The Middle Ages and The Canterbury Tales

The Middle Ages The Middle Ages lasted from around the end of the 5 th century (late 400 s) to the 15 th century (1400 s), approximately 1000 years.

The Middle Ages: Estate System 1 st : Clergy (those who prayed) 2 nd : Nobility (those who fought) 3 rd : Peasantry (those who produced)

Estate System: Females? Virgin Wife Widow

Humours (Body Fluids) Blood Yellow Bile Phlegm Black Bile air fire water earth hot & moist hot & dry cold & moist cold & dry sanguine choleric phlegmatic melancholic amorous, happy, generous violent, vengeful dull, pale, cowardly gluttonous, lazy, sentimental

Physigonomy physical characteristic gap-teeth ram-like sow-like fox-like goat-like thin flaring nostrils pus-filled sores high forehead white neck physiognomic interpretation bold, sexual strength dirty sly lechery bad temper, irritable passion lechery, drunkenness intelligence, good breeding loose, immoral

Chivalry and Courtly Love: Chivalry-system of ideals and social codes governing the behavior of knights and gentlewomen Rules of warfare: never attack an unarmed opponent Courtly Love: Adoring a lady (not necessarily one s wife) was seen as a way to achieve selfimprovement Ideal but Unreal

Chivalry and Courtly Love: Courtly Love: in its ideal form, nonsexual Knight might wear his lady s colors in battle, might glorify her in words and be inspired by her, but he couldn t cross the boundary between courtly love and physical love Led to an idealized view of women, but did little to improve their actual position Ideal but Unreal

Chivalry and Courtly Love: Ideal but Unreal Refer to handouts

Religion Catholicism Pope Virgin Mary Indulgences Confessions Monks: obedience, chastity, poverty (self-sufficient) Friars (supported by donations) Nuns women of the Church

St. Thomas a Becket Thomas Becket was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion.

Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales is set in a company of pilgrims on their way to a shrine for St. Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral. A pilgrim is a person who is on a journey for religious reasons.

Bubonic Plague Killed 1/3 of Europe s population Medieval society never recovered Labor shortages: peasants grew unruly and demanded higher wages Caused people to question religious beliefs Apocalyptic view of life (doomsday)

Geoffrey Chaucer ~1343-1400 Father of English poetry Made English (Middle English) acceptable Born into a middleclass family in London Father was a vintner (wine merchant): $ for education

Geoffrey Chaucer Well-known government official-served under 3 kings Sent to Europe as the king s ambassador (spy?) to France and Italy

Geoffrey Chaucer Chaucer the poet Chaucer the pilgrim Buried at Westminster Abbey in Poet s Corner

The Canterbury Tales Chaucer planned to write 120 tales He died in 1400, leaving only 24 tales, some of which were not finished The ones that were became known as The Canterbury Tales Video on Chaucer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxqawt5ipl8

The Canterbury Tales Study Packet

Literary Devices for The Canterbury Tales Couplet Iambic Pentameter Personification Simile Metaphor Frame Story Satire Social Commentary Exemplum Moral Irony

Literary Elements for The Canterbury Tales Write the definitions for the literary elements in the chart in your packet. We will fill in the examples from the text later.

Couplets and Iambic Pentameter The Canterbury Tales is written in couplets in iambic pentameter.

Couplets and Iambic Pentameter Couplet: sets of two lines that rhyme Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote The droghte of March hath perced to the roote When in April the sweet showers fall And pierce the drought of March to the root, and all

Couplets and Iambic Pentameter Iamb: unstressed/stressed syllable pattern: Pentameter: 5 iambs per line Iambic Pentameter: 10 syllable line with the unstressed/stressed pattern

SIMILE A figure of speech involving a comparison between unlike things using like, as, or as though EX."MY LOVE IS LIKE A RED, RED ROSE."

METAPHOR A figure of speech involving a comparison between unlike things without using like, as, or as though EX."MY LOVE IS A RED, RED ROSE."

PERSONIFICATION A figure of speech which gives something non-human or inanimate human qualities EX. THE TREES DANCED IN THE WIND. THE SUN SMILED DOWN ON THE WEARY TRAVELERS.

