The Canterbury Tales

Directions: You are in groups, each person is to answer the questions that follow on binder paper. I will collect one paper from each group.

The Prologue” to The Canterbury Tales

1. What does spring represent and why is it significant that people go on
pilgrimages at this time?
2. What do the pilgrims want St. Thomas a Becket to do for them?
3. What kind of people came to the Tabard Inn to go on the pilgrimage?
4. How were they treated at the Tabard Inn?
5. From whose point of view does the narrator decide he will describe his
pilgrims?
The Knight
1. How do we know that the knight has followed the rules of chivalry?
2. How has he proved his loyalty to his king?
3. How do we know that the other countries thought highly of him?
4. What did all people think of him?
5. What other admirable qualities does he possess?
6. What tells us he is quite wealthy but humble?
7. Why has he joined the pilgrimage?
The Squire
1. What can we infer about the Squire?
2. What was his main reason for his fighting well in the three battles he has
been in?
3. How would you describe his clothing and what can we infer about him when we
know that short gowns were considered indecent and wide sleeves were
ultramodern?
4. What was he good at doing?
5. Why did he have trouble sleeping?
6. Why is it significant that the Squire carved the meat at the table?
The Yeoman
1. What weapons does the Yeoman carry and what can we infer about him from them
2. What was he skilled in doing?
3. What inference can we make because of the color of his skin and why would
green clothes be good for him?
The Prioress
1. What can we infer about the prioress from the fact that she is described
as “coy”?
2. Why is it significant that her only oath was to St. Loy?
3. What can we infer about her from the way she speaks and sings?
4. Why do you think she is so careful about how she eats?
5. What do you think the narrator thinks of the prioress?
6. About whom does the narrator say she was “charitably solicitous,” and what
does this tell about her?
7. How can we infer that she did not live her vow of poverty?
8. Describe her physical attributes in your own words?
9. What is the significance of her clothes and her beads?
The Monk
1. What does the narrator say about the monk?
2. How do we know that he does not live his vow of poverty?
3. Why do you think the narrator mentions chapel bells along with the jingling
of his bridle?
4. How do we know that he scorned rule of St. Benedict and he was lax about
keeping his other vows as well?
5. What does the narrator say he thinks about the way the monk lives and what
is the tone of these lines?
6. What else did the monk own for his sport and what do his clothes tell about
him? Pay attention to his pin.
7. What can you infer about him from the description of his eyes and what do
you think the narrator thinks of him?
The Friar
1. What words does the narrator use to describe the Friar?
2. Why do you think the narrator uses “his” before “ young women”
3. Why do you think he gave each “what he could afford her?
4. To whom did he kiss-up and why and what might we infer from the narrator’s
words: “or so he said”?
5. What penitents, sinners, knew without a doubt that they had been forgiven?
6. How could the hard-of-heart get absolution?
7. Why do you think he gives things to pretty girls?
8. What might we infer from his lily colored neck? Remember that lily was put
with livered as an insult at this time.
9. Where might you find the Friar in the evenings? Where would you expect to
find him?
10. What do you think are the natural gifts to which the narrator refers?
11. How did he treat the poor who needed him?
12. What other means did he use to get more money, and how did he dress while
doing this?
13. How do you think the narrator feels about the friar?
The Merchant
1. How is the Merchant dressed, and what does he like to talk about?
2. Why do you think he wants sea-police?
3. What secret did the miller keep to himself and how was he able to do this?
4. What is the narrator’s opinion of the Merchant?
Oxford Cleric
1. What can we infer from the Oxford Cleric’s description and that of his horse?
2. Why doesn’t he get a job and buy the necessities of life?
3. How did the OC get his money and on what did he spend it?
4. What would the OC do willingly?
Sergeant at the Law
A Sergeant at the Law was one of the select Lawyers who were advisors to the
king.
1. What hint are we given that tells us that Chaucer does not admire this man
as he says he does?
2. How well does he do his job and what do people think of him that is not
true?
3. Why would he be able to make sure all the rules that came from the Doomsday
Book were followed?
The Franklin
1. What was the Franklin’s main purpose in life?
2. How do we know that guests were treated well in his house?
3. What fresh food did he keep close by?
4. On whom would the Franklin let out his anger and why?
5. What other occupations did he have?
The Merchants / Guildsmen
1. What can we infer about the Haberdasher, Dyer etc. from the way they are
dressed?
2. Why do you think their wives wanted them to be alderman?
The Cook
1. What was the cook able to do besides cook well?
2. What do blancmange and an ulcer have in common and why do you think the
narrator mentions this?
The Skipper
1. What kind of horse and clothes did the Skipper have?
