1. The Medieval Period A.Introduction 1. the medieval mind—”post apocalyptic” 2. bad times / hard times

2. A. Introduction to Medieval Literature 3.The allegorical mind --seeing the great code --spiritual reality behind the physical world 4.The concept of God in the medival culture 5.The concept (personification) of Death

3. B. Chaucer: the Father of English Literature

4. B. Chaucer 1.Biographical background 2.Father of English Literature—Why? a. b. c.

5. B. Geoffrey Chaucer 3.The Canterbury Tales a.The use of the “frame story” device 1. what it is 2. Chaucer’s Frame Story a. The frame is as important b. pilgrims are a cross section of med- ieval life

6. The Canterbury Pilgrims—Representing All of Us on the Great Journey, Telling Stories by William Blake

7. 3. The Canterbury Tales 3.The Art of the Canterbury Tales a. b. c. The travelers at the Tabard Inn

8. 4. The Prologue a.Characters as types b.Rich detail c.Allegorical level of the pilgrims and their journey

9. 5. The Pardoner’s Tale a.What was a pardoner? 1. 2. b.Chaucer’s Pardoner –a complete fraud

10. 6. The Miller’s Tale a.What is a miller? b.The genre—fablieau c.Two stock plots

11. 7. The Reeve’s Tale a.Response to the Miller b.What is a reeve? c.The unity of the tale’s theme with the frame’s theme

12. 8. The Wife of Bath’s Tale

13. a.The Character of the Wife of Bath (what’s Bath?) 1. archetypal (Venus and Mars) 2. married five times (nos. 1, 2, and 3— elderly and dominated) no. 4—cheated, but she brought him back by pretending her own affair

14. 8. Wife of Bath’s Tale (continued) no. 5—the only one she truly loved (he was young) and who made her miserable 3.worldly, honest, plain-spoken, sexual (uses it for pleasure and for power) 4.Fifth marriage (to Jankin) mirrors the marriage in the tale

15. 8. Wife of Bath b.The Tale 1. the tale mirrors the pilgrim 2. medieval romance 3. character of the knight (all men)--ugly

16. 8. Wife of Bath’s Tale 3. character of the knight (all men)--ugly no honor no respect no gratitude no courage snobbish thinks only of self

17. 8. Wife of Bath’s Tale 4. character of the old woman *reflection of the Wife *rebukes knight’s snobbery three ways: 5.Main theme of the Tale 6.The Fairy Tale Aspect

18. C. Conclusion What makes Chaucer and the Canterbury Tales great? 1. the scope of his vision and achievement 2. the allegory of the travelers 3. Chaucer’s humanity