Canterbury Tales
Lord Randall- Scottish Version
-Randall has been hunting in the woods and is tired
-He had dinner w/ his true love
-He is sick of a broken heart
Edward, Edward
-killed his hawk- help a person find food
-mother doesn’t believe it’s not the hawk, so he says it’s the horse’s blood
-he says he has killed his own father
-he will get sail in his beat and never return
-leave his towers stand and decay
-wants his wife and children to go and beg to the world
mother was condemned from his mother because she was the one to convince killing his father.
Get up and Bar the door
-the wife is busy preparing a feast and the husband demands her to shut the door and she tells him no
-the next one to speak has to shut the door
-a man was about to kiss the wife and the husband says not to. Then he lost the bet
Frankie and Johnny
-Frankie was dedicated to Johnny because she loved him, and would do anything for him
-she found out that Johnny is cheating on her with Nellie Bugh.
-she finds him and shoots him twice
-she gets caught and put in jail, and she’ll get put into the electric chair
October 3, 2002 Page 98-108
Geoffrey Chaucer
-father of English poetry made the English language respectful
-spoke Middle English
- He wrote in northeastern dialect of English
- a well know government official who serves under 3 kings- Edward 3, Richard 2, and Henry 6
-Vernacular- everyday language spoken in London
- Married Phillippa- had two children
- awarded several pensions for service to crown
-First important poem- “the book of the duchess.”
- wrote the Canterbury tales
Canterbury Tales pg. 98-108
The Canterbury Tales- Snapshot of an age
-collection of stories and a snapshot, a picture frozen in time of life in the middle ages
-pilgrims sit around sharing tales to pass time
-posseses archetypical unity.
October 4, 2002 Page 108-111
Yeoman
-wealthy, rides his horse alone, independent carpenter
nun
-french prostitute type, wealthy, friendly
monk
-hunter, wealthy, attractive, obese
Friar
-festive, jolly, musical, generous
October 8, 2002 111-116
merchant
-wealthy, opinionated
Oxford Cleric
-student, poor, not well traveled, wise, thief
-sergeant at the law
Franklin
-land owner, pale, kind, gracious, enjoys pleasure
-was sheriff
Cook
-ulcer on knee
-famous for pasty, puss filled soup
Doctor
-well spoken, enjoyed astronomy, good physician, not too religious
Parson
-Wise, religious, preached gospel
-Hard worker, patient
-Never scornful, holy
Plowman
-Good worker, loved God
Miller
-husky, athletic, red hair, big nostrils
The Summoner
-Summoner arraigns those accused of violating Church law
-When drunk-spouts the few Latin phrases he knows
-Face bright red from unspecified disease
-uses power corruptly for his own gain
-extremely lecherous, uses his position to dominate the young women in his jurisdiction
-In exchange for a quart of wine, he would let another man sleep with his girlfriend for a year and then pardon the man completely.
The Pardoner
-The Pardoner, who had just been in the court of Rome, rides with the Summoner
-long, flowing, yellow hair
-Pardoner thinks he rides very fashionably
-brought back many souvenirs from trip to Rome
-high voice of a goat,
-might have been a homosexual
-In charge of selling papal indulgences, he is despised by the Church and most churchgoers for counterfeiting pardons and pocketing the money
-good preacher, storyteller, and singer
-he cheats people of their money
The Host
-host asks monk to match tales
-Host persuades Miller to let a better teller tell, but Miller threatens to leave.
