1. The Canterbury Tales
By Geoffrey Chaucer

2. Summary of “The Prologue”*
One spring day, the narrator of The Canterbury Tales rents a room at the Tabard Inn in Southwark before he begins a journey to Canterbury. That evening, a group of twenty-nine (29) people arrive at the inn. They also are going to Canterbury to visit a religious shrine. Calling themselves "pilgrims", they accept the narrator into their company.

3. Continued….*
Harry Bailey, the innkeeper, suggests that the group ride together and entertain one another with stories. He decides that each pilgrim will tell two stories on the way to Canterbury and two on the way back. Bailey decides to join the pilgrims. Whomever he judges to be the best storyteller will receive a meal at Bailey’s tavern upon their return, courtesy of the other pilgrims. (pages )

4. THE PILGRIMS' ITINERARY TO CANTERBURY *
Today, the distance from Southwark to Canterbury is about 60 miles, 3 days of hard travel by horseback. In the 14th c. roads were not good. Most of the pilgrims probably walked. The schedule below is a reconstruction from the details given in the prologue.
April 16 - Assembly at the Tabard Inn April 17 - Sunrise /The journey begins. They spend the night at Dartford, 15 miles from London April 18 - Sunrise/The journey continues. They spend the night at Rochester, 30 miles from London. April 19 - Sunrise/The journey continues. They spend the night at Ospringe, 46 miles from London and 10 miles from Canterbury. April 20 - Sunrise/The journey is soon over. They arrive in Canterbury.

5. From The Pardoner’s Tale
Read this tale, pages
Answer the study question on handout
Copy the vocabulary on page 116 into your English notebook.

6. From The Wife of Bath’s Tale
Read this tale, pages
Answer study questions on handout
Copy the vocabulary on page 124 into your English notebook.