1. A Historical and Literary Introduction

3. Normans were descendents of Vikings who had been living in France 1066: William of Normandy defeats Harold at the Battle of Hastings and becomes king Anglo-Saxon nobility suppressed, Normans control government Business conducted in Norman French or Latin; English becomes used only by the lower classes The feudal system is put into place

4. Henry Plantagenet (Henry II) came to the throne in 1154, ending Norman rule in England. Came into direct conflict with the church Appointed Thomas a Becket as Archbishop of Canterbury to uphold royal policy within the church. Becket did not, and in 1170 Henry had him murdered in Canterbury Cathedral.

5. Involved an exchange of property in return for personal service King owns all land; gives land to nobles in return for their support Lords give some land to lower lords, who in turn give some to knights Peasants and serfs work the land

6. Pope was the head of the Church Bishops controlled dioceses Many mid and lower ranking clerics belonged to orders and lived in monasteries Members of religious orders take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience

7. Abbot: head of a male monastery, usually Benedictine Monk: male who lives within a religious community and takes religious vows Friar: male who belongs to a mendicant order and works among the faithful Parson: a parish priest Pardoner: a person who sells religious pardons to raise money for the church

8. Knight: a military soldier who undergoes long and extensive training and often has a social rank. They are educated in areas such as combat, poetry, dancing, and manners. Squire: a young boy or man who serves a knight and is in training to become a knight himself

10. Born around 1340 A.D. in Ipswich. Son of a family of well-to-do wine merchants Served as a page in a noble household Educated in the French style. Held many jobs, including a soldier, Parliament member, diplomat, and forest official Wrote thousands of lines of poetry

11. Translated works from French and Italian into English. Most famous for writing The Canterbury Tales Died on October 25, 1400 Was the first poet buried in Poet’s Corner in Westminster Abbey in London

12. A collection of stories told by a group of pilgrims as they travel from London to Canterbury. Frame tale – a story within a story. It is the most famous frame tale. Character portraits give the reader a very detailed description of each pilgrim.

13. “The General Prologue” Introduces the overall plot of the entire story Contains pilgrim portraits –very detailed descriptions of each pilgrim Pilgrim Prologues The Tales

14. Some tales are originals, created for the work Some tales were borrowed or reworked from preexisting stories The tales vary in genre and include: Beast fable Exemplum Fabliau Fairy Tale Metrical Romance Miracle Story Mock Epic

16. Journeys that a person undertakes for a religious reason Three purposes of pilgrimages: Travel to venerate a specific place Travel to ask for supernatural aid Travel to fulfill a religious obligation Popular Destinations: the Holy Land, Canterbury, Lourdes, Fatima, the Wailing Wall, Mecca

17. http://www.activehistory.co.uk/Miscellaneous/Pictures/harold.jpg http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qFiyjwMlP0Y/Stp9bwnLHKI/AAAAAAAABJc/uxLb boj48Xk/s400/p0013046-feudalism1.gif http://www.frianfriar.com/friar.25a.jpg http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_s_y9eSCAPLA/SOusnpRcgsI/AAAAAAAAAzg/5R27 W-IcSmM/s320/chaucer_pardoner.jpg http://www.kidspast.com/images/knight-squire.jpg http://ficinocafe.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/st-thomas-becket.jpg http://home.gwu.edu/~jhsy/chaucer-harvard.jpg http://www.essential-architecture.com/DAVINCI/3poets_corner.jpg http://www.library.arizona.edu/exhibits/illuman/images/full_resolution/14_02.jpg http://english.basd.k12.wi.us/mocarski/englishliterature/Lit1/lydgate.gif http://www.sacred-destinations.com/france/images/lourdes/pilgrims-cc- nicholas-thompson.jpg