Geoffrey Chaucer andThe Canterbury Tales

I. Geoffrey Chaucer:Background Information

A. 1343?-1400B. Son of a vinter (wine merchant)C. Family name is derived from the French

chausseur, meaning shoemakerD. “Father of English poetry”E. Occupations

A. Comptroller of customs for LondonB. Member of ParliamentC. Writer/scholar

II. The Canterbury Tales

A. Basic Plot: a story-telling contest by a group of pilgrims as they travel together on a journey to Canterbury Cathedral

B. Written in Middle EnglishC. Unfinished at Chaucer’s death

“Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales”

III. The Pilgrimage and Tales

A. A pilgrimage is a journey of moral significance

B. Chaucer’s pilgrims travel to honor martyr Saint Thomas Becket (reasons: hope of heavenly reward, penance, etc.)

C. Tales from each pilgrim “pass the time” on the journey

“The Fear of Divine Judgment”

IV. Story Elements

A. Frame story – a narrative providing the framework for connecting a series of otherwise unrelated stories

B. Archetypes – model of a person; a symbol universally recognized by all

Archetypes

V. Thematic ElementsA. Pilgrimage used as a

metaphor for lifeB. Wheel of Fortune – fate;

the wheel belongs to the goddess Fortune, who spins it at random, changing the positions of those on the wheel

Assignment

• Pick three typical archetypes from Woodland Hills High School.

• 3 paragraphs, one per archetype.

• Use descriptive vocabulary to describe the archetype.