Geoffrey Chaucer and The Canterbury Tales Tangenberg PowerPoint 4/24/2017 Geoffrey Chaucer and The Canterbury Tales Overview of a Life and Work

Tangenberg PowerPoint 4/24/2017 Chaucer the man Born 1345-46 ? Positions held: Esquire of the royal court Comptroller of customs, port of London Soldier, Hundred Years’ War Diplomat Poet Justice of the peace Member of Parliament...Etc.! 3 October 2007 - C. Tangenberg

Tangenberg PowerPoint 4/24/2017 Celebrated Author Among works written: The House of Fame, late 1370s. The Parliament of Fowls, 1380. Boece, Troilus, and Croseyede, 1382-86. The Legend of Good Women, 1385-87. The Canterbury Tales. This was a 13-year project:  begun 1387-92  bulk written 1392-95  latest tales 1396-1400 3 October 2007 - C. Tangenberg

Chaucer’s Life and Family Tangenberg PowerPoint 4/24/2017 Chaucer’s Life and Family Chaucer’s father was a vintner. Chaucer belonged to the upper middle class. He had a wife and children. Well respected among peers and held in high esteem by king; received annual wine supplies, which later increased in size Little is known of his life beyond official duties and achievements. He died in 1400 (October 25?). 3 October 2007 - C. Tangenberg

About The Canterbury Tales Tangenberg PowerPoint 4/24/2017 About The Canterbury Tales A series of stories told by individuals representing a cross-section of medieval English society who undergo a Christian pilgrimage from London to Canterbury. Told as a game to make the journey less tiresome and grueling, and to see who tells the best tale. Many different storytellers—some rough, vain, or materialistic; others wise, pious, or noble. Therefore, many different tales... 3 October 2007 - C. Tangenberg

Tangenberg PowerPoint 4/24/2017 The Characters The Knight The Miller The Reeve The Cook The Man of Law The Wife of Bath The Friar The Summoner The Clerk The Merchant The Squire The Franklin 3 October 2007 - C. Tangenberg

Tangenberg PowerPoint 4/24/2017 More Characters The Physician The Pardoner The Shipman The Prioress Sir Topas Melibee The Monk The Nun’s Priest The Canon’s Yeoman The Manciple The Parson 3 October 2007 - C. Tangenberg

Tangenberg PowerPoint 4/24/2017 Structure and Themes A prologue precedes each character’s tale The prologue introduces the character personally The tale reveals more through the character’s chosen subject and treatment of that subject Major themes include morality and genuine vs. false pilgrimage 3 October 2007 - C. Tangenberg

The Text in Verse: Prologue Tangenberg PowerPoint 4/24/2017 The Text in Verse: Prologue “Here bygynneth the Book of the Tales of Caunterbury. Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,. . . Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth Inspired hath in every holt and heeth The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne. . . Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages, And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes, To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes; And specially from every shires ende Of Engelond to Caunterbury they wende,…”          Source: http://www.courses.fas.harvard.edu/~chaucer/teachslf/gp-par.htm 3 October 2007 - C. Tangenberg

Pronouncing Vowels in Middle English Tangenberg PowerPoint 4/24/2017 Pronouncing Vowels in Middle English Middle English Sounds like Modern y,i “myne, sight” “meet” e, ee “me, meet, mete” (close e) “mate” e “begge, rede” (open e) “bag” a, aa “mate, maat” “father” u, ou “hus, hous” “boot” o, oo “bote, boot” (close o) “oak” o “lof, ok” (open o) “bought” 3 October 2007 - C. Tangenberg

Tangenberg PowerPoint 4/24/2017 Web References A Geoffrey Chaucer bio on a food-themed site with medieval recipes: www.godecookery.com/chaucer/ccookery.htm About Chaucer and The Canterbury Tales, plus text excerpts: http://www.courses.fas.harvard.edu/ and http://www.unc.edu/depts/chaucer/ Audio clip of professor reciting Canterbury prologue: http://academics.vmi.edu/english/audio/GP_Hanks.html Learning Middle English – multiple-lesson website: http://www.courses.fas.harvard.edu/~chaucer/teachslf/less-0.htm#Index found through http://www.edsitement.neh.gov Aspects of Life in the Middle Ages, including quizzes and riddles: www.learner.org/interactives/middleages/index.html Clip Art: http://classroomclipart.com/cgi-bin/kids/imageFolio.cgi?direct=History/Middle_Ages and http://www.godecookery.com/pilgrims/pilgrims.htm 3 October 2007 - C. Tangenberg

Tangenberg PowerPoint 4/24/2017  ASSIGNMENT: Click on the hyperlink below. Explore the website. Then, in a paragraph, describe three things that most interest, puzzle, or enlighten you about the information you find: Life in the Middle Ages. DUE 10/5. 3 October 2007 - C. Tangenberg