1. The Canterbury Tales Class Notes © Copyright Academic Year 2007-2008, by M. Baltsas. All Rights Reserved.

2. The Medieval Period – 1200-1450  Period of great change in culture, politics, science, society, agriculture and economics.  Urbanization of northern and western Europe took place © Copyright Academic Year 2007-2008, by M. Baltsas. All Rights Reserved.

3. The Seven Deadly Sins gluttony - too much food or drink ambition - strong desire to get ahead sloth - laziness avarice - greed pride - conceited wrath - anger envy - jealousy which leads to hate

4. Literary Terms Allusion - A reference to a historical person, place, or event that the average reader is unfamiliar with. Frame story –A story is told within a narrative story or frame. –The frame is introduced in the prologue of the “Canterbury Tales” Characterization –Development of characters through speech, thoughts, feelings, actions, appearance Genre –A category that literature is grouped into Fiction, mystery, science fiction… © Copyright Academic Year 2007-2008, by M. Baltsas. All Rights Reserved.

5. Literary Terms Oxymoron –A statement which brings together two contradictory terms civil war, jumbo shrimp, awfully good Satire –Ideas, customs, and behaviors are ridiculed for the purpose of improving behavior Tone –The writer’s attitude toward the work satirical, comical, objective, condescending © Copyright Academic Year 2007-2008, by M. Baltsas. All Rights Reserved.

6. Literary Terms – Types of Irony Irony –Contrast between expectation and reality. Sarcasm –Literal meaning is complementary, but actual meaning is critical Hyperbole –Truth is exaggerated for emphasis or humorous effect Understatement –Creating an emphasis by saying less than is literally true. IRONY Sarcasm Hyperbole Understatement © Copyright Academic Year 2007-2008, by M. Baltsas. All Rights Reserved.

7. Background Information  Point of view  Each of the tales is told from an omniscient third-person point of view, providing the reader with the thoughts as well as actions of the characters.  Omniscient – all knowing  Narrator  The primary narrator is an anonymous member of the pilgrimage, who is not described. The other pilgrims narrate most of the tales. © Copyright Academic Year 2007-2008, by M. Baltsas. All Rights Reserved.

8. Background Information Setting (Time) - The late fourteenth century, after 1381 Setting (Place) - The Tabard Inn and the road to Canterbury Time and place written –Around 1386–1395, England Author Geoffrey Chaucer © Copyright Academic Year 2007-2008, by M. Baltsas. All Rights Reserved.

9. Social Class Feudal (knighthood) Ecclesiastical (church) Urban (working class). © Copyright Academic Year 2007-2008, by M. Baltsas. All Rights Reserved.

10. Major Conflicts  involve clashes between social classes  differing tastes  competing professions  conflict between the sexes © Copyright Academic Year 2007-2008, by M. Baltsas. All Rights Reserved.