Literature 5V: Middle English

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 5

Old and Middle English

Beowulf

&

Geoffrey Chaucer

Shakespeare

1564-1616

In which language did the English speak in Shakespeare's time?

1. Late Modern English
2. Middle English
3. Early Modern English
4. Old English

Geoffrey Chaucer

around 1340-1400

In which language did the English speak in Chaucer's time?

1. Late Modern English
2. Middle English
3. Early Modern English
4. Old English

shoures

droghte

licour

vertu

engendred

flour

showers

drought

liquid

power

flower

created

today's goals:

After today's class you have learned about Geoffrey Chaucer and his Canterbury Tales

The Canterbury Tales

Written by Geoffrey Chaucer, ‘the Father of English poetry’, the first great writer in English

A lot known about his “working/social” life (not his personal life), well-documented

Written in Middle English >accessible for everyone (French and Latin were prestigious languages)

A collection of stories within a main story

Structure

Frame narrative: stories within a bigger story

General prologue: introduction of how the stories came to be told

Prologues (of the individual stories): links between tales; running commentary; interaction between pilgrims

The Road

The Pilgrims’ Journey Distance: about 56 miles Travel (about 90 kilometres)

 Time: at least 4 days 

Beginning: The Tabard Inn

Destination: Canterbury Cathedral

The Road

• The Pilgrims’ Journey Distance: about 56 miles (about 90 kilometres)
• Travel Time: at least 4 days 
• Beginning: The Tabard Inn
• Destination: Canterbury Cathedral

Social Commentary

• The pilgrims in The Canterbury Tales come from different levels of society.
  
• The diverse group is brought together by a common goal: the pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral.
  
• Chaucer’s characters are very well-defined and well- developed, each with his/her own flaws and virtues.
  
• Several of the pilgrims represent different types of people from the Church, an important institution in medieval society.
  
• Chaucer’s detailed look at medieval life provides social commentary, or insight into his society, its values, and its customs.
  

According to Chaucer

he meets a group of [29] pilgrims at The Tabard Inn in London.

he promises to join them on their pilgrimage to Canterbury.

the Host (owner of the inn) decides to have a story-telling competition.

Each pilgrim should tell two stories on the way to Canterbury and two on the way back.

The work is unfinished (only 24). There are tales missing and we don’t know if the pilgrims reached Canterbury :(

Reader: Questions

Please read pages 1-4 of your reader and make the comprehension check on page 4.