2011 Secondary Solutions - 8 - the Canterbury Tales Literature Guide

Name Period

Pre-Reading Activity

Monarchy Scavenger Hunt

Throughout The Canterbury Tales the pilgrims refer to historical figures including

monarchs and people who worked closely with the monarchs. For this reason, it is helpful to

understand a little bit about the history of the kings of England. The Saxons were the first to

rule as king of all England, so that is where this scavenger hunt begins. The Danes were next

to seize the throne, and they ruled for a few generations before the Saxons reclaimed the

crown. The Normans were next followed by the Plantagenets, two of whom ruled during

Chaucer’s lifetime. Chaucer’s life and this scavenger hunt end with the first of the Lancaster

line.

Directions: Using sources available online or in your library, identify each of the

following English monarchs.

To help, a list from which to choose has been provided below.

1. ______A king at the age of 9, he was raised by the clergy and

therefore easily led by the church. His wife was also influential. He redefined the

monarchy such that the king was limited by a pre-Parliament council.

2. ______This cruel and greedy Plantagenet king abused taxes to the

point where every part of society, including the clergy and the Archbishop of Canterbury

Stephen Langdon, rose against him. The Church excommunicated him. He was also

forced to sign the Magna Carta.

3. ______Son of Sweyn (Swein), this king was a Dane who created

four earldoms in England.

4. ______This Norman king was known as the ―Lion of Justice.‖ He

became king when his brother was killed in a hunting accident.

5. ______This Saxon king bears a superlative name. He is the son of

Aethelwulf and is known for creating the Royal Navy as well as being a Christian,

scholar, and wise king.

6. ______This king redefined the laws including the Statute of

Gloucester in 1278. He was nicknamed for his height.

7. ______A Saxon king whose name does not inspire confidence. He

was crowned at the age of ten and retreated to Normandy when Sweyn (Swein) the

Danish King raided England and eventually took the crown. He started a tax known as

Danegeld to bribe the Danes not to attack.

8. ______The first of the Norman line of kings, this one is also

known as ―the conqueror.‖ He fought Harold at the Battle of Hastings and won the

crown.

9. ______The first of the Plantagenet kings, this one was a strong

and wise soldier. He started the English Jury System and used taxes to pay for the army.

It was this king’s comments following a quarrel with Archbishop Thomas à Becket that

led to the Archbishop’s assassination.

10. ______The last of the Saxon kings, this one died in 1042 while

drinking.

11. ______This Plantagenet king is known for feline cardiac

characteristics and his courage in battle during the crusades.

12. ______The first of the Lancaster line, this king was on the throne

when Chaucer died. He died of leprosy in 1413. This king was also the son of Chaucer’s

patron.

13. ______This incompetent king was overthrown by his wife and her

partner Mortimer. The treacherous pair had the king imprisoned and eventually killed.

14. ______The entire country was almost destroyed by this weak

king. He was succeeded by Matilda’s son. This king also argued with Roger, Bishop of

Salisbury.

15. ______This king’s desire to rule Scotland and France as well as

England started the Hundred Years War. The Black Death also took place during this

king’s reign.

16. ______This monarch is of the Saxon line of kings. He ruled from

802– 839 but was not considered king of all England until 830. In 802, he was King of

Wessex and slowly conquered the rest of the lands until he became the ruler of the united

land.

17. ______This king was the son of the Black Prince. As a teenager,

he faced the Peasants Revolt of 1381.

18. ______An exceptionally cruel and extravagant Norman king;

killed, apparently by a stray arrow, while hunting in the forest.