Collection 2
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MORE DECKS TO EXPLORE
PRESENTATION OUTLINE
But First a Little History Lesson
Photo by Collin Key
How have the traditional roles for men and women changed throughout the centuries and in recent decades?
Photo by Leeds Museums and Galleries
Geoffrey Chaucer
Photo by CircaSassy
Geoffrey Chaucer (1342?–1400) held political positions for most of his adult life. In addition to The Canterbury Tales, he wrote the tragic verse romance Troilus and Criseyde. Upon his death, as a mark of respect, he was buried in Westminster Abbey, an honor rarely given to a commoner.
Photo by Jules & Jenny
In 14th-century England, literacy was becoming
more widespread and books more easily available. During this period, a number of narrative works were written in Middle English, which was starting to replace French and Latin as the main literary language. They included romances based on the King Arthur legends, short narrative poems known as ballads, and moral tales. The most important one, written in the late 1300s by Geoffrey Chaucer, was a long narrative work called The Canterbury Tales.
Photo by jacsonquerubin
Written mostly in verse, The Canterbury Tales depicts a group of pilgrims traveling to the shrine of St. Thomas à Becket in Canterbury, England. At the beginning of their journey, the host of a tavern where they stop to rest proposes a story-telling contest, with the winner to receive a free dinner at the tavern.
Photo by Randy Son Of Robert
The Canterbury Tales is distinguished by its realism, earthy humor, and shrewd insights into human nature. Chaucer’s pilgrims represent a cross-section of medieval society, which allowed him to satirize institutions and practices of his time. The tales are preceded by prologues in which the characters often exchange comments and argue with one another. The selection you will read contains one of Chaucer’s best-known tales and an excerpt from its prologue.
Photo by earlynovelsdatabase
Geoffrey Chaucer's
The Wife of Bath’s Tale from The Canterbury Tales
Photo by kevinq2000
AS YOU READ, Pay attention to details that reveal the
personality of the Wife of Bath. Additionally, how do men understand women in this tale and how do the women understand he men?
Photo by sofi01
AS WE READ, Pay attention the structure, irony, and satire in the text.
Photo by Shakespearesmonkey
Now lets watch an animated rendition of the tale...
Photo by Juliana Coutinho