-Miller tells his tale
Prioress
-named Madame Eglentyne
-more concerned with appearance as a royalty
-all sentiment and tender hearted towards her pets- she was supposed to give up all worldly goods
-makeup considered vain
foremost responsibility of women was to give birth
-monk black mails to prey upon human weaknesses
-has pope approval to do it
-bought begging district
Knight
-Knight has been everywhere fighting battles
-seems real b/c people and places he mentions are real
-only one who can do certain things
-knight has chink in armor
-does not dress luxury
Physician
-Apothecary
-he steals wines from bordo-“pirate”
-Pharmacy- prescribes drugs-gold scam
-doctor does not believe in god
-medical=science, not religion
-negative=composite
Wife of Bath
-Really rich woman has been all over world
-widely gapped teeth
-husband dies of exhaustion
Miller
-the miller grinds grain into flour
-strong dirty guy with mouth like furnace door
-he is real
-This character had street smarts
-rode in rear of cavalcade because he trusts no one
Parson
-employees of church
-Sumner is one walking oozing zit
-likable guy
Gelding- male horse that’s neutered
-relics are frauds, pope gives right to sell.
Pardoner’s Tale
-describes a group of young Flemish people who spend their time drinking
- Pardoner enters into a tirade against the vices
Canterbury Tales pp. 138-168
-sins=gluttony- first caused the fall of mankind in, drunkenness- makes man seem mad and witless, gambling- temptation ruins men of power and wealth, swearing, offends god.
-friend of rioters slain the night before by “death”
-outraged, drunken, decide to find and kill “death” to avenge
-they meet old man
-he wants death to come take him
- tells them death is under an oak tree
-they find eight bushels of coins
-they decide that they cannot carry the coins in daylight for if seen they will be punished
-decide to kill friend when he returns from town for getting them wine and bread to receive more of the wealth.
-they prepare trap for friend
-friend in town realizes he could have all the gold if he wants
-friend goes to apothecary and buys strongest poison, and poisons the wine
-he returns to the tree and the other two friends trap works and he is killed
-The friends are poisoned by the wine when they sit down to celebrate
-all must be aware of sin of avarice
-Pardoner realizes he has relics and pardons in bag
-tells pilgrims value of relics and asks for contributions even though he told them they were fake
-offers host to come and kiss relics
-host outrages and wants to make relics out of pardoners genitals
-host and pardoner kiss and makeup
Wife of Bath
-days of King Arthur
-she believes women are safe of rape
-lusty knight comes across maiden down by river
-he rapes her
-court scandalized by crime and decrees that the knight should be put to death by decapitation
-Queen begs for one chance for his life
-knight has to discover what women want most within one year, if he cannot
-every woman he asks says different answer
- answers are: money. Honor, jolliness, looks, sex, remarriage, flattery, free to do as wish
-Wife of Bath says that woman want to be considered discreet and secretive
-tells story of Orvid of Midas
-Midas has two ass ears, which he concealed from everyone but his wife
-told her reflection in the water since she promised she wouldn’t tell anyone but she couldn’t hold it in
Canterbury Tales pp. 129-137
-hear the end of the tale read Ovid
-day of return he rides near forest and sees large group of women dancing
-all he sees is an ugly woman
-requires knight to pledge himself for return of answer
-answer is to be in charge of husbands and lovers
-knight has to marry old hag
-knight and old hag get married and go to bed together
-knight remains miserable
-woman became very beautiful and young because the knight listened to her by giving her what she desired
-Jesus sends all women husbands who are young, meek and fresh in bed and grace to outlive husbands
Sir Thomas Mallory
-author of Britain’s most famous work on King Arthur-le morte DArthur
-Mallory was a knight familiar with chivalric roman
-he was in prison while writing stories about Arthur
-born in Warwick hire
-served in France during the 100 years war
-fought at the siege of Calais in 1436
-Married Elizabeth- son
-elected to parliament once, died in 1471 perhaps from the plague
-has a series of arrests for theft, burglary, and assault, including the robbing of an abbey
-broke 18 doors and roughed up monks
-Arthur’s child initiation- pulling a sword from a stone
-the death of Arthur
-had a dream which he was in a wheel chair in rich clothes over a black stream of serpents and wild beasts and he fell
-nephew comes to awake him in the morning and he has ladies that he fought for with him
-says if Arthur fights the next day he will die
-wart with hair, bi g mouth, played bagpipe
Manciple
-Came from the inner temple
-Had more than 30 masters
Reeve
-Old, thin
-Carpenter