2. What skill did he possess?
3. How did he treat his prisoners and what can you tell when the narrator
mentions the “nicer rules of conscience he ignored”?
4. What do you think “and many other risk” means?
The Doctor
1. What was the basis of the doctor’s knowledge of medicine?
2. Why do you think he is friendly with the apothecaries?
3. How else was he prepared to practice medicine?
4. How would you describe his eating habits?
5. How is he dressed and what flaw does he have?
The Wife of Bath
1. What talent does the wife of Bath have?
2. What is the Wife of Bath concerned about when she goes to church? What does
this tell about her?
3. What can we infer about her from the number of husbands and relationships
she has had?
4. How do we know that she is a true pilgrim?
5. What two physical characteristics does Chaucer mention and why?
6. What was her area of expertise?
The Parson
1. What qualities in the Parson does Chaucer mention in lines
2. How does he differ from the Friar in the line of money?
3. What did the Parson do despite distance, weather or other calamity?
4. What do you think “gold” symbolizes as Chaucer uses it in lines
5. How do we know that he took good care of his sheep?
6. What kind of priest was he; how did he deal with sinners?
7. With whom would he be harsh?
8. What does Chaucer think of him?
The Plowman
1. What Gospel maxim does the Plowman keep?
2. How did he handle troubles he might have?
3. What extraordinary thing did this peasant Plowman do with his money?
4. How do you think Chaucer feels about him? (not in text)
The Miller
1. How does the Miller compare, contrast with Beowulf?
2. What details does Chaucer give about his physical appearance, (which one of
them do you dislike the most) and why do you think Chaucer does this?
3. What two nouns does Chaucer use for the Miller , and what kind of stories
did he tell?
4. What could he do well and how did he use this attribute to his advantage?
5. What particular talent did he possess, and what place does he have in the
line-up of pilgrims as they begin their journey?
The Manciple
1. How did the Manciple manage to buy the food for his masters at a reasonable
price?
2. What were his masters able to do for their noble man, and why were they able
to do this?
3. What amazes Chaucer about the Manciple?
The Reeve
1. How does the Reeve’s physique match his personality?
2. Besides taking care of his master’s crops and animals, what did the Reeve do
exceedingly well?
3. How does the Reeve treat those who work under him?
4. What can we infer about the source of the Reeve’s money?
5. Where does he come in the procession and why is the position particularly
suited to him?
The Summoner
1. What four physical characteristics does Chaucer give about the Summoner, and
what can we infer from this? What kind of person is he?
2. What does Chaucer say about the Summoner’s additions to his face, and what
might we infer from this? (Think hard)
3. Why would you not like to sit close to him, (besides the reasons already
given)?
4. What and how does he jabber when he is drunk?
5. Why does Chaucer say it was possible for the Summoner to learn the Latin
phrases so well?
6. How do we know that the Summoner is not too bright?
7. What oxymoron can you find in these lines, and explain why it is an
oxymoron?
8. How do we know that he can be bribed easily?
9. What does the rascal’s purse have to do with his crime?
10. What can still happen to the person he has let go?
11. Why is the Summoner able to get people to do what he wanted?
The Pardoner
1. How are the Summoner’s and the Pardoner’s occupations connected?
2. What physical characteristics does Chaucer give the Pardoner and what
inference does Chaucer make about him?
3. What does the pardoner pretend to have that he uses to help him be
successful in his job?
4. Whom did the pardoner trick with his trinkets, and how did they benefit him?
5. What other methods did he use to convince people to give to him?
6. What do you think Chaucer is really saying in lines
7. Why do you think the Pardoner put so much effort into his singing during the
Offertory?
Chaucer’s Wrap-Up
1. How does Chaucer restate his “thesis statement” and what does he intend to
tell us before they start on their pilgrimage?
2. Why do you think the narrator claims that he is merely recording what the
others say? What can happen to us if we publicly say something slanderous
about another?
3. What does the narrator think the stories may be like that he needs to
protect himself?
4. Whom does he use as support for his candor?
5. What physical and personality details does Chaucer give us about the Host?
6. How does the Host compliment the pilgrims?
7. What does the host say he would like to do in order to make their trip more
interesting, and how does he ensure that he is not offending anybody?
8. How do the pilgrims respond to the Host’s suggestion?
9. What does the host propose they do during their journey?
10. What will make one of the pilgrims eligible for a free dinner at the Tabard
Inn on their return?
11. Why does the Host join them and what else does he propose to do?
12. How do we know that all the pilgrims are happy to go along with the Host’s
plan?
13. What penalty will the person who refuses to tell a tale have to pay?
14. Who is to tell the first tale?