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?

Slide 3 - Question ouverte

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 - Question ouverte

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

Slide 10 - Question ouverte

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 - Question ouverte

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.
Fill out the mind map on the next page about this tale. 

Slide 20 - Diapositive

The Wife of Bath

Slide 21 - Carte mentale

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 22 - Quiz

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

Slide 23 - 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 24 - 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 25 - 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 26 - 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 27 - 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 28 - Quiz

So what do women really want according to this story?

Slide 29 - Question ouverte

How do you interpret the final resolution?
Is she giving in to male dominance? Is he giving her the upper hand?

Slide 30 - Question ouverte

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

A
Feminist
B
anti-feminist

Slide 31 - Quiz

Explain your previous answer.
Feminist or anti-feminist.

Slide 32 - Question ouverte

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

Slide 33 - Question ouverte

Slide 34 - Diapositive