1. Geoffrey Chaucer
The Canterbury Tales

2. St. Thomas a’ Becket Born - 1118 Died - Dec. 29th 1170
The Archbishop of Canterbury (England)
Becket disagreed with King Henry II and was murdered in Canterbury Cathedral
There have been several miracles in this cathedral

3. St. Thomas a’ Becket
After all the miracles, a shrine was put up in the cathedral
Becket was canonized a saint
People set out on a pilgrimage, to Canterbury Cathedral to pay homage to the shire of St. Thomas a’ Becket. Some believed that shrine had healing powers

4. Geoffrey Chaucer Canterbury Tales
1387 Chaucer wrote a free-verse poem about the pilgrimage to St. Thomas a’ Becket’s shrine.
Canterbury Tales

5. Canterbury Tales SETTING: April, The Tabard Inn, Southwerk
“Prologue”- 29 pilgrims, the narrator, and the inn host are introduced.

6. The Prologue The 29 are spending the night at the Tabard Inn.
The Narrator says he will describe and repeat everything he hears no matter how offensive.
The Host proposes that each pilgrim tell 2 tales on the way there and back.
The best tale will win dinner at the Inn

7. Prologue
The pilgrims are made up of all 3 divisions of class in medieval society:
Feudal class
The Church
Merchant class

8. The Prologue
Chaucer’s characterization was unlike anything ever written before.
He creates a human encyclopedia by describing physical, social, mannerisms,beliefs, and morals of each character.
Utilizes direct AND indirect characterization, just like the authors of today

9. The Characters
After the pilgrims are introduced in the prologue each character tells his or her own tale.
The host of the Inn will judge the tales; whoever wins receives a free meal, paid for by everyone else, at the Inn

10. Story “types” The Romance (Knight’s Tale)
Hagiography (the story of a Saint; Second Nun’s tale)
Beast Tales (characters are animals with human qualities; convey a moral truth; Nun’s Priest Tale)
Fabliau (bawdy, raunchy comedies; Miller/Reeve)
The entire work is considered “estates satire”: a critical examination of the three social classes; Chaucer points out the hypocrisies within certain estates
Nobility- Knight and Squire
Clergy- Monk, Prioress, Friar, etc.
“Working Class”-Wife of Bath, Haberdasher, etc.

11. The Humors/Physiognomy
Physiognomy: interpretation of outward appearance to discover a person's predominant temper and character
Humors: Four bodily fluids that made up the body. The balance or imbalance of these fluids influenced one’s temperament

12. Physiognomy Broad forehead Stupid White neck Licentious Lisp Depraved
Trait
Characteristic
Broad forehead
Stupid
White neck
Licentious
Lisp
Depraved
Ruddy complexion
Sanguine
Gap-teeth
lucky;well-traveled; gluttonous
Stocky
Loquacious (talkative)
Red hair
Quarrelsome (fiery temper)
Warts
Lecher
Short Hair
Servile
Thin hair
Feminine
Broad hips
Fecundity; fertility

13. The Four Humors Air Fire Water Earth Hot and moist Hot and dry
Blood
Yellow Bile
Plegm
Black Bile
Air
Fire
Water
Earth
Hot and moist
Hot and dry
Cold and moist
Cold and dry
Sanguine
Choleric
Plegmatic
Melancholic
Amorous, happy, generous
Violent, vengeful
Dull, pale, cowardly
Gluttonous, lazy, sentimental