1. Background information on the Middle Ages
The Canterbury Tales
Background information on the Middle Ages

2. Canterbury Tales
Written by Geoffrey Chaucer - father of English poetry (born about 1342)
First person to write in the Vernacular middle English
Insight into all walks of life during the middle Ages

3. Language Aristocracy- French Clergy-Latin
Commoners: English (Middle English)

4. Middle English

5. Canterbury Tales
Wanted to educate the masses on the corruption in the Church
Usually satirical
Story begins in the Spring at Tabard Inn
Pilgrims on a voyage to the Shrine of Thomas Becket (martyr)
Each pilgrims tells 2 tales on the way and two tales back
Host will judge stories

6. Pilgrims The narrator Knight Squire Wife Of Bath The Pardoner
The Miller
The Prioress
The Monk
The Friar
The Yeoman

7. Characters

8. Characters

9. Chaucer’s England Social Structure
Society was divided into 3 states: clergy, aristocracy, and the commoners
Positions in the hierarchy were well defined
Clergy-responsible for people’s spiritual well-being
Aristocracy- responsible for defending the nation through military might.
Commoners- laborers and producers

10. Feudal System Included aristocrats and commoners Divided by
Lords- owner of land,
Vassals- those who rented the land/service to lord in exchange for protection
Fiefs- name for land exchanged
King owned all the land in the country
King granted land holdings to aristocratic tenants in exchange for military support
Aristocrats would grant land holdings to commoners in exchange for labor services that would allow the lord to cultivate and maintain the land

12. Clergy (1.5 %) No one was born into the clergy
Aristocrats (upper levels) or commoners (lower levels)
Regular clergy: (monks and friars) the regular clergy were male and were sworn to a life of celibacy and poverty
Secular clergy- parish priests (parsons) and clerics.
Nuns didn’t have the same rights as the male clergy

13. Clergy The clergy were expected to take vows of: Poverty Chastity
Obedience

14. Aristocracy (1%)
Warrior class or those descended from the warrior class.
Titled nobility: Dukes, Counts, Barons, (Lords)
Knights- lacked hereditary titles. Less than 1,000 in Chaucer’s England. A burdensome rank.
Squires: the backbone of the English and French armies. Moderate landowners and men of gentle birth who were not knighted.

15. Feudalism

16. The Commons (97%)
Most of England’s Population lived in the country side
People in the commons were loosely ranked according to how much land they had
1) Franklins/Yeoman ( freemen who had more then 50 acres)
2) Husbandmen/Cotters (free or servile men who held 10 to 40 acres)
At the bottom of rural society were those who held no land and were dependent upon their earnings as laborers (plowmen, herdsmen, etc)

17. Religion
Being apart of society in the middle ages meant being apart of the church
Catholic Church- official church
All Christians in that part of the World were under the authority of the pope

18. The Black Plague
1348 – Black Plague reached England and wiped out 1/3 of the population (3.75 million to 2.25 million)
The sudden collapse of the population sent prices skyrocketing (increased the price of labor while decreasing the price of land)
The overall effect of the Plague was to hasten the collapse of feudalism by creating intense competition for labor and tenants

19. King Henry II 1133-1189 Arrogant King of England
Married Eleanor of Aquitaine
Appointed Thomas Becket as Arch Bishop of Canterbury
Got in big fight… more to come

20. Thomas Beckett Appointed archbishop of Canterbury by King Henry 2
King Henry hoped that Thomas would side with him over the pope
The King’s plan backfired and Thomas ended up taking the side of the Church/pope over the King

21. Saint Thomas a Becket

22. Saint Thomas a Becket

23. Thomas Beckett
Murdered in 1170 (Assassinated by followers of the King Henry in Canterbury Cathedral)
Was canonized as both Saint and martyr following his murder
The Shrine of Saint Thomas of Beckett became a popular destination for religious pilgrimages during the Middle Ages

26. Crusades Occurred during the the 11th,12th, and 13th centuries
A series of military campaigns called by the Pope
GOAL of the crusades: to restore Christian control of the Holy Land
Crusades had an enormous influence in Europe during the Middle Ages

27. Effects of the Black Plague
Resulted in the Rise of the Middle Class
Labor became more valuable then land

28. Chivalry
Chivalry- system of ideals and behavior that governed both knight and gentleman
Included things such as:
- oath of loyalty to overlord
- rules of of warfare
-adoration of a particular lady (not necessarily one’s wife)

29. Courtly Love
Courtly Love- Belief that acting in the name of a lady would help a knight be more brave and successful

30. Role of Women Peasant Women- clean, bear children, field work
Higher Station- supervise housework
A woman was always expected to be subservient to a male - regardless of relation
No political rights

31. Satire
Literary technique in which behaviors or institutions are ridiculed for the purpose of improving society.
What sets satire apart from other forms of social and political protest is HUMOR.
Satirists use irony and exaggeration to poke fun at human faults and foolishness in order to correct human behavior
Can you guess at what might be some satirical targets

32. Common Satirical Targets
Wealthy Greed
Politics Vanity
Writers Stupidity
Vanity Hypocrisy
Corruption
Pursuits of idle wealthy
Urban Congestion
Arrogance

33. Irony
Verbal and situational irony are often used for emphasis in the assertion of a truth.
Situational- character/reader expects one thing, but something else happens
Verbal- when a writer/character expects one thing, but means another
TECHNIQUES: hyperbole, understatement, sarcasm

34. IMPORTANT REMINDERS
Next Class (Friday 10/7) - Review notes/background Info from Middle Ages and Canterbury Tales
We will start Canterbury Tales this Friday
Next Wednesday 10/11 QUIZ over Middle Ages/Canterbury Tales
POEM- visually appealing due WEDNESDAY 10/11

35. REVIEW – Middle Ages and Canterbury Tales
Why did Chaucer write the Canterbury Tales in English? (Middle English)
- What was Chaucer’s purpose for writing the Canterbury Tales?

36. Review
Which LITERARY device does Chaucer primarily use to get his point across?

37. Review
What makes satire different from other forms of political or social protest?

38. Review
Who was more powerful, the king or the pope?

39. Review
Where are the pilgrims going?

40. Review
Why was St. Thomas of Beckett murdered?

41. Review
Which important historical events took place during the Middle Ages?

42. Review Bubonic Plague – What were the effects? Effects of Crusades:
Political: helped undermine feudalism
Social: allowed for romantic adventure (Chivalry)
Commerce/trade: opened up trade throughout Europe and created a constants demand for the transportation of both men and supplies
Catholic Church: increased the wealth of the Catholic church and the power of the Papacy.

43. Canterbury Tales Prologue
Prologue –STANDS ALONE
Does not include the stories that the pilgrims tell.
Describes all the pilgrims and gives the reader a picture into all walks of life during the middle ages.

44. Assignment Chaucer likes and dislikes certain characters.
REMEMBER that he uses satire, so it may seem as if he likes some pilgrims, but he really does not.
Each of you will be assigned a pilgrim.
Read and take notes
You will present your notes on your pilgrim to the class
Everyone should take notes on EACH character.

45. Notes to take on your pilgrim:
What does your pilgrim look like?
Dress?
Profession? (How well or inadequate) Are they wealthy?
Mode of transportation?
Does Chaucer like or dislike the character and why?