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The Canterbury Tales, General information and historical context - Coggle…
The Canterbury Tales
The 10 first tales and their main themes
Fifth tale
The Cook's Tale : This tale is incomplete but begins with a story about a dishonest apprentice who indulges in gambling and other vices.
Sixth tale
The Man of Law's Tale : A romance about Constance, a Christian woman who faces a series of trials and adventures while remaining faithful and virtuous.
Fourth tale
The Reeve's Tale : A revenge tale where two students trick a miller who had cheated them, with the story taking a risqué turn.
Seventh tale
The Wife of Bath's Tale : A knight must discover what women most desire to avoid punishment, learning a lesson in the process about power and relationships.
Third tale
The Miller's Tale : A humorous, bawdy tale about a carpenter, his young wife, and two men (a scholar and a parish clerk) who try to seduce her, with comedic consequences.
Eighth tale
The Friar's Tale : A satirical story of a corrupt summoner who encounters a devil and meets a fittingly dark end.
Second tale
The Knight's Tale : A noble story of two knights, Palamon and Arcite, who fall in love with the same woman, Emelye, and engage in a chivalric battle for her love.
Ninth tale
The Summoner's Tale : A tale mocking friars, in which a friar seeking charity is outwitted by a clever villager in a very crude way.
First tale
The General Prologue : Sets the scene, introducing the pilgrimage and the 29 pilgrims, each described with vivid details about their personality and social background.
Tenth tale
The Clerk's Tale : A story about patience, following the trials of Griselda, a peasant woman, who endures her husband’s cruel tests of loyalty.
Caracters and their social classes
Clergy
The Monk
The prioress
The friar
The pardoner
The parson
The plowman
The Summoner
Working Class
Chaucer
The Marchant
The Shipman
The Guildsmen
The Clerk
The Cook
Nicholas
The Carpenter
Alison
Absolon
The miller's wife
Jankyn
Nobles
The Knight
The Squire
The Franklin
The Merchant
The Wife of Bath
The Man Of Laws
The Reeve
The knight
The queen
Sir Thopas
Chaunticleer
General information and historical context
Pilgrimage
The narrative follows pilgrims traveling to Canterbury Cathedral, a significant pilgrimage site due to the remains of Sir Thomas Becket, a Catholic martyr and saint.
Language
Chaucer was one of the first to popularize fiction in the English world.
Written in Middle English (1150-1470), which combined elements of Old English and French.
Status of English
The popularity of "The Canterbury Tales" contributed to the legitimization of the English language.
During the 1300s, English was rarely used in official contexts; Latin was the Church's language, and French was used in the court.
Literary Influence
"The Canterbury Tales" borrows from Boccaccio’s "The Decameron," using a frame story to connect multiple tales.
Chaucer was influenced by Italian writers such as Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio.
Class Tensions
These escalating class tensions are reflected in the stories of "The Canterbury Tales."
Rising inequalities and demands on the peasantry led to revolts among artisans and peasants.
Historical Context
The Hundred Years' War exacerbated class tensions, with the wealthy profiting while peasants faced increasing burdens.
The Black Death (mid-14th century) caused a population decline of 30-50%, affecting the labor force and enabling peasants to demand higher wages and better treatment.