“The Pardoner’s Tale” An introduction to the Medieval Period and Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales

Medieval Period a.k.a Middle Ages 5th century-16th century Spoke and wrote Middle English Old English Middle English Modern English The Medieval Period was also known as the Middle Ages. The time spanned the 5th century through the 16th century. The English language is divided into three periods, Old English (or Anglo-Saxon), Middle English, and Modern English. The English language morphed throughout the centuries into what we know of it today.

Old English A combination of words Celtic Latin Anglo-Saxon (Germanic language) And Viking words Old English was a combination of languages, such as Celtic, Latin, Anglo-Saxon-a Germanic language, and Old Norse, the language of the Viking invaders. Thus, it is no wonder why the English language has many words from many cultures. It is truly a melting pot of words and sounds. Now listen to Caedmon's Hymn probably the earliest Old English poem. Credit: Read by J. B. Bessinger, Jr. From Beowulf and Other Poetry. Copyright © 1984 by HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. Used by arrangement with HarperCollins. Probably the earliest extant Old English poem, composed sometime between 658 and 680.  Cf. NAEL 1.23.

Middle English Old English with the addition of Norman French Middle English was created through the addition of Norman French and extends from the 12th century to the 15th century. Listen to an excerpt from ”The Pardoner’s Tale” from The Canterbury Tales. Credit: Read by Alfred David, Indiana University. The three rioters meet an old man.  Cf. NAEL 1.291; MA 254.

Modern English 15th century on Includes Shakespeare! Modern English extends from the 16th century to our language today. Listen to Shakespeare’s Sonnet 146 read aloud. Sonnet 146 ("Poor soul, the center of my sinful earth"), William Shakespeare, 1609. Credit: Read by James Knapp.  Cf. NAEL 1.1042; MA 506.

Medieval Period Influence of the Catholic Church Unified the people Central administration (network of bishops) Literacy and learning Teachers Wrote, recorded, and copied literature and history of the times Crusades The Middle Ages were grounded in the Catholic Church as its center. It unified the people through a network of bishops. During the time, learning and literacy, such as reading and writing was written, recorded, and copied. It was also during this time that the Crusades, or the holy wars took place.

Medieval Period Black Death Bubonic & pneumonic plagues 4 out of 5 people who contracted the plague died within 8 days About 50% of Europe’s population died within a 4 year period The Bubonic Plague, or Black Death, was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history. The plague, which started in central Asia, peaked in Europe between 1348 and 1350, killing between 75 and 200 million people, or approximately 30-60% of Europe’s population.

“The Pardoner’s Tale” Written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the 1300s Part of The Canterbury Tales Frame story: an overall unifying story in which other stories are told Pilgrims on a journey to visit the tomb of a saint in Canterbury swap stories to pass the time “The Pardoner’s Tale” is one of Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales which was written in the 14th century. The Tales themselves are a frame story, in which the overall unifying chronicle is told through other stories. The frame of the tale encompasses people who are telling anecdotes and narratives while on a journey to visit the tomb of a saint in Canterbury.

“The Pardoner’s Tale” Story told by the Pardoner Pardoner--a man who sells indulgences (pardons) for the church Sells fake relics to cheat the “poor upcountry” people Theme of his story is that “radix malorum est cupiditas”--Greed is the root of all evil The pardoner is the main character in the story. He is a man who makes a living selling falsified and fake relics. He is taking advantage of people in order to gain wealth.

“The Pardoner’s Tale” Allegory--a narrative in which characters, settings, and objects stand for abstract or moral concepts Can be read both literally and symbolically I.e. personified Death Inspired “The Tale of the Three Brothers” in the last Harry Potter novel Through analysis of “The Pardoner’s Tale,” readers encounter allegory, a literary device which encompasses symbolism as characters, settings, or objects represent ideas or concepts. For example, Death in the tale can be both literal and symbolic, such as Death is actually personified. Finally, “The Pardoner’s Tale” is said to have been an inspiration for “The Tale of the Three Brothers” in the final Harry Potter novel.

The End Audio Recordings "The Norton Anthology of English Literature: Archive." The Norton Anthology of English Literature: Archive. The Norton Anthology of English Literature: Archive, n.d. Web. 07 Apr. 2013.