FRAME STORY A story that serves to bind together several different narratives

SATIRE Writing that ridicules the shortcomings of people or institutions in an attempt to bring about a change often uses exaggeration or humor to invite laughter at someone s expense. Exs. of shortcomings greed, injustice, cruelty, stupidity, deceit, etc. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8m-klv5cpuo

SOCIAL COMMENTARY A spoken or written act of rebellion toward an individual or group; commentary on social issues or society http://prezi.com/y1oywx_fheo8/chaucer-the-canterbury-talessocial-commentary/

MORAL A lesson about life or human nature (fables, parables, and satires often contain morals) http://www.umass.edu/aesop/fables.php

EXEMPLUM An anecdote (a very, very short story) that teaches a moral or a lesson a fable is an exemplum

IRONY The difference between what we expect or what seems suitable or appropriate and what actually happens in a story

Irony

irony

Irony

Irony THERE ARE 3 TYPES OF IRONY: VERBAL IRONY SITUATIONAL IRONY DRAMATIC IRONY

TYPES OF IRONY VERBAL IRONY WHEN SOMEONE SAYS ONE THING BUT MEANS THE OPPOSITE EX. SARCASM, DRY HUMOR

TYPES OF IRONY

TYPES OF IRONY SITUATIONAL IRONY WHEN AN EVENT OCCURS THAT IS THE OPPOSITE OF OR DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE EXPECT TO HAPPEN

TYPES OF IRONY SITUATIONAL IRONY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viglgjefp8w

TYPES OF IRONY DRAMATIC IRONY WHEN WE KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO A CHARACTER BUT THE CHARACTER DOES NOT KNOW

TYPES OF IRONY DRAMATIC IRONY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v= AGikxIaOuNQ

SATIRE WRITING THAT RIDICULES THE SHORTCOMINGS OF PEOPLE OR INSTITUTIONS IN AN ATTEMPT TO BRING ABOUT A CHANGE OFTEN USES EXAGGERATION OR HUMOR TO INVITE LAUGHTER AT SOMEONE S EXPENSE. EXS. OF SHORTCOMINGS GREED, INJUSTICE, CRUELTY, STUPIDITY, DECEIT, ETC.

THE PROLOGUE (pg. 119-120) The Canterbury Tales Rap (General Prologue)--In Middle English http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e-0pak4rti The Canterbury Tales Prologue in Middle English (Listen to CD #2 Track 4)

THE PROLOGUE Read the Prologue (pgs. 122-142) Canterbury Tales Prologue Summary http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qux-gtpwsni

Complete the character chart for The Canterbury Tales.

THE PROLOGUE Complete the Prologue study guide questions and the social commentary chart for the Prologue.

THE PARDONER S TALE (pgs. 146-153) (background info on pg. 145) Irony Exemplum Moral Personification

Read THE PARDONER S PROLOGUE (PG. 146)

THE PARDONER S TALE (Pgs. 147-153) Listen to CD #2 Track 6

THE PARDONER S TALE (pg. 146-153) Complete study guide questions and social commentary chart for The Pardoner s Tale. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lr52gwglumk

THE WIFE OF BATH S TALE (pgs. 156-166) Read the Prologue on pg. 156

THE WIFE OF BATH S TALE (pgs. 156-166) Listen to CD #2 Track 7

THE WIFE OF BATH S TALE (pgs. 156-166) Complete the study guide questions and social commentary chart for The Wife of Bath s Tale. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3cvom7qstk

THE CANTERBURY TALES The Miller s Tale and The Knight s Tale are EXTRA CREDIT!!

THE CANTERBURY TALES Episodes 1, 2, and 3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3zuong_p_0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep6tvt3nq_o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucq6117myqg

THE CANTERBURY TALES REVIEW FOR TEST 1. Literary Terms 2. Power Point Info 3. Character Sheet 4. Social Commentary Sheet 5. Study Guides

THE CANTERBURY TALES TEST ON THE CANTERBURY TALES WILL BE ON YOU WILL TURN IN YOUR PACKETS AFTER THE TEST FOR A GRADE!