Geoffrey chaucer (0)

When and where was he born? He was born somewhere around 1343 in London.
What occupations did he have during his life? He was trained for knighthood, he also worked as a courtier, a diplomat, and a civil servant,
as well as working for the king , collecting and inventorying scrap metal
How many periods are his works divided into? What are they called? What are the main works of each period? What/who are they inspired by?
His poetry is generally divided into three periods- the French period (“The romance of the rose ”), the Italian period (“Troilus and Criseyde”,
inspired by his own trip to Italy) and the English period (“The Canterbury Tales ”)
What type of a work is The Canterbury Tales? Poetry (two tales are in prose : the Tale of Melibee and the Parson’s Tale)
When did Chaucer die? Where is he buried? He is believed to have died of unknown causes on 25 October, 1400 . Geoffrey Chaucer is buried in
' Poets ' Corner', Westminster Abbey, London.
Why is he called the father of English literature ? One of the main reasons is because he basically wrote the first novel in history, and it was read by
millions of people throughout all ages ; what he wrote back then is still applicable today (in terms of human nature at least). He was
one of the first to attempt what he did, and one of the first to put a name to his work. It must not be forgotten also that his location aided
him a great deal- he lived in London, an area which dominated the economy and therefore his dialect became dominant in following centuries .
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Describe the setting of the prologue. (When and where does the action take place ?) The late fourteenth century , after 1381 , in the T
abard Inn and on the road to Canterbury.
Why do the pilgrims go on the pilgrimage? Whose grave do they visit ? People see a pilgrimage as a cure for sick relatives or friends and
you of all your sins. People go on pilgrimages to seek inspiration and to show that they are willing to devote themselves to god and to prove
that they believe in him and that they love him.
How many pilgrims did the narrator meet at the Tabard Inn in Southwark ? 29
How does the narrator describe his role ? Chaucer's pilgrim narrators represent a wide spectrum of ranks and occupations. The great
variety of tales is matched by the diversity of their tellers; tales are assigned to appropriate narrators and juxtaposed to bring out contrasts in
genre , style, tone and values
The Knight (est . RÜÜTEL) : What kind of a person is he? Which values does he represent? Describe his looks and skills . The knight is dressed in
a common shirt which is stained "where his armour had left a mark". He Knight represents the ideal of a medieval Christian man-at-arms. He
has participated in no less than fifteen of the great crusades of his era. Brave, experienced, and prudent, the narrator greatly admires him.
The Squire (est: PAAŽ) : What kind of a person is he? Which values does he represent? Describe his looks and skills. The Squire is curly-haired,
youthfully handsome, and loves dancing and courting.
The Knight’s Yeoman(est: VABAMEES): What is his status in society? Describe his looks and skills.
The servant who accompanies the Knight and the Squire. The narrator mentions that his dress and weapons suggest he may be a forester.
The Prioress (est: NUNN /PRIORESS): What is her name? Describe her in terms of looks, manners, character . What is said about the way she speaks
French? Who accompanied her?
Described as modest and quiet , this Prioress (a nun who is head of her convent ) aspires to have exquisite taste . Her table manners are dainty, she
knows French (though not the French of the court ), she dresses well, and she is charitable and compassionate.
The Monk (est: MUNK ): Describe him in terms of his personality? What are his views about religion ? What is his passion ? How was he dressed? Most
monks of the Middle Ages lived in monasteries according to the Rule of Saint Benedict , which demanded that they devote their lives to “work
and prayer.” This Monk cares little for the Rule; his devotion is to hunting and eating . He is large, loud , and well clad in hunting boots and furs .
The Friar (est: KERJUSMUNK): Describe him in terms of his personality. How does he earn his living ? What gifts did he have for women ? Describe
his feelings towards the poor ? How does the narrator describe his clothing ? What is his name? 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. However , Chaucer’s worldly Friar has taken to
accepting bribes.
The Merchant (est: KAUPMEES ): Where does his profit come from? Describe his looks and character.
The Merchant trades in furs and other cloths, mostly from Flanders. He is part of a powerful and wealthy class in Chaucer’s society.
The Man of Law (est: Õigusnõunik): How is he described? Is he entirely truthful about his life?
A successful lawyer commissioned by the king. He upholds justice in matters large and small and knows every statute of England’s law by heart .
The Franklin (est: MAAHÄRRA): Describe his appearance and dress? What were his interests in life?
