The Canterbury Tales
Welcome! This site is dedicated to a brief study and inquiry of The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. For those of you just visiting the site, this is designed for my secondary English language arts classroom. I teach a British literature course to high school seniors. This is one of my favorite units to cover, because it gives me the ability to allow students to postulate their own beliefs and perspectives in regards to the content in Chaucer's work. Due to time constraints in a school year, I can never cover the entire Canterbury Tales. However, I select five tales to delve into each school year. Students utilize this website to explore various tales, acquire background information, consider critical questions, and locate information regarding out-of-class assignments. In essence, this website is a Chaucer anthology for my students to reference.
As a class, we read the "General Prologue." Then, we spend the next few weeks reading excerpts from "The Knight's Tale," "The Wife of Bath's Tale," "The Pardoner's Tale," "The Physician's Tale," and "The Nun's Priest's Tale." For each tale that we read in class, students are provided with a refresher on the description given in the "General Prologue." In addition, students are offered a link to the Middle English version and translated version of the text as well as background knowledge pertaining to the tale. For each tale that we read, students are expected to answer critical thinking questions. Guiding students in comprehending these texts is pivotal. As Chaucerian scholars, we understand the complexity involved in comprehending and making sense of Chaucer's implicit messages. Therefore, students in this age group often require additional scaffolding to enhance textual comprehension. The final component provided for students is an activity or assignment that requires an application of knowledge gained through studying the tale. Multiple forms of assessment are utilized to differentiate the learning process. While in-class discussions and studies prove beneficial to student knowledge acquisition, multimodal approaches can enhance student learning. Therefore, I created this site to provide a multimodal resource to students.
Above all, this site was created with the mission to introduce students to the aesthetics of recognition and exploration through studying The Canterbury Tales. Through reading these tales, analyzing point-of-view, studying different writing styles, and critically questioning the meaning behind the tales, it is my hope that students begin to think divergently and postulate their own perspectives. I want my students to develop a critical eye and embrace a curiosity that instills a passion for learning. I believe we have a lot to learn through studying Chaucer.
As a class, we read the "General Prologue." Then, we spend the next few weeks reading excerpts from "The Knight's Tale," "The Wife of Bath's Tale," "The Pardoner's Tale," "The Physician's Tale," and "The Nun's Priest's Tale." For each tale that we read in class, students are provided with a refresher on the description given in the "General Prologue." In addition, students are offered a link to the Middle English version and translated version of the text as well as background knowledge pertaining to the tale. For each tale that we read, students are expected to answer critical thinking questions. Guiding students in comprehending these texts is pivotal. As Chaucerian scholars, we understand the complexity involved in comprehending and making sense of Chaucer's implicit messages. Therefore, students in this age group often require additional scaffolding to enhance textual comprehension. The final component provided for students is an activity or assignment that requires an application of knowledge gained through studying the tale. Multiple forms of assessment are utilized to differentiate the learning process. While in-class discussions and studies prove beneficial to student knowledge acquisition, multimodal approaches can enhance student learning. Therefore, I created this site to provide a multimodal resource to students.
Above all, this site was created with the mission to introduce students to the aesthetics of recognition and exploration through studying The Canterbury Tales. Through reading these tales, analyzing point-of-view, studying different writing styles, and critically questioning the meaning behind the tales, it is my hope that students begin to think divergently and postulate their own perspectives. I want my students to develop a critical eye and embrace a curiosity that instills a passion for learning. I believe we have a lot to learn through studying Chaucer.
Story Backdrop
The Canterbury Tales revolves around a group of pilgrims from three different estates (social classes) who all come together on pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral to pay respect to the holy blissful martyr, Saint Thomas a Beckett. On this pilgrimage, the group takes a host (Harry Bailey) with them from the Tabard Inn. The group decides to partake in a story-telling competition. The setup is like telling stories around a bonfire… but instead, they tell stories on horseback as they travel. Harry Bailey (of the third estate) becomes the judge. He decides that he will pick the best tale. Whoever wins will get a dinner in his or her honor upon return. If anyone objects to the ruling, he or she will have to cover the expenses for the entire trip. As the story progresses, a group mindset begins to take shape. Each tale seeks to make a point, embed a moral, or critique an issue. Each tale offers a different style and a different moral. Due to the religious undertones and the prevalence of Catholicism in England during the 14th century, many of the tales build from the Catholic doctrine and other prevalent customs and philosophies of the time. Order, power, authority, class differences, epistemological views on knowledge, etc. are all entertained in the tales I selected for analysis. This is an unfinished compilation of work. Chaucer died before he was able to finish The Canterbury Tales in their entirety. Each of the pilgrims were to tell two tales each- one on the way to Canterbury and one on the way back. We never learn who wins the story-telling competition. We are never given an ending to the story. For those of you who do not like endings that leave you hanging, I implore you to find unfinished stories as an opportunity for you to formulate your own ending. Sometimes the most important parts of a story or journey happen during the process itself.
"Murder in the Cathedral" by T.S. Eliot
T.S. Elliot wrote this in memory of the murder of Thomas a Beckett, Archbishop of the Canterbury Cathedral. Thomas a Beckett was murdered in 1170.
