Historical English Literature: The Canterbury Tales

HEL Session 2
  

Middle English 
period 1100-1500 
Chaucer's The Wife of Bath
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Slide 1: Tekstslide
LiteratureHBOStudiejaar 2

In deze les zitten 34 slides, met interactieve quizzen en tekstslides.

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HEL Session 2
  

Middle English 
period 1100-1500 
Chaucer's The Wife of Bath

Slide 1 - Tekstslide

Recap
What do you remember about last week's text
Beowulf?

Slide 2 - Tekstslide

Which parts of Anglo-Saxon warrior society do we see reflected in Beowulf?

Slide 3 - Open vraag

When does the story of Beowulf take place?
A
ca 750 AD
B
100 BC
C
1250 AD
D
pre-history

Slide 4 - Quizvraag

Who does Beowulf not fight?
A
Grendal
B
Grendal's Mother
C
The king of the Danes
D
A dragon

Slide 5 - Quizvraag

From whom is Grendel descended?
A
Satan
B
Shield Sheafson
C
Cain
D
Beowulf

Slide 6 - Quizvraag

After Beowulf defeats Grendel’s mother, how long does he rule over the Geats?
A
10 years
B
20 years
C
8 years
D
50 years

Slide 7 - Quizvraag

Who comes to Beowulf’s aid in the dragon fight and then becomes the future Geat king?
A
Aeschere
B
Heardred
C
Hygelac
D
Wiglaf

Slide 8 - Quizvraag

Beowulf contains both pagan and Christian elements, can you name a few?

Slide 9 - Open vraag

Do you have any questions about Beowulf? Anything that is still unclear?

Slide 10 - Open vraag

Middle English Period
  • Late Middle Ages 1066 - 1500 
  • 1066: William the Conqueror - Norman Conquest  
  • Changes in language and culture: 
  • Political: feudalism 
  • Cultural: from saxon (germanic) to norman (french) 
  • Language: French dominant until late 14thC 

Slide 11 - Tekstslide

Peck and Coyle 
You've read Peck & Coyle, Chapter 2, pp. 14-33 about Middle English Literature.
What stood out? Which words come to mind?
Fill out the mind map on the next slide. 

Slide 12 - Tekstslide

Middle English Literature

Slide 13 - Woordweb

Middle English literature
  • During 13th & 14th centuries English was gaining ground as a language
  • Also led to the development of distinct English literature (nationalism);
  • Allegory  = extended metaphor; has underlying political, religious or political significance. Characters are often personifications of vices and virtues 
  • e.g. Piers Plowman (1360 – 1387), William Langland 

  • Fabliau = short, funny, often bawdy tale in low style. Often about cuckolded husbands and foolish peasants 

Slide 14 - Tekstslide

Middle English Period
Major classic texts:

  • Romance > Arthurian Legends (from 12thC to Mallory’s Morte D’Arthur: 1470)
  • Sir Gawain and the Greene Knight (knight is challenged to meet courtly ideals)
  • Popular Ballads (sir Patrick Spense; Robyn Hode)
  • Moral(ity) plays: Everyman
  • William Langland: Piers Plowman
  • Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales (14thC) 

Slide 15 - Tekstslide

Geoffrey Chaucer 
(1340-1400)
Key author 
known primarily for The Canterbury Tales (1387-1399)

framework narrative about a group of pilgrims who travel to Canterbury

Slide 16 - Tekstslide

The Canterbury Tales
  • written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer between 1387 and 1400
  • a collection of 24 stories
  • tales are part of a story-telling contest by a group of pilgrims as they travel together from London to Canterbury

Slide 17 - Tekstslide

Why were these pilgrims travelling to Canterbury? What were they going to visit?

Slide 18 - Open vraag

Canterbury
Cathedral

Became popular pilgrimage site after the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket in 1170

Slide 19 - Tekstslide

The Wife of Bath

You've read The Wife of Bath's Tale and have answered the questions in the syllabus.
Fill out the mind map on the next page about this tale. 

Slide 20 - Tekstslide

The Wife of Bath

Slide 21 - Woordweb

In The Wife's Tale, what does the Knight do to merit punishment?
A
lies to the king
B
rapes a girl
C
steals from the Queen
D
cheats on his wife

Slide 22 - Quizvraag

What is the Knight's original sentence by King Arthur?
A
beheading
B
banishment
C
imprisonment
D
he has to apologize

Slide 23 - Quizvraag

Who decided that the Knight should have a different sentence?
A
His victim
B
The knights
C
The Queen
D
An old hag

Slide 24 - Quizvraag

What quest is the Knight sent on?
A
He needs to find a wife
B
He needs to slay a dragon
C
He needs to find out what women most desire
D
He needs to find a magic sword

Slide 25 - Quizvraag

Why does he have trouble in his quest?

A
because every answer he receives is different
B
because he is unable to speak to women
C
because the women all lie to him

Slide 26 - Quizvraag

In exchange for giving the knight the correct answer & saving his life, what does the hag want?
A
money
B
marriage
C
a child
D
nothing

Slide 27 - Quizvraag

What does the old woman tell the knight she will be if she remains old and ugly?
A
good and faithful
B
rich
C
very wise

Slide 28 - Quizvraag

So what do women really want according to this story?

Slide 29 - Open vraag

How do you interpret the final resolution?
Is she giving in to male dominance? Is he giving her the upper hand?

Slide 30 - Open vraag

According to you, is this tale feminist or anti-feminist?

A
Feminist
B
anti-feminist

Slide 31 - Quizvraag

Explain your previous answer.
Feminist or anti-feminist.

Slide 32 - Open vraag

Do you have any questions about this lesson? Something you would like to discuss next lesson?

Slide 33 - Open vraag

Slide 34 - Tekstslide