Canterbury Tales Online Discussion Questions

Transcription

1 Prologue 1.Choose one character from the prologue and use the description of that character to predict what type of story you think they might tell. Given the descriptions of the various characters in the prologue, what type of story (genre, style, sophistication, subject, theme[s], etc.) would you expect them to tell? Use details from discussion to support your prediction. Multiple Choice: List characters 2. Take a closer look at the contradiction of one character. Chaucer created characters that possess qualities, characteristics, physical attributes, etc. that seem to contradict their profession, social status/position on the social hierarchy, gender, etc (i.e. the Cook has a festering wound on his leg). Choose one character described in the prologue and analyze the seeming contradiction in his/her character. Analyze the purpose of this. Vote and Suggest 3. Is there character described in the prologue who does not possess a character flaw or contradiction in character? Yes/No Knight s Tale 1. Have you ever been on a journey to a destination that held religious, spiritual or cultural significance for you and/or your family? What was the significance of the destination? What was this experience like? How do you pass the time during your travels? Who did you travel with? 2. What is the significance of the three temples erected outside of the stadium where the tournament between Arcite and Palamon is to be held? Why do you think these three gods were chosen to have temples built in their honor? What do you learn about each character based on his/her decision to visit a particular god's temple? Who do you think will be victorious in the tournament: Arcite or Palamon? Does the god they align themselves with determine their fate? Vote and Suggest

2 3. What aspects (characters, events, themes, etc.) in the Knight s Tale Part I reflect the Knight s character, attributes, qualities, etc? Use the information in the prologue as well as details from the story to support your answer! 4. Is there anything you would sacrifice your own life to accomplish or gain as Arcite and Palamon are willing to do to win Emelye s hand? 5. Do you think Emelye is trapped in the traditional role of a woman during this time period? Why or why not? Provide examples from the text to support you answer. 6. Did you enjoy the ending of the Knight s Tale? Were you happy with the ending? Why or why not? Is it what you expected? Explain. 7. At the end of his story the Knight poses the question to the listeners, rhetorically: who is worse off, Arcite or Palamon? What do you think? Which man is experiencing worse torture in your opinion...arcite or Palamon? Explain your response. 2 Option Multiple Choice Question 8. How likely do you think it is that you will select the Knight s Tale as your favorite given your reaction to the story? a) Very likely! I enjoyed it. b) Somewhat likely. c) Unlikely; not my cup of tea. d) Definitely not! Multiple Choice Question Nun s Priest s Tale 1. As is the case with most Medieval Fables, this fable contains a subtext that is subversive of the feudal system. How? How is this fable commenting on the feudal order/social hierarchy? What do you think this subtext or deeper meaning is? What is the metaphorical significance of each main character

3 (Chanticleer, Lady Pertelote, and the Fox)? Use details from the fable to support your assertions. 2.What can you infer about the traditional role of a man in the Medieval Time Period based on your reading of the Nun s Priest s Tale? Use details from the fable of Chanticleer and the Fox to support your ideas. How is this role limiting or liberating? Do you think our gender roles and/or expectations of men have changed dramatically from the Medieval Period? Explain. 3. Do you think the Nun s Priest s Tale is the opposite of a tragedy? After the Monk has told his tale, the Knight pleads that no more tragedies be told. He asks that someone tell a tale that is the opposite of tragedy, one that narrates the extreme good fortune of someone previously brought low. Do you think the "Nun's Priest's Tale" accomplishes this? Explain. 4.Do you think that the Nun s Priest s Tale was more enjoyable than the Knight s Tale? Why or why not? Summoner s Tale 1. Given your knowledge of the Summoner s Tale, why do you think friars during the middle ages were the great object of criticism? Friars are described as "Roaming priests with no ties to a monastery, friars were a great object of criticism in Chaucer s time. Always ready to befriend young women or rich men who might need his services, the friar actively administers the sacraments in his town, especially those of marriage and confession." Wife of Bath s Tale 1. Is the Wife of Bath s tale reflective of her personality, beliefs, values, etc.? Use details from the text to support your answer. Did anything about her tale surprise you or seem to contradict her character as revealed in her prologue? Did you enjoy her tale? Why or why not?

4 2. Do you agree or disagree with the Wife of Bath s assessment of what women want as reflected in her tale? What do you think women really want most in life? Do you agree that women want equality or superiority in relationships most of all? Clerk s Tale 1. In what way[s] is the Clerk s Tale told in response to the Wife of Bath s Tale? How are their views on the role of women in relationships, family, marriage and/or society different? 2. Does it surprise you that an educated scholar like the Clerk would tell this story? In your opinion, do the characters, sequence of events, theme[s], etc. reflect his vast academic knowledge? What type of story would you have expected him to tell given the description of the Clerk in the prologue? Franklin s Tale 1. How is the three way love affair plot structure from the The Knight s Tale echoed in the Franklin s Tale? Which story did you find most engaging? Explain. Support your ideas with textual evidence. 2. Is The Franklin s Tale a compromise between the views on love/marriage expressed by both the Wife of Bath and the Clerk? How is marriage described in The Franklin s Tale? Support your statements with evidence from the tale. Which character s definition of love or view of marriage do you identify with most?

5 Culminating Question Which story from The Canterbury Tales was your favorite? Why? a) Knight s Tale b) Nun s Priest s Tale c) Pardoner s Tale d) Summoner s Tale e) Wife of Bath s Tale f) Clerk s Tale g) Franklin s Tale Multiple Choice Question