canterbury tales
THE CANTERBURY TALES
STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS
Prologue
1. In lines 1-18 (which are all one sentence), identify the time and the author’s main point. April; the main point is that according to the poet, people long to go on a pilgrimage in the Spring.
2. Why does the urge to go on pilgrimage hit people in the spring? Winter is over; it’s time for renewal.
3. Who is at the inn? Who arrives at the inn? What is the central idea? (Look in ll. 19-28). The narrator is at the inn; twenty-nine pilgrims arrive; the central idea is that the 29 pilgrims arrive at the Tabard Inn where the narrator-poet is staying.
4. In lines 19-28, identify the rhymes that preserved, even though pronunciation may differ today. day/lay; hostelry/company; fall/all
5. What is the first traveler? What qualities does the Knight possess that are different from those you might expect in a veteran soldier who has been fighting for forty years? The Knight arrives first; He is modest, considerate, and well-mannered. He is the idea of chivalry.
6. When Chaucer states qualities of the Knight, what method of characterization is he using? (ll. 70-74) He uses direct characterization
7. In ll. 76-78, what method of characterization is being used? Indirect characterization is used because clues reveal the Knight’s character
8. What does the Knight’s soiled clothing reveal about him? It reveals that the fustian is coarse and worn and suggests a plain, honest, modest man who cares more about thanking God for his blessings than he does about making an impression on others. He might not have much money.
9. In ll. 80-95, what clues do you get for the meaning of the word squire? Compare a squire to the Knight. A squire is a knight’s attendant; the Squire is younger; his clothing is flashier; his hair is well-coiffed; both he and his horse seem more active, less sedate. The Squire might be less knowledgeable or wise
10. Who accompanied the Knight and Squire? a Yeoman
11. Nuns were not supposed to keep
STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS
Prologue
1. In lines 1-18 (which are all one sentence), identify the time and the author’s main point. April; the main point is that according to the poet, people long to go on a pilgrimage in the Spring.
2. Why does the urge to go on pilgrimage hit people in the spring? Winter is over; it’s time for renewal.
3. Who is at the inn? Who arrives at the inn? What is the central idea? (Look in ll. 19-28). The narrator is at the inn; twenty-nine pilgrims arrive; the central idea is that the 29 pilgrims arrive at the Tabard Inn where the narrator-poet is staying.
4. In lines 19-28, identify the rhymes that preserved, even though pronunciation may differ today. day/lay; hostelry/company; fall/all
5. What is the first traveler? What qualities does the Knight possess that are different from those you might expect in a veteran soldier who has been fighting for forty years? The Knight arrives first; He is modest, considerate, and well-mannered. He is the idea of chivalry.
6. When Chaucer states qualities of the Knight, what method of characterization is he using? (ll. 70-74) He uses direct characterization
7. In ll. 76-78, what method of characterization is being used? Indirect characterization is used because clues reveal the Knight’s character
8. What does the Knight’s soiled clothing reveal about him? It reveals that the fustian is coarse and worn and suggests a plain, honest, modest man who cares more about thanking God for his blessings than he does about making an impression on others. He might not have much money.
9. In ll. 80-95, what clues do you get for the meaning of the word squire? Compare a squire to the Knight. A squire is a knight’s attendant; the Squire is younger; his clothing is flashier; his hair is well-coiffed; both he and his horse seem more active, less sedate. The Squire might be less knowledgeable or wise
10. Who accompanied the Knight and Squire? a Yeoman
11. Nuns were not supposed to keep