In Chaucer’s society, a franklin was neither a vassal serving a lord nor a member of the nobility. This particular franklin is a connoisseur of food and
wine , so much so that his table remains laid and ready for food all day.
The five Guildsmen: Carpenter (est: PUUSEPP ), Haberdasher( est: PUDUKAUPMEES), Dyer (est: VÄRVAL), Weaver (est: KANGUR ), Carpet maker
(est: VAIBAMEISTER): how were they dressed? What has been said about their wives? Listed together, the five Guildsmen appear as a unit . English
guilds were a combination of labor unions and social fraternities: craftsmen of similar occupations joined together to increase their bargaining power
and live communally. All five Guildsmen are clad in the livery of their brotherhood.
The Cook (est: KOKK ): Describe his skills? What could affect the quality of his food? The Cook works for the Guildsmen. Chaucer gives little detail about
him, although he mentions a crusty sore on the Cook’s leg.
The Wife of Bath ( est: EMAND BATHIST): Describe her in terms of looks and character. What was her occupation ? What kind of knowledge did she have?
Though she is a seamstress by occupation, she seems to be a professional wife. She has been married five times and had many other affairs in her youth ,
making her well practiced in the art of love. She presents herself as someone who loves marriage and sex, but, from what we see of her, she also takes
pleasure in rich attire, talking, and arguing. She is deaf in one ear and has a gap between her front teeth, which was considered attractive in Chaucer’s
time. She has traveled on pilgrimages to Jerusalem three times and elsewhere in Europe as well.
The Parson (est: PASTOR ): Describe his looks and character. What were his views on life(religion and materialistic values) like? Who was he travelling
with? The only devout churchman in the company, the Parson lives in poverty , but is rich in holy thoughts and deeds. The pastor of a sizable town, he
preaches the Gospel and makes sure to practice what he preaches. He is everything that the Monk, the Friar, and the Pardoner are not.
The Miller (est: MÖLDER): Describe his looks. What were the pleasures in his life? What kind of manners did he have? Was he a good person? Stout
and brawny, the Miller has a wart on his nose and a big mouth, both literally and figuratively. He threatens the Host ’s notion of propriety when he
drunkenly insists on telling the second tale. Indeed, the Miller seems to enjoy overturning all conventions: he ruins the Host’s carefully planned
storytelling order ; he rips doors off hinges ; and he tells a tale that is somewhat blasphemous, ridiculing religious clerks, scholarly clerks, carpenters, and women.
The Manciple (est: AIDAMEES): Where does he work? What are his duties? How had he become rich? A manciple was in charge of getting
provisions for a college or court. Despite his lack of education, this Manciple is smarter than the thirty lawyers he feeds.
The Reeve ( est: Inns of Courti TOIDUOSTJA): Describe his appearance , skills, relationship with his workers and superiors. How has he made his fortune ?
Where is he from? A reeve was similar to a steward of a manor , and this reeve performs his job shrewdly—his lord never loses so much as a ram to
the other employees, and the vassals under his command are kept in line. However, he steals from his master.
The Summoner (est: KOHTUKUBJAS): Describe his looks and personality and his sins. The Summoner brings persons accused of violating Church law to
ecclesiastical court. This Summoner is a lecherous man whose face is scarred by leprosy. He gets drunk frequently, is irritable, and is not particularly
qualified for his position . He spouts the few words of Latin he knows in an attempt to sound educated.
The Pardoner (est: INDULGENTSIMÜÜJA): Describe his personality and looks? How did he make his money ? How religious was he? Pardoners granted
papal indulgences—reprieves from penance in exchange for charitable donations to the Church. Many pardoners, including this one, collected profits
for themselves. In fact , Chaucer’s Pardoner excels in fraud, carrying a bag full of fake relics—for example, he claims to have the veil of the Virgin Mary .
The Pardoner has long, greasy, yellow hair and is beardless. These characteristics were associated with shiftiness and gender ambiguity in Chaucer’s time.
The Pardoner also has a gift for singing and preaching whenever he finds himself inside a church.
What is the proposition of the innkeeper? The leader of the group, the Host is large, loud, and merry, although he possesses a quick temper . He mediates
among the pilgrims and facilitates the flow of the tales. His title of “host” may be a pun, suggesting both an innkeeper and the Eucharist, or Holy Host.
Who is chosen as the leader of the pilgrimage? The host
How is the first storyteller chosen? Who tells the first story? The Knight - The first pilgrim Chaucer describes in the General Prologue, and the teller of the first tale.