The Author The Time Period The Prologue The Pardoner’s Tale Other Tales
The Author Who is the author of The Canterbury Tales?
Answer Geoffrey Chaucer
The Author To what group in society did the author belong?
Answer The feudal group
The Author What position in society did the author’s wife hold?
Answer She was one of the queen’s ladies in waiting.
The Author The author was an amateur writer. What are two jobs that he held?
Answer He served as a statesman, member of Parliament, justice of the peace, and deputy forester.
The Author Who are two of the three authors/ philosophers who greatly influenced the author.
Answer Petrarch, Dante, and Boccaccio
Time Period What religion/denomination was England during the 14 th Century?
Answer Catholic
Time Period What is this time period known as in England?
Answer The Age of Faith
Time Period What are the three groups in this society?
Answer Feudal, Church, & City
Time Period Who were the most popular subjects in art during this time period?
Answer Madonna & Child
Time Period Who is the famous martyr for the church who was killed at Canterbury by Henry II?
Answer Thomas Becket
The Prologue What does the host propose that the pilgrims do on the journey to Canterbury?
Answer Have a story telling contest
The Prologue What is the name of the inn where the pilgrims meet?
Answer The Tabard
The Prologue What is a frame story?
Answer A story within a story
The Prologue How many tales are actually told in the book?
Answer 24 tales (116 are proposed.)
The Prologue What are the three types of genres in The Canterbury Tales?
Answer Romance, Fabliaux, and Sermon
The Pardoner’s Tale Where are the rioters before the morning bell?
Answer The bar
The Pardoner’s Tale For whom do the young men search?
Answer Death
The Pardoner’s Tale How is death personified in this piece?
Answer “a privy thief”, “lives near the village”, “speared him through the heart”, “went on his way without a word”, “an adversary”
The Pardoner’s Tale In the end, all three rioters die. How do they die?
Answer The two older rioters tackle and stab the younger, and then drink the wine that he had poisoned.
The Pardoner’s Tale Why is this a good story told for a bad reason?
Answer The Pardoner is telling the story in order to cheat people out of their money.
Other Tales In the Merchant’s Tale, in what compromising position in the pear tree does January find May?
Answer May (his wife) is having sex with another man.
Other Tales In the Nun’s Priest Tale, how is Chaunticleer tricked by the Fox?
Answer The Fox tells him that he has a beautiful voice.
Other Tales In the Wife of Bath’s Tale, what do women most desire?
Answer To have power over their husbands.
Other Tales In The Miller’s Tale, of what does Nicholas convince the carpenter?
Answer That there is a flood, and he is the new Noah.
Other Tales In the Franklin’s Tale, how is the theme of what goes around comes around proven?
Answer Averigus tells Dorigen that she must keep her promise to Aurelius. He forgives her of her debt due to Averigus’ honor. In turn, the magician forgives Aurelius his debt.