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A Study of The Canterbury Tales and

A Study of The Canterbury Tales and. Exploring Canterbury. The Journey Begins . . . England in the Middle Ages Focus question Geoffrey Chaucer The Canterbury Tales Travelers to Canterbury

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A Study of The Canterbury Tales and

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  1. A Study of The Canterbury Talesand Exploring Canterbury

  2. The Journey Begins . . . England in the Middle Ages Focus question Geoffrey Chaucer The Canterbury Tales Travelers to Canterbury Chaucer’s Middle Ages Population Table of Contents

  3. In October 1066, a daylong battle near Hastings, England, changed the course of history. The Journey Begins . . .

  4. Feudalism replaced the Nordic social system. The primary duty of males above the serf class was to serve in the military—Knighthood. Women had no political rights. Chivalry and courtly love served as the system of social codes England in the Middle Ages

  5. Lower, middle, and upper-middle classes developed in the cities. England in the Middle Ages

  6. The Crusades extended from 1095-1270. They brought contact with Eastern mathematics, astronomy, architecture, and crafts. England in the Middle Ages

  7. The Magna-Carta defeated papal central power. England in the Middle Ages

  8. The Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453) was the first national war waged by England. England in the Middle Ages

  9. The Black Death (1348-1349) brought the end of the Middle Ages. Fleas on rats carried the bubonic plague which killed thousands of people. in Europe. England in the Middle Ages

  10. Discover the answer by reading The Canterbury Tales How do the writings of the Middle Ages represent the lives, loves, loyalties, and humor of humanity?

  11. Born into a well-to-do family Served three kings: Edward III, Richard II, H Entry IV Served as a soldier, government servant, and member of Parliament First writer buried in Westminster Abbey Geoffrey Chaucer1343-1400

  12. FATHER OF THE ENGLISH LITERATURE • Wrote in the vernacular • 1368-1378 • Travelled a lot • became interested in • Dante – Petrarca – Boccaccio • His works divided in three periods: • The French • The Italian • The English

  13. The French period • The Boke of the Duchesse (ca. 1369) • - elegy for allyounggoodwives • The Romaunt of the Rose (before1373) • - introduces the reader to medieval • courtlylove

  14. The Italian Period • The Parlament of Foules (ca. 1380) • - populargenres of medievalliterature • The House of Fame (ca. 1383) • - dealing with the contemplation of the • vanity of human whishes • The Legende of GoodWomen • - first attempt of couplet in English • Troylus and Criseyde • - long poemadapted from Boccaccio

  15. The English Period The Canterbury Tales

  16. The Canterbury Tales • Whatis the book about? • What are some significanthistoricalissues? • What are importantstylisticelements? • WhyisThe Canterbury Talesimportant in the development of the English language?

  17. What is the book about? • Spring • Thirtypeople • Chaucer himsel • Pilgrimage to Thomas Becket’sShrine in Canterbury • Pilgrims • Different social classes • TabardInn in London

  18. What is the book about?

  19. What is the book about? • The host • Two stories going • Two stories coming back • A prize for best story • A penalty for thosewhogive up • AllPilgrimsaggreeand • sett off

  20. What is the book about? • Pilgrimage • as a • frame

  21. Structure • pilgrims are introduced • 24 tales • rhiming couplet • Iambic pentameters • stressed/unstressed syll. • preceded by prologue / introduces the theme • sometime epilogue

  22. Symbols • Departure / Inn / wordlypleasure • Destination / Canterbury / holy • Canterbury celestial city • end of life • Pilgrimageallegory of the • courseof human life

  23. Work unfinished • The pilgrims do notreach Canterbury

  24. The characters are a concise portrait of an entirenation. The pilgrimageis a quest narrative thatmoves from images of spring and awakening to penance, death, and eternal life. The characterstell stories thatreflect “everyman” in the universalpilgrimage of life. Snapshot of an Age

  25. Haberdasher Dyer Carpenter Weaver Carpetmaker Miller Cook Working Class Plowman Reeve Host The Travelers to Canterbury

  26. Nun, Prioress 3 Priests, Friar, Parson,Pardoner, Summoner Cleric, Serjeant at Law, Merchant, Skipper, Doctor Knight, Squire, Yeoman Professional Class Military Religious Secular The Travelers to Canterbury

  27. Upper Class Wife of Bath Franklin The Travelers to Canterbury

  28. Chaucer’s Snapshot of the Middle Ages Population

  29. Historical issues • Recallthat Thomas à Becketwasmurderedbecause he refused to appease Henry II • by petitioning Rome • to getrid of the • ecclesiasticcourts

  30. Historical issues • The pilgrims in Chaucer’s work are truly a motleygroup. • The Canterbury Talesrepresents a vastrepresentation of people and occupations from the late Middle Ages in England. • Historianshavelooked to the Prologue to discoveraspects of medieval life, includingwhatpeople • did and how • theythought.

  31. Historical issues • ùùù • The changes from the medieval world • to the ideology of the Renaissance are • beginning, and these are • represented in the attitudes • of the pilgrims in • TheCanterbury Tales.

  32. Some of these changes include: • Social mobility • Physicalmobility • Idealsof love • The role of women (Manynotableecclesiasticwomen) • The changes in attitudetowards the church • Changingattitudestowards the notion of divine rights of kings and nobles, fueled by • the 100 Years’ War • The House of Commonsgainsconsiderable • powerduring the reign of Edward

  33. Chaucer uses narrative voice to its fullest potential in this work. The tales themselves are narrated by different characters A scribe (who describes himself as not too bright) writes them down This scribe is actually Chaucer’s alter ego Stylistic Elements

  34. Stylistic Elements • The Canterbury Talesiswritten in verse, • muchof it in iambicpentameter, • muchof it in heroiccouplets. • Chaucer alsoemploysrhymesand prose • Chaucer alsopresents an example of almosteverypopularliterarygenrein this work: romance, beastfable, fabliaux, saint story, parable, dialecticaldiscourse, and sermon. • His ironictoneisalmostperfect

  35. Stylistic Elements • Perhaps the most notable element of The Canterbury Tales, however, is Chaucer’s superb characterization. The many voices are painted with intensely detailed lines, and each one is unique and realistic • The Canterbury Tales represents a singular moment of representing psychological reality of character, which Chaucer presents with excruciatingly meticulous accuracy. Not until Shakespeare would this be realized again in the English language

  36. Importance to the English Language • Chaucer’sCanterbury Taleswasuniversallyadmiredassoonasit appeared.* • Itsupportedefforts of those in Englandwhowanted to separate once and for all from France, and the end of the 100 Years’ War wouldmark the finalchangethatseparatedEngland and English culture from that of France and the rest of Europe.

  37. Importance to the English Language • By 1363, the official language of the court was changed from French to English; • English was becoming more commonly taught in schools, superseding Latin. • Chaucer’s work provided validation of language and culture that shone proudly during its time.

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