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Canterbury Tales
The General Prologue
The Middle Ages
► Named
by scholars for the time in between
the Ancient period and the Renaissance
► Also
called the Medieval
period
► Bubonic
plague (Black
Death) – 1/3 of Europe
was wiped out; carried by rats/fleas; 13471350
Medieval Society
► Feudalism
was the organizing social system.
 All land was owned by the King.
► The





Five Estates:
King
Clergy and Church Employees
The Barons
The Knights
Merchant and Peasants
► Most
literature of the Ancient World focused on
the 1st Estate exclusively
Medieval Religion
► Heaven
► Purgatory
► Hell
► Mortal
vs. Venial Sins
► Indulgences
Corruption in the Church
► Papal
real)
► Fake
indulgences on the rise (some fake, some
relics
► Clergy
not living up
to their vows
► German
Priest, Martin
Luther and his 95
theses protest
► Protestant
Reformation
Canterbury Tales
► Written
around 1387-1400
► Written
by Geoffrey Chaucer







Soldier
Courtier
Royal emissary to Europe
Controller of customs
Justice of the peace
Member of Parliament
Writer
The General Prologue
► Setting:
► Goal:
► Plot:
story
April at the Tabard Inn
Pilgrimage to Canterbury
Contest to see who can tell the best
► Characters:
29 Pilgrims
Prologue
► Chaucer
has the idea to bring together 29
various people in a pilgrimage by chance
 Represent a wide range of 14th century English
society
►Makes
►Perfect
comprehensive study of humans
way to present his irony
Satire
► The
use of irony, sarcasm, or mockery, to
expose, criticize, or ridicule vice, folly, etc.
► Satire
is used to show foolishness or vice in
humans, organizations, or even
governments
► Satire
is often used to effect political or
social change or to prevent it.
Three Social Groups
► Represent
a wide range of 14th
century English society
 3 Groups Represented:
► Agricultural
feudalism
 Nobility
► Knight’s yeoman
► Franklin
► Merchants
and Tradesmen
 Change in feudal structure
► Doctor
► Guildsmen
► The
Church
 One of the most powerful elements
in medieval society
► 9 of pilgrims belong to clergy
Plot
► Each
pilgrim
 tells two stories on the way to Canterbury
 two stories on the way back
►Plan
Inn
► Teller
proposed by Harry Bailey, host of the Tabard
of best tale is rewarded at the end
 A dinner provided by his fellow pilgrims at the
Tabard
►Harry
Bailey is judge
Plot
► Group
is on its way to the
holy shrine of St. Thomas A
Becket
 Archbishop of Canterbury
► Opposed
Henry II over the
balance between royal and
religious power
► Was
murdered in the cathedral
 Considered a martyr and later
made a saint
 His blood was held to contain
great curative qualities, restoring
health to the sick
Prologue
► Chaucer’s
►Only
► Tales
project was never finished
24 tales exist
were probably composed at various
times throughout Chaucer’s life