Name:______

LA III 1B

“The Prologue”

GOAL: SWBAT analyze specific characters in “The Prologue” from The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer in assigned groups to understand the irony and humor in the roles of each character and how they relate to the medieval community.

Score / Understanding and Ability
4 / Not only am I and expert on Geoffrey Chaucer and the character descriptions in “The Prologue” and feel that I can make a connection between the relationship of the characters in The Canterbury Tales and their community, but I can also teach the method to a friend.
3 / I feel comfortable with Geoffrey Chaucer and the character descriptions in “The Prologue” and feel that I can make a connection between the relationship of the characters in The Canterbury Tales and their community.
2 / I understand who Geoffrey Chaucer is and the reason for the characters descriptions in “The Prologue”, but I could use a little help analyzing the character descriptions and how they relate to the community as a whole.
1 / I need a refresher on Geoffrey Chaucer and the medieval times. I’m not comfortable with “The Prologue” in The Canterbury Tales and how the characters relate to the community.

Assigned Groups:

The Squire /The Miller The Skipper/The Nun

Hunter and Isabella Mike, Vincent, and Erin

The Doctor/The Pardoner The Reeve/The Manciple

Alex and Jonathan Mallory and Carlos

In your assigned groups, you will begin reading “The Prologue,” Chaucer’s introduction to the characters in The Canterbury Tales. It is important for us to gain an understanding of the professions during the medieval time period and how these characters were described before we begin reading their tales. Here’s what we’ll do today…

  1. Review Intro to The Canterbury Tales:
  2. Remember Chaucer is sarcastic in tone
  3. Frame tale
  4. 29 people on a pilgrimage
  5. A cross-section of 14th century professions in 3 main categories: the court, the church, and the commoners
  1. Read lines 1-42 on pages 113-114 on your own. As a group, answer the following questions in your notes:
  2. 1st stanza:

·  During what time of year does the story open? Cite 4 lines to support your claim.

  1. 2nd stanza:

·  What was Chaucer doing at The Tabard?

·  How does Chaucer get invited to join the twenty-nine folks who enter the tavern?

  1. 3rd stanza:

·  How will he describe the pilgrims?

  1. Read the lines describing the Knight (lines 43-74) and consider the following:
  2. How is the knight portrayed?
  3. How does Chaucer develop the Knight? What are his descriptions for clothing, speech, and how his job is done?
  4. In your group, read your assigned character’s lines. It is your job to present this character to the class and to teach us how he/she relates to Chaucer’s story.
  5. What you will need to do…

·  Using a presentation app of your choice, explain to the class how Chaucer has decided to set up this character.

·  Cite lines that best describe this character and support your findings

·  How will this character relate to the others in the story?

·  What is this character’s place in the medieval community? Explain.

·  What is humorous about this character?

·  What do you picture this character to look like?

Rubric

2 / 6 / 10
Presentation Information / The presentation is poorly put together, providing the audience with very little information. / The presentation contains all relevant material, but is difficult to follow or missing a few key points. / The presentation is put together very well and contains all necessary points.
Creativity / The presentation lacks creativity in all aspects. / The presentation is somewhat creative some points. / The presentation is exceptionally creative in all areas.
Individual Role / The student did not complete their assigned role, was easily distracted or off topic, and/or became an irritant to the group. / The student partially completed their assigned role or did not appear to be participating at all times. / The student completed their assigned role with outstanding effort and participated at all times throughout the task.