1. Background Information and Key Terms
The Canterbury Tales
Background Information and Key Terms

3. Knights Made up the military
Training began in boyhood and ended in vows of loyalty to a lord
Equipment was expensive (horse, weapons, armor), so most knights came from wealthy, noble families
Defended their lord’s interests, property, and family and responded to the king’s call to arms in the event of war

4. Chivalry
A system of ideals and social codes governing the behavior of knights
Knights had to:
Be able to ride well, use weapons, and observe certain rules of warfare
Be loyal to their lord, even in the face of death
Defend the Christian faith, even in the face of death
Help any person in need
Act with courtesy toward women of rank

5. Women
Had no political standing and depended on the men in their family for their rank
Noblewomen
Bore children and supervised the household servants
Managed the estate in their husbands’ absence
Were under the command of their fathers, brothers, and husbands

6. Peasant women
Bore many children, worked the fields, and kept house
Were under the command of their fathers, brothers, and husbands

7. The Roman Catholic Church
Was extremely powerful and controlled most of the kings and queens in Europe
Gave all European nations a common belief system
Was the center of learning, publishing books, and maintaining libraries; considered Latin to be the language of the educated

8. The Canterbury Tales
Written by Geoffrey Chaucer in 1386 (during the Middle Ages)
Collection of 24 Tales (unfinished at the time of his death)
Told by a group of pilgrims traveling from London to the shrine of St. Thomas Becket at Canterbury
Considered Chaucer’s greatest work and paints a critical and ironic portrait of English society at the time (especially the Church)
Popularized the use of English for literature (as opposed to French or Latin)

9. Irony: a contrast between expectation and reality; often has the effect of surprising the reader; often subtle and easily overlooked.
Situational Irony – occurs when a character or the reader expects one thing to happen, but something else actually happens.
Verbal Irony – occurs when a writer or character says one thing, but means another.
Dramatic Irony – occurs when the reader or viewer knows something that a character does not know.

10. Frame Story: a frame story exists when a story is told within a narrative setting or frame; a story within a story
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Titanic, The Notebook

11. Moral Tale: a story that teaches a lesson
about what is right and wrong in human
behavior
Good characters usually triumph and evil characters come to a bad end.
These outcomes send a moral, which is often explicitly stated in the tale.

12. Characterization: the means by which a writer develops a character’s personality, which may include:
Physical descriptions
Presentation of the character’s speech, thoughts, feelings, and actions
Relationship to other characters
Details: words and ideas included by the author to help the reader visualize the scenes, objects, and people being described; used to establish mood and tone

13. Character Chart
In your group, you will be working to gather and record information about your assigned pilgrims.
You will be presenting this information to the class, so use your time wisely.
While your classmates are presenting, you will be taking their notes to complete your packet.