1. GEOFFREY CHAUCER CANTERBURY TALES

2. NARRATIVE POEM FRAME: IT TELLS A STORY GENERAL PROLOGUE
WRITTEN IN VERSE
NARRATIVE POEM
IT TELLS A STORY
FRAME:
GENERAL PROLOGUE

3. pilgrimage to Canterbury
Let’s analyse the title
Canterbury
pilgrimage to Canterbury
Can you think of at least three reasons why people go on pilgrimages?
Are there any places in your region where people go on pilgrimage?
What do you know about such places?

4. Tales the pilgrims tell stories during the journey
Can you think of a good reason for that?
Do you know any Italian writer who wrote something similar?

5. Symbolical meaning of the journey from London to Canterbury
London terrestrial, material city
Canterbury heavenly, spiritual city

6. And specially, from every shire’s end
Why Canterbury?
To visit
region
went
And specially, from every shire’s end
Of England, down to Canterbury they wend
To seek the holy blissful martyr, quick
To give his help to them when they were sick
St. Thomas Becket*
*Thomas Becket, Archbishop of
Canterbury, was murdered by four
knights in Canterbury Cathedral in 1170

7. The pilgrims: who were they?
Three social classes
Feudal system
Knight, squire,
yeoman, franklin,
miller, reeve,
plowman…
Middle-class:
Merchant,
sergeant-at the-law,
cook, skipper, doctor,
wife of Bath…
Clergy:
Nun, monk,
friar, prioress,
parson, summoner,
pardoner…
No too rich people, no too poor people.
That adds to realism. Can you explain why?

8. THE WIFE OF BATH
Read about the Wife of Bath, look for information about
the situation of women in the Middle Ages and then write
a short essay about it.
Consider what attitude toward women and marriage
Chaucer conveys through the character of the Wife of Bath and
how this view compares to the attitudes toward women and marriage that
prevailed in medieval society