The Canterbury Tales

“The Prologue”

Give full answers and valuable information. You may use bullet form in your answers.

1.  What is a frame story?

2.  What is the setting (time and place) of the frame story?

3.  Who is the narrator of the frame story?

4.  What is the primary “conflict” of the “plot” of the frame story?

5.  Who is Harry Bailey?

6.  What are 3 ways that the Knight represents a “true, a perfect gentle-knight”?

7.  What is a squire? What details show the Squire is a girl-crazy young man?

8.  What is a yeoman? What seems to be this Yeoman’s main concern, and how do you know?

9.  What details reveal that Chaucer is poking fun at the behavior of this “proper” Nun?

10.  How can you tell that the Monk is not upholding his vows to live soberly and pray unceasingly? (PS—the word “sober” does not relate only to issues of drinking)

11.  How is the Friar portrayed as going beyond the requirements and expectations of his job?

12.  How do we know that the Merchant is obsessed with what other people think about him?

13.  Why is the Oxford cleric always broke? Why doesn’t he get a job?

14.  How do we know that the Sergeant at Law is not as honorable as people think he is?

15.  What is a franklin? What is telling about Chaucer’s little piece of information about tax money in line 369?

16.  What behind-the-scenes motivation for succeeding at business do the Guildsmen (the Haberdasher, the Dyer, the Carpenter, the Weaver, and the Carpet-maker) all have?

17.  How does Chaucer reverse in only 2 lines the image he sets up for the Cook in the other 9 lines?

18.  What examples of theft and cruelty does Chaucer give for the Skipper? What is humorous about the name of his horse and his ship?

19.  In the Doctor's description, we are told that "Gold stimulates the heart." In what way is this an ironic statement about more than just a prescription for heart disease? What further evidence is there in the description to support this ironic interpretation of the Doctor's character?

20.  How does line 477 sum up the character of the Woman of Bath, in an ironic way?

21.  How does the Parson differ from most other church officials?

22.  In what ways is the Plowman similar to his brother?

23.  How do we know the Miller is cheating his customers?

24.  What is a Manciple? How does Chaucer show that the Manciple's practical knowledge is better than his masters' book learning?

25.  What is a Reeve? Evidently, how has the reeve managed to go from rags to riches?

26.  What is a Summoner? Why won't his skin rash heal? If you have committed a sin, what can you do to avoid church court when the Summoner summons you?

27.  What is a Pardoner? How does his physical description parallel aspects of his character?

28.  What are five groups who were already traveling together before meeting everyone else in London?

29.  Where does the group take its first travel break and start the story telling?

30.  How does the group decide who will tell the first story?

31.  Who is Hubert?

32.  Who plays the bagpipes? The flute?

33.  As they travel, who leads the group? Who comes last?

34.  Who has special pets?

35.  Which pilgrim would you enjoy meeting the most? And why?