Transcript The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales
by Geoffrey Chaucer
Geoffrey Chaucer
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Geoffrey Chaucer
(1340-1400) wrote
this story in the
late 1300’s but
never finished it.
He wrote in the
native language or
vernacular of the
Medieval period in
Britain called
Middle English.
Format of the poetry
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The Canterbury
Tales are called a
frame story,
meaning that there
are many stories
“framed” in the
larger story of the
pilgrimage to
Canterbury.
The Background
of the Story
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Twenty nine people
that represent all
aspects of Medieval
society go on a
pilgrimage to the
cathedral at
Canterbury in
southeast England.
The story begins in
Southwark at the
Tabard Inn.
The owner of the Inn,
suggest that each
person tells a story to
pass the time; best
story will win a prize.
Pilgrim’s Route
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The cathedral at
Canterbury is the
main cathedral of
the Church of
England.
The shrine devoted
to the martyr Saint
Thomas a Beckett
is located at this
cathedral.
Saint Thomas a Beckett was the
archbishop of Canterbury.
 In 1170 he was martyred by some knights
of the king of England, Henry II, because
they overheard complaining about
Beckett’s loyalty to the church at Rome
over his loyalty to his king.
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Canterbury Cathedral
How the story begins…
Chaucer’s
characters are
going to pay
respects to this
shrine as a part of
a religious
pilgrimage.
 They all meet at
the Tabard tavern
to begin their
journey.
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Some of the characters
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The host of the
tavern or innkeeper is
the man who suggests
that the pilgrims each
tell a story on the way
to entertain the
group.
Chaucer intended for
each to tell two
stories, but he only
got to write one story
apiece.
List of the Pilgrims
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The Host
The Knight
The Squire
The Knight’s
Yeoman
The Prioress
The Second Nun
The Monk
The Friar
The Merchant
The Clerk
The Man of Law
The Franklin
The Weaver
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The Dyer
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The Carpenter
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The TapestryMaker
The Haberdasher
The Cook
The Shipman
The Physician
The Wife of Bath
The Parson
The Miller
The Manciple
The Reeve
The Summoner
The Pardoner
The Canon
The Canon’s
Yeoman
The Pardoner’s Tale
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The Pardoner: An effeminate
and shamelessly immoral
man, the Pardoner is
intensely self-loathing yet
devoted to his task of
defrauding people of their
money by making them
believe that they have
sinned and need to buy
pardons.
His tale is an allegory about
three rioters who find death
through their avarice. The
Pardoner uses this tale as an
attempt to sell false relics to
the travelers.
The Pardoner’s Tale
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The tale is an incomplete sermon. A medieval
sermon should contain six parts:
1.Statement of theme or text;
2.Protheme, introduced directly from the four
gospels;
3.Dilatation, expansion of the Biblical text;
4.Exemplum, a story illustrating the point;
5.Peroration, the application or eloquent
haranguing;
6.Benediction, the closing formula.
This tale contains only parts 1, 4, 5, and 6.