The General Prologue Snapshot
1 Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote
When April with its sweet-smelling showers
2 The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,
Has pierced the drought of March to the root,
3 And bathed every veyne in swich licour
And bathed every vein (of the plants) in such liquid
4 Of which vertu engendred is the flour;
By which power the flower is created;
5 Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth
When the West Wind also with its sweet breath,
6 Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
In every wood and field has breathed life into
7 The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
The tender new leaves, and the young sun
8 Hath in the Ram his half cours yronne,
Has run half its course in Aries,
9 And smale foweles maken melodye,
And small fowls make melody,
10 That slepen al the nyght with open ye
Those that sleep all the night with open eyes
11 (So priketh hem Nature in hir corages),
(So Nature incites them in their hearts),
12 Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,
Then folk long to go on pilgrimages,
13 And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,
And professional pilgrims to seek foreign shores,
14 To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;
To distant shrines, known in various lands;
15 And specially from every shires ende
And specially from every shire's end
16 Of Engelond to Caunterbury they wende,
Of England to Canterbury they travel,
17 The hooly blisful martir for to seke,
To seek the holy blessed martyr,
18 That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke.
Who helped them when they were sick.
19 Bifil that in that seson on a day,
It happened that in that season on one day,
20 In Southwerk at the Tabard as I lay
In Southwark at the Tabard Inn as I lay
21 Redy to wenden on my pilgrymage
Ready to go on my pilgrimage
22 To Caunterbury with ful devout corage,
To Canterbury with a very devout spirit,
23 At nyght was come into that hostelrye
At night had come into that hostelry
24 Wel nyne and twenty in a compaignye
Well nine and twenty in a company
25 Of sondry folk, by aventure yfalle
Of various sorts of people, by chance fallen
26 In felaweshipe, and pilgrimes were they alle,
In fellowship, and they were all pilgrims,
27 That toward Caunterbury wolden ryde.
Who intended to ride toward Canterbury.
28 The chambres and the stables weren wyde,
The bedrooms and the stables were spacious,
29 And wel we weren esed atte beste.
And we were well accommodated in the best way.
30 And shortly, whan the sonne was to reste,
And in brief, when the sun was (gone) to rest,
31 So hadde I spoken with hem everichon
I had so spoken with everyone of them
32 That I was of hir felaweshipe anon,
That I was of their fellowship straightway,
33 And made forward erly for to ryse,
And made agreement to rise early,
34 To take oure wey ther as I yow devyse.
To take our way where I (will) tell you.
35 But nathelees, whil I have tyme and space,
But nonetheless, while I have time and opportunity,
36 Er that I ferther in this tale pace,
Before I proceed further in this tale,
37 Me thynketh it acordaunt to resoun
It seems to me in accord with reason
38 To telle yow al the condicioun
To tell you all the circumstances
39 Of ech of hem, so as it semed me,
Of each of them, as it seemed to me,
40 And whiche they weren, and of what degree,
And who they were, and of what social rank,
41 And eek in what array that they were inne;
And also what clothing that they were in;
42 And at a knyght than wol I first bigynne.
And at a knight then will I first begin.
When April with its sweet-smelling showers
2 The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,
Has pierced the drought of March to the root,
3 And bathed every veyne in swich licour
And bathed every vein (of the plants) in such liquid
4 Of which vertu engendred is the flour;
By which power the flower is created;
5 Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth
When the West Wind also with its sweet breath,
6 Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
In every wood and field has breathed life into
7 The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
The tender new leaves, and the young sun
8 Hath in the Ram his half cours yronne,
Has run half its course in Aries,
9 And smale foweles maken melodye,
And small fowls make melody,
10 That slepen al the nyght with open ye
Those that sleep all the night with open eyes
11 (So priketh hem Nature in hir corages),
(So Nature incites them in their hearts),
12 Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,
Then folk long to go on pilgrimages,
13 And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,
And professional pilgrims to seek foreign shores,
14 To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;
To distant shrines, known in various lands;
15 And specially from every shires ende
And specially from every shire's end
16 Of Engelond to Caunterbury they wende,
Of England to Canterbury they travel,
17 The hooly blisful martir for to seke,
To seek the holy blessed martyr,
18 That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke.
Who helped them when they were sick.
19 Bifil that in that seson on a day,
It happened that in that season on one day,
20 In Southwerk at the Tabard as I lay
In Southwark at the Tabard Inn as I lay
21 Redy to wenden on my pilgrymage
Ready to go on my pilgrimage
22 To Caunterbury with ful devout corage,
To Canterbury with a very devout spirit,
23 At nyght was come into that hostelrye
At night had come into that hostelry
24 Wel nyne and twenty in a compaignye
Well nine and twenty in a company
25 Of sondry folk, by aventure yfalle
Of various sorts of people, by chance fallen
26 In felaweshipe, and pilgrimes were they alle,
In fellowship, and they were all pilgrims,
27 That toward Caunterbury wolden ryde.
Who intended to ride toward Canterbury.
28 The chambres and the stables weren wyde,
The bedrooms and the stables were spacious,
29 And wel we weren esed atte beste.
And we were well accommodated in the best way.
30 And shortly, whan the sonne was to reste,
And in brief, when the sun was (gone) to rest,
31 So hadde I spoken with hem everichon
I had so spoken with everyone of them
32 That I was of hir felaweshipe anon,
That I was of their fellowship straightway,
33 And made forward erly for to ryse,
And made agreement to rise early,
34 To take oure wey ther as I yow devyse.
To take our way where I (will) tell you.
35 But nathelees, whil I have tyme and space,
But nonetheless, while I have time and opportunity,
36 Er that I ferther in this tale pace,
Before I proceed further in this tale,
37 Me thynketh it acordaunt to resoun
It seems to me in accord with reason
38 To telle yow al the condicioun
To tell you all the circumstances
39 Of ech of hem, so as it semed me,
Of each of them, as it seemed to me,
40 And whiche they weren, and of what degree,
And who they were, and of what social rank,
41 And eek in what array that they were inne;
And also what clothing that they were in;
42 And at a knyght than wol I first bigynne.
And at a knight then will I first begin.