1. Skill focus: characterization, inferences, and satire
The Pardoners tale
Skill focus: characterization, inferences, and satire

2. Historical Background
Time Period: Middle Ages in England (500 – 1500 CE)
Class Structure:
Nobility those who fought
Peasants those who worked
Clergy those who prayed
Rising middle class began challenging these classes.
At thus time, the monarchy and the Church were very powerful.

3. Role of the pardoner (during Medieval times)
A Pardoner….
was a church official
authorized to preach and distribute indulgences that absolve people from sin
Indulgences were granted in exchange for services or donations ($$) to the Church
Corrupt pardoners (like the one in Chaucer's story) sold indulgences for their own profit.
Chaucer’s Pardoner displays relics, or holy objects.

4. Guiding Question: How does Chaucer use satire to highlight social problems during this time?
Definition of Satire:
the use of humor, irony, or exaggeration to draw attention to human flaws and vices; can also be used to critique society or encourage social change.
Why does an author use satire?
Usually, a satire is a comical piece of writing which makes fun of an individual or a society to expose its stupidity and shortcomings. In addition, he hopes that those he criticizes will improve their characters by overcoming their weaknesses.

5. How do the images reflect satire?

6. Extra Credit! Send Mrs. Mav and Email with an explanation as to why this cartoon is Satirical.
When trying to determine if something is satirical, ask yourself:
Is the author making fun of something in our culture in order to illustrate a moral or message?
What is the comment about our society that is being conveyed through his/her use of humor or contradiction?

7. Pardoner’s Tale: Overview and Summary
Prologue:
The Pardoner begins by telling his audience that the theme of every sermon he delivers is “greed is the root of all evil.”
The Pardoner starts by revealing his tricks of the trade, admitting that he roams all over the country side selling fake relics and pardons in exchange for money.
He feels no guilt or remorse for his actions.
He ends the prologue saying that would take money from the poorest person in town, or steal from starving families, for money.

8. The Pardoner’s Tale: Summary
Three debauched young men, after a long night of partying and gambling, go around looking for Death who just killed a friend of theirs.
An old man tells them that they can find Death under a tree. But instead of Death, the find a treasure of gold coins.
This treasures causes the young men to meet Death in a way that was not expected, as turn on each other because of their greed to keep the treasures for themselves.
This connects back to the prologue, the theme of the Pardoners sermon, “greed is the root of all evil.”

9. How can irony be an effective tool to both teach and manipulate?
What is Chaucer, the author, teaching through the Pardoner’s Tale?
How is he manipulating?
What is the Pardoner teaching?
How is manipulating?

10. Extra Credit Assignment! This is for an extra 100% as a test grade!
Read the “Wife of Bath’s Tale” from Canterbury Tales. Here is a link to a modern translation: Link to Wife of Bath Background and Summary: view?usp=sharing Close Reading Strategy of Wife of Bath:

11. The assignment for Wife of Bath:
Record yourself use cloze reading strategies for the Wife of Bath’s Tale. You must use a minimum of 50 lines. (You can use wevideo or screen-cast-omatic to make your recording.)
What themes are evident in the Wife of Bath’s tale? How does Chaucer demonstrate this theme in the tale? Why do you think this theme is important to Chaucer’s audience?