Picture of Chaucer from the Ellesmere Manuscript, an early 15 th century illuminated manuscript.
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Transcript of Picture of Chaucer from the Ellesmere Manuscript, an early 15 th century illuminated manuscript.
Picture of Chaucer from the Ellesmere Manuscript, an early 15th century illuminated manuscript
Life & Times• Born _____, Died _____
(London, England)• Son of ________ wine
merchant• In his teens, he was placed in
the service of the Countess of Ulster so he could obtain more ________ and be schooled in _____ and _____
• Thus, he would have learned _____ and some _____ as well as perhaps some _____ and _______
Life & Times• In 1359, he was ______ by the
______ at the Siege of Reims during the Hundred Years' War while serving in English army; ________by King Edward III a year later
• Chaucer joined the royal household and became a _____, trusted _______, and ______
• Married Phillipa, a _______ to the Queen.
• Chaucer had 2 sons and possibly a daughter
Career: Royal Messenger
• Chaucer was frequently sent to the continent on secret business for ___________.
• Some of these trips were to ______ where he became acquainted with the works of the great ______ authors: Boccaccio (1313-1375), ____ (1265-1321), and Petrarch (1304-1374)
• He traveled all over England, Italy, _____ and _____ (France) and met many people
Career: Civil Servant• Controller of Customs on Wools, Skins and Hides for the Port of
London– Here he would meet many types of ________, _______, travelers,
________, and ____________
• Clerk of the King’s Works– In charge of __________ and repairs affecting the royal residences; here
he would meet many ________ as well as court _______
• Deputy Forester of the King’s Forests– Away from the city, he met peasants, _______, local clergy, and other
country _____
• Representative of the Shire of Kent in Parliament– Here he met the rich and influential _____, and the upper middle class, as
well as the higher ranking _____ officials
Britain’s First Poet• Began writing in his
____• Published works in the
______, or everyday speech
• First to prove that common language could be as ____ and _____ as the romantic languages
Chaucer’s Legacy• Father of English ____
• Buried in Westminster Abbey
• Chaucer’s tomb is the centerpiece of _____
• Famous work The Canterbury Tales represents cross section of _____
Canterbury Cathedral, England
Key Facts: The Canterbury Tales
• Written by Chaucer 1380s-1390s (____ century)• First printed version 1470• Chaucer wrote about every class of British life that he
had met as a _______.• The Canterbury Tales is considered one of Britain’s
greatest national ______• Narrative poem that centers around _____ to ______;
a story about a ______ competition• Chaucer is the _____ and also one of the ______ • “The ____” is the tavern owner (Harry Bailey)
who serves as a guide and _____
London
Chaucer’s Plan ...• _____ followed by a series of stories and
linking dialogues and commentaries• 29 characters• Each character would tell __ stories
going and __ stories coming home• Tales would be written in _____, rather
than French or Latin, so ordinary _____ could enjoy them.
• Techniques, such as ____ and irony, allowed Chaucer to express his views on British ____
Key Literary Terms
• Frame story
• Prologue
• Characterization
• Satire– Estate satire
• Hyperbole
• Stereotype
Frame Story
• Literary genre
• A narrative structure providing the framework for connecting a series of otherwise unrelated tales
• Introductory material for more significant secondary tale or tales
• Also called frame narrative, frame tale
Prologue
• An introductory section of a literary work. It often contains information establishing the situation of the characters or presents information about the setting, time period, or action.
• In the "General Prologue" of The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer describes the main characters and establishes the setting and purpose of the work.
Characterization• The method used by a writer to develop a
character. The method includes – Description of physical appearance– Presentation of speech, thoughts, feelings and
actions– Presentation of other characters’ thoughts as
they relate to the character
• Direct or indirect characterization
Satire• A literary mode based on criticism of people and
society through ridicule. The satirist aims to reduce the practices attacked by laughing scornfully at them--and being witty enough to allow the reader to laugh, also.
• Techniques such as irony and hyperbole accentuate the ridicule and add humor.
• Estate Satire - a genre that satirizes the abuses that occur among social classes
The Three Estates: Social divisions in Chaucer’s time: mid-fourteenth century
• First Estate: Church, clergy– Intellectuals: Clerics (clerks)
• Second Estate: Nobility, knights
• Middle Class– Mercantile Class: Merchants, businessmen
• Third Estate or Peasantry: Farmers
• Feminine Estate: Virgin, wife, and widow
Hyperbole
• Exaggeration or overstatement
• Often emphasized by alliterationor rhyming couplets
• In Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, look for exaggerations to character traits, interests, concerns, and physical attributes as narrator describes characters on the way to Canterbury
Stereotype
1. A conventional, formulaic, and oversimplified conception, opinion, or image.
2. One who is regarded as embodying or conforming to a set image or type.
But why go to Canterbury?
Reason #1: Religion• Canterbury has always been
an important _____ center in England.
• St. Augustine (seen in stained glass from the Canterbury Cathedral) was sent by Pope Gregory the Great to _____ the Catholic faith in the country
• _____ played an important part in medieval life.
Why was religion important?
• Middle Ages was riddled with strife and disease– ____ (“Ring around the rosy…”)– ______– High Infant ______ Rate– Short ______ Expectancy– Harsh ____ Conditions (“peas, porridge, hot…”)
• Medieval people saw much ___ and had little to look forward to except going to ____
Reason #2: Canterbury was a Popular ________ Site
…help with medical,
financial or other
problems.
People of all classes went on pilgrimages to holy sitesto ask for…
Reason #3: Canterbury is the location of the shrine of St. ______ à Becket,
an important ____ century political and ____ figure
Stained glass window from Canterbury Cathedral of St. Thomas a Becket
Becket was a trusted adviser and friend of King Henry II. In 1162, Henry named Becket _______ of Canterbury.
Becket’s _______ angered the King. One day, King Henry complained, “Will no one rid me of this meddlesome ______?” Three ____ rode to Canterbury where they found Becket at the altar of Canterbury Cathedral.
In 1170, King Henry’s men _________ Becket at the altar.
The death of Becket angered the ______,
who felt his ____ heritage made him
one of them.
Soon after, he was _____ by Pope
Alexander. He was also venerated as a
_____ and ____ by the Catholic Church.
____________ Cathedral became a site for _________
to offer prayers to Saint _________.
Today, a modern _____ made from ______ marks the site of the _____.
The fact that Chaucer wrote in English (____ English), rather than French or Latin like many of his fellow writers, meant that ordinary folks could enjoy The Canterbury Tales and their vivid characters.
Chaucer surrounded by his characters.
The late 14th century world was still very much one of the spoken word. Books were copied out by ____ and were a rare luxury until the advent of the printing press ___ years later. While the educated elite could read, they preferred to be entertained by texts read ____.
The Canterbury Tales, with its ____ humor and _____ dialogue, was and still is enjoyed by all ages and classes for its broad and inclusive depiction of Medieval life, culture, and people.
So, let’s travel back to ___ century London, to the area called Southwark,
and begin at the _____ Inn.
We’ll meet the characters and hear their stories.