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THE CANTERBURY TALES - Coggle Diagram
THE CANTERBURY TALES
The 10 first tales and their main themes
1. The Knight’s Tale:
Theme
: Chivalry and Honor
Story of two knights in love with the same woman
Explores justice, love, and fate
2. The Miller’s Tale:
Theme
: Trickery and Deception
A humorous story about a carpenter, his wife, and her lover
Satire of love
3. The Reeve’s Tale:
Theme
: Revenge
Two students trick a dishonest miller
Focuses on payback and punishment
4. The Cook’s Tale:
Theme
: Immorality
A short, incomplete story about a wild apprentice
Talks about corruption and bad behavior
5. The Man of Law’s Tale:
Theme
: unending patience and faith
A Christian princess faces many troubles
Talks about faith and survival
6. The Wife of Bath’s Tale:
Theme
: Power and Gender Roles
A knight must find out what women really want
Talks about women’s control in relationships
7. The Friar’s Tale:
Theme
: Corruption in the Church
A dishonest church worker makes a deal with the devil
Criticizes church workers
8. The Summoner’s Tale:
Theme:
Greed and Hypocrisy
A greedy friar is tricked by a villager
Mocks the Friar’s Tale
9. The Clerk’s Tale:
Theme
: Patience and Loyalty
A wife’s loyalty is tested by her cruel husband
Talks about patience and staying loyal
10. The Merchant’s Tale:
Theme
: Marriage and Cheating
An old man marries a young wife who cheats on him
Questions marriage and loyalty
Characters and their social classes
1. Noble Class
The Knight
: A brave and honorable man who fights for truth and Christianity.
The Squire
: The Knight’s son, a young man training to be a knight. He is chivalrous but also focuses on romance and personal appearance.
The Wife of Bath
: A wealthy woman who has been married five times. She is independent and confident, not afraid to speak her mind.
The Merchant
: A businessman who dresses in fancy clothes. He represents the growing middle class.
2. Clergy
The Monk
: A religious figure who does not follow the traditional rules of his monastery. He loves to hunt and enjoy life.
The Prioress
: A nun who tries to act dainty and polite, but she is made fun of for her bad French and over-the-top manners.
The Friar
: A cheerful man who is supposed to live by charity but instead makes money by taking bribes and donations.
The Pardoner
: A man who sells fake religious relics and pardons to trick people into giving him money. He is often described as feminine.
The Parson
: One of the few genuinely good characters. He is a sincere and hardworking priest who cares deeply for his parishioners.
The Summoner
: A corrupt official who brings people to court for their sins but is known to take bribes and misuse his power.
The Plowman
: The Parson’s brother, a humble and hardworking farmer who lives a Christian life.
3. Working Class
The Miller
: A big, tough man who steals grain from the people he works for and enjoys causing trouble.
The Cook
: A talented cook with a bad appearance and questionable hygiene.
The Shipman
: A sailor who is both skilled at his job and known for being a thief and a pirate.
The Clerk
: A poor student who spends all his money on books instead of clothes.
The Guildsmen
: A group of tradesmen (Haberdasher, Carpenter, Weaver, Dyer, Tapestry-Maker) who are part of the rising middle class because they were rapidly gaining recognition and influence
4. Free Class (Between Nobility and Workers)
The Franklin:
A rich landowner who is always ready to host a feast. He is part of the rising middle class and is generous to his guests.
The Reeve
: A manager of an estate who is clever, manipulative, and feared by others because he knows all their secrets.
General information and historical context
The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories written by
Geoffrey Chaucer
between
1387 and 140
0 in Middle English, during the late 14th century. It is considered one of the
most important works in English literature
and provides a vivid portrayal of medieval society.
Who?
Geoffrey Chaucer
: Author of The Canterbury Tales.
30 Pilgrims
: A diverse group of characters from different social classes (knight, prioress, merchant, monk, miller, etc.) introduced in the "General Prologue."
Where?
Tabard Inn
, Southwark: Starting point of the pilgrimage. Located across
the Thames River from London.
When?
Written Between 1387-1400
: Chaucer wrote the stories in the late 14th century.
What?
Storytelling Contest
: Proposed by Harry Bailly, the host of the Tabard Inn. Each pilgrim tells tales, with the best story winning a prize.
Historical context
Pilgrimages
:
Journeys for religious purposes
Themes
:
Religious Hypocrisy
The goal
: Critique society and its religious practices