any questions about the reading on a post-it. Post your post-it to the front door. Then take out your journals and get ready to take background notes on Chaucer and The Canterbury Tales.

Chaucer and The Canterbury Tales Background Information

Medieval Social Theory Three “estates”: The nobility The Church Everyone else By late 14th century, becomes more complicated Complex Interrelated Unstable Growth of middle class

Chaucer Chaucer was son of prosperous wine merchant In early teens, becomes page for aristocratic household Member of King Edward’s personal household Chaucer’s family bridges gap between commoners and aristocracy

Chaucer Diplomatic mission that sent Chaucer to Italy in 1372 was milestone in literary development Boccaccio, Italian writer, provided Chaucer with two of his poems Chaucer seems to have specific audience in mind Share his sense of humor and complex attitudes toward the group who makes the pilgrimage

The Canterbury Tales Supposed to be 120 stories, 2 for each pilgrim on the way to Canterbury, 2 more on the way back Only completed 22 and beginnings of two others Chaucer did write the ending without completing the story Features Medieval pilgrims were notorious storytellers (WHY?)

The Canterbury Tales Pilgrims represent a wide spectrum of ranks and occupations Not realistic in makeup of group Highly unlikely that a group such as this one would have ever joined together Interrelated tales, dialogue between pilgrims Chaucer seems to leave his own judgments out so reader is left free to draw out ironic implications of details presented with such seeming artlessness

Homework Finish reading and taking notes on “The Prologue.” Review SGGK. Your test is next class.

Welcome to Class! Tuesday, October 25, 2016 Do Now: Take out your copy of SGGK for the test. Think about “The Prologue.” Who has a special love for gold because he believes it stimulates his heart?

SGGK TEST Please do not write on the test. Only write on the answer document. Hand in your answer document and your test when you are finished. Read and annotate “The Prologue,” if you have not yet finished.

Tough Times https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0E62fiv6mk

Homework Finish reading and taking notes on “The prologue.” Quiz over “The Prologue” on Thursday. Match the quote to the character. No notes.

Welcome to Class! Wednesday, October 26, 2016 Do Now: journal—Which character is the most despicable? Why? What is Chaucer’s goal in describing this character this was? Today’s Goal: We will better understand the characters in “The Prologue.”

The Narrator The narrator claims that he is simply repeating what others have said, claiming, “…I beg of you, in courtesy,/not to condemn me as unmannerly/ if I speak plainly and with no concealings/ and give account of all their words and dealings” (Chaucer 22). What is the benefit of pretending he is naive/gullible and simple realying the tales? What does he AVOID in acting this way?

Q: Who made King Arthur's round table? Joke Time Q: Who made King Arthur's round table?

Joke Time A: Sir-Cumference

22 Characters You will only be quizzed on 15 1. Summoner 2. Monk 3. Miller 4. Squire 5. Merchant 6. Friar 7. Yeoman 8.Prioress 9. Knight 10. Wife of Bath 11. Oxford Cleric 12.Reeve 13.Pardoner 14. Cook 15. Doctor

Group Work—Character Posters 1. Draw each character according to the description in the book 2. Find a quote that best captures each character. 3. Include the character’s Job 4. Include the Character’s Rank 5. Explain what the characters reveal about the larger society/customs/values (if the character is described using irony, note that as well.)

Gallery Walk of Characters Take Notes on details you may have missed. This is to help you review for the quiz. Be attentive!

Homework Review your notes and “The Prologue.” Quiz next class. 15 matching questions from a bank of 5 names. We’ll start “Miller’s Tale” tomorrow.

Welcome to Class! Thursday, October 27, 2016 Do Now: Finish your Pilgrim posters (10 minutes?). Class goal: We will test our knowledge of the characters in “The Prologue,” and we will begin “The Miller’s Tale.”

Group Work—Character Posters 1. Draw each character according to the description in the book 2. Find a quote that best captures each character. 3. Include the character’s Job 4. Include the Character’s Rank 5. Explain what the characters reveal about the larger society/customs/values (if the character is described using irony, note that as well.)

“The Prologue” Quiz Match each character to the appropriate quote. When finished, place your quiz and answer sheet face down on the back table. Read pages 86-88. “Words between the Host and the Miller. Summarize this passage in 1-3 sentences.

Fabliau Genre (Miller, Reeve) The fabliau is a relatively short, comic tale, centered around the playing of a trick. Sometimes the trickster is then themselves tricked in return. Fabliaux usually contain elements of ambivalent violence, farce, blasphemy, sexual activity and coarse language. The characters are usually urban bourgeois, often involving merchants.

Fabilau The characters are usually stereotypes – the priest, the wife, the daughter, the husband, the father, the student, the squire. It is usually the woman and/or the young man who ends up ‘on top’ at the end. There are very few fabliaux in medieval English, almost all of which are in the Canterbury Tales. The fabliau was extremely popular across Europe, and there are many examples in European vernaculars, particularly French.

“The Miller’s Tale” p.88 & Homework We’ll begin ”The Miller’s Tale” together. Finish reading to p.96 for Friday. Complete the notes & the story for Monday.

Welcome to Class! October 28, 2016 Do Now: Journal—what traits So far make this a Fabilau? Today’s Goal: We will research and present on Allusions in “The Miller’s Tale”

Allusion Background Read the handout on allusion. What is it? Why do we use it? Complete the exercise on the back.

Group Work: Allusion Research Pick an allusion from “The miller’s Tale” to research and explore. You will present on your findings. Complete the handout.

“The Miller’s Tale” & Homework Finish reading “The Miller’s Tale” for Monday. Complete the notes for Monday. Test corrections need to be completed by the end of next week.

Happy HalLoween! Boo! October 31, 2016 Do Now: Take out your notes on “The Miller’s Tale.” Complete the 5 questions. Do not use your book.

HappY Halloween!

“The Miller’s Tale” Finish alLusion presentations—NoAH’s Flood, Holy Family Ideas on Theme, Characterization, and Commentary—Gallery Walk (no repeating)

“The Reeve’s Tale” & Homework Read p.106-111 (we’ll finish the second half in class tomorrow). Test Corrections Must be completed by Friday of this week. Happy Halloween!

Welcome to Class! November 1, 2016 Do Now: Take out Canterbury Tales. Complete the vocabulary handout for “The Reeve’s Tale.”

“The Reeve’s Tale” Summary sentences of last night’s reading Finish the tale, pages 112-119. Complete the notes.

Fabliau How do the two tales compare? Contrast? How do they both fit the genre of a Fabliau?

Homework Test corrections are due by Nov. 10 (a change due to the Personal Project Day). Midterm Grades will be Entered Nov. 8. Finish “The Reeve’s Tale” and the notes for next class.