Historical English Literature: The Canterbury Tales

HEL Session 2
  

Middle English 
period 1100-1500 
Chaucer's The Wife of Bath
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HEL Session 2
  

Middle English 
period 1100-1500 
Chaucer's The Wife of Bath

Slide 1 - Diapositive

Recap
What do you remember about last week's text
Beowulf?

Slide 2 - Diapositive

Which parts of Anglo-Saxon warrior society do we see reflected in Beowulf?
Which parts of Anglo-Saxon warrior society do we see reflected in Beowulf?

Slide 3 - Diapositive

When does the story of Beowulf take place?
A
ca 750 AD
B
100 BC
C
1250 AD
D
pre-history

Slide 4 - Quiz

Who does Beowulf not fight?
A
Grendal
B
Grendal's Mother
C
The king of the Danes
D
A dragon

Slide 5 - Quiz

From whom is Grendel descended?
A
Satan
B
Shield Sheafson
C
Cain
D
Beowulf

Slide 6 - Quiz

After Beowulf defeats Grendel’s mother, how long does he rule over the Geats?
A
10 years
B
20 years
C
8 years
D
50 years

Slide 7 - Quiz

Who comes to Beowulf’s aid in the dragon fight and then becomes the future Geat king?
A
Aeschere
B
Heardred
C
Hygelac
D
Wiglaf

Slide 8 - Quiz

Beowulf contains both pagan and Christian elements, can you name a few?

Slide 9 - Diapositive

Do you have any questions about Beowulf? Anything that is still unclear?

Slide 10 - Diapositive

Middle English Period
  • Late Middle Ages 1066 - 1500 
  • 1066: William the Conqueror - Norman Conquest  
  • Changes in language and culture: 
  • Political: feudalism 
  • Cultural: from saxon (germanic) to norman (french) 
  • Language: French dominant until late 14thC 

Slide 11 - Diapositive

Peck and Coyle 
You've read Peck & Coyle, Chapter 2, pp. 14-33 about Middle English Literature.
What stood out? Which words come to mind?
Fill out the mind map on the next slide. 

Slide 12 - Diapositive

Middle English Literature

Slide 13 - Carte mentale

Middle English literature
  • During 13th & 14th centuries English was gaining ground as a language
  • Also led to the development of distinct English literature (nationalism);
  • Allegory  = extended metaphor; has underlying political, religious or political significance. Characters are often personifications of vices and virtues 
  • e.g. Piers Plowman (1360 – 1387), William Langland 

  • Fabliau = short, funny, often bawdy tale in low style. Often about cuckolded husbands and foolish peasants 

Slide 14 - Diapositive

Middle English Period
Major classic texts:

  • Romance > Arthurian Legends (from 12thC to Mallory’s Morte D’Arthur: 1470)
  • Sir Gawain and the Greene Knight (knight is challenged to meet courtly ideals)
  • Popular Ballads (sir Patrick Spense; Robyn Hode)
  • Moral(ity) plays: Everyman
  • William Langland: Piers Plowman
  • Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales (14thC) 

Slide 15 - Diapositive

Geoffrey Chaucer 
(1340-1400)
Key author 
known primarily for The Canterbury Tales (1387-1399)

framework narrative about a group of pilgrims who travel to Canterbury

Slide 16 - Diapositive

The Canterbury Tales
  • written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer between 1387 and 1400
  • a collection of 24 stories
  • tales are part of a story-telling contest by a group of pilgrims as they travel together from London to Canterbury

Slide 17 - Diapositive

Why were these pilgrims travelling to Canterbury? What were they going to visit?

Slide 18 - Diapositive

Canterbury
Cathedral

Became popular pilgrimage site after the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket in 1170

Slide 19 - Diapositive

The Wife of Bath

You've read The Wife of Bath's Tale and have answered the questions in the syllabus.
In groups, discuss your answers. 

Slide 20 - Diapositive

In The Wife's Tale, what does the Knight do to merit punishment?
A
lies to the king
B
rapes a girl
C
steals from the Queen
D
cheats on his wife

Slide 21 - Quiz

What is the Knight's original sentence by King Arthur?
A
beheading
B
banishment
C
imprisonment
D
he has to apologize

Slide 22 - Quiz

Who decided that the Knight should have a different sentence?
A
His victim
B
The knights
C
The Queen
D
An old hag

Slide 23 - Quiz

What quest is the Knight sent on?
A
He needs to find a wife
B
He needs to slay a dragon
C
He needs to find out what women most desire
D
He needs to find a magic sword

Slide 24 - Quiz

Why does he have trouble in his quest?

A
because every answer he receives is different
B
because he is unable to speak to women
C
because the women all lie to him

Slide 25 - Quiz

In exchange for giving the knight the correct answer & saving his life, what does the hag want?
A
money
B
marriage
C
a child
D
nothing

Slide 26 - Quiz

What does the old woman tell the knight she will be if she remains old and ugly?
A
good and faithful
B
rich
C
very wise

Slide 27 - Quiz

So what do women really want according to this story? 

Slide 28 - Diapositive

How do you interpret the final resolution?

 
Is she giving in to male dominance? Is he giving her the upper hand?

Slide 29 - Diapositive

According to you, is this tale feminist or anti-feminist?

A
Feminist
B
anti-feminist

Slide 30 - Quiz

Do you have any questions about this lesson? Something you would like to discuss?

Slide 31 - Diapositive

Next week
Session 3: Modern English period 1500-1600 - Poetry I: The English Sonnet
Sir Thomas Wyatt. (1557). Whoso list to hunt.
William Shakespeare. (1609). Sonnet XVIII.
William Shakespeare. (1609). Sonnet CXVI.
William Shakespeare. (1609). Sonnet CXXX.
P&C, Chapter 3, pp. 34-52.

Slide 32 - Diapositive

Slide 33 - Diapositive