An introduction to G. Chaucer's Canterbury Tales

2. NARRATIVE POEM IT TELLS A STORY WRITTEN IN VERSE FRAME: GENERAL PROLOGUE

3. Can you think of at least three reasons why people go on pilgrimages? Are there any places in your region where people go on pilgrimage? What do you know about such places? Let’s analyse the title Canterbury pilgrimage to Canterbury

4. Tales the pilgrims tell stories during the journey Can you think of a good reason for that? Do you know any Italian writer who wrote something similar?

5. Symbolical meaning of the journey from London to Canterbury London terrestrial, material city Canterbury heavenly, spiritual city

6. Why Canterbury? And specially, from every shire’s end Of England, down to Canterbury they wend To seek the holy blissful martyr, quick To give his help to them when they were sick region St. Thomas Becket* * Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, was murdered by four knights in Canterbury Cathedral in 1170 went To visit

7. The pilgrims: who were they? Three social classes Feudal system Knight, squire, yeoman, franklin, miller, reeve, plowman… Clergy: Nun, monk, aria, prioress, parson, summoner, pardoner… Middle-class: Merchant, sergeant-at the-law, cook, skipper, doctor, wife of Bath… No too rich people, no too poor people. That adds to realism. Can you explain why?

8. THE WIFE OF BATH Read about the Wife of Bath, look for information about the situation of women in the Middle Ages and then write a short essay about it. Consider what attitude toward women and marriage Chaucer conveys through the character of the Wife of Bath and how this view compares to the attitudes toward women and marriage that prevailed in medieval society