canterbury tales
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An overview of Canturbury Tales.TRANSCRIPT
A Study of The Canterbury Tales and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Table of ContentsThe Journey Begins . . . England in the Middle Ages Focus questionGeoffrey Chaucer The Canterbury TalesTravelers to CanterburyChaucer’s Middle Ages PopulationSir Gawain and the Green KnightThe Green Knight Sir GawainWorks Cited
The Journey Begins . . .
In October 1066, a daylong battle near Hastings, England, changed the course of history.
England in the Middle Ages
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
Lower, middle, and upper-middle classes developed in the cities.
England in the Middle Ages
The Crusades extended from 1095-1270.They brought contact with Eastern mathematics, astronomy, architecture, and crafts.
England in the Middle Ages
The Magna-Carta defeated papal central power.
England in the Middle Ages
The Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453) was the first national war waged by England.
England in the Middle Ages
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.
How do the writings of the Middle Ages represent the lives, loves, loyalties, and humor of humanity?
Discover the answer by reading The Canterbury Tales and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
Geoffrey Chaucerc. 1343-1400
Considered the father of English poetryWrote in the vernacularServed as a soldier, government servant, and member of ParliamentIntroduced iambic pentameterFirst writer buried in Westminster Abbey
Learn more about Chaucer. Go to. . .http://www.unc.edu/depts/chaucer/index.html
The Canterbury Tales: Snapshot of an Age
It frames a story of characters on a religious pilgrimage to Canterbury.The characters are a concise portrait of an entire nation.The pilgrimage is a quest narrative that moves from images of spring and awakening to penance, death, and eternal life.The characters tell stories that reflect “everyman” in the universal pilgrimage of life.
The Travelers to Canterbury
Working Class
Plowman Reeve HostCook Miller
Haberdasher Dyer Carpenter Weaver Carpetmaker
The Travelers to Canterbury
Professional Class
Military Religious Secular
Knight, Squire, Yeoman
Nun, 3 Priests, Friar, Parson,
Pardoner, SummonerCleric, Serjeant at Law, Merchant,
Skipper, Doctor
The Travelers to Canterbury
Upper Class
Wife of Bath Franklin
Chaucer’s Contemporaries
Chaucer’s Snapshot of the Middle Ages Population
Sir Gawain and the Green KnightHave the rules of love changed?
The Art of Courtly Love ( twelfth century document) listed several rules of love:
No one can be bound by double love.
The easy attainment of love makes it of little value. Difficulty of attainment makes it prized
A new love puts flight to an old one.
If love diminishes, it quickly fails and rarely revives
The Green KnightHe challenges King Arthur’s knights to a New Year’s game.The Green Knight wants to exchange “one blow for another.”The stranger will stand for the first blow if the other knight will agree to have his turn in a year and a day.
Sir Gawain Sir Gawain accepts the Green Knight’s challenge.He honors his word and searches for the knight’s Green Chapel.Gawain finds a lord and his lady on his quest who offer him shelter on Christmas day.The lord has the lady tempt Sir Gawain three times on the rules of courtly love.Gawain resists--all but one advance.The Green Knight reveals himself to be the lord and spares Gawain for his honesty.
Works Cited Home
Brown, Ian. “The Green Knight.” 2002. May 16, 2003 <http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/gawmenu.htm>.
“Geoffrey Chaucer.” Elements of Literature Sixth Course. Ed. Robert R. Hoyt. Austin, 1977. T99.Pyle, Howard. “Sir Gawain the Son of Lot, King of Orkney.” 1903. May 16, 2003 <http://wwwlib.rochester.edu/camelot/gawmenu.htm>.
“The Canterbury Tales: A Snapshot of an Age.” Elements of Literature Sixth Course. Ed. Robert R. Hoyt. Austin, 1977. T101-T104.