The Canterbury TalesThe Canterbury Tales

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

The Medieval Period – 1200-1450The 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.

The Seven Deadly SinsThe 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

Literary TermsLiterary 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.

Literary TermsLiterary 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 worksatirical, comical, objective, condescending

© Copyright Academic Year 2007-2008, by M. Baltsas. All Rights Reserved.

Literary Terms – Types of IronyLiterary 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

Sarca

sm

Hyperbole

Understatem

ent

© Copyright Academic Year 2007-2008, by M. Baltsas. All Rights Reserved.

Background InformationBackground 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.

Background InformationBackground 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.

Social ClassSocial Class

• Feudal (knighthood)

• Ecclesiastical (church)

• Urban (working class).

© Copyright Academic Year 2007-2008, by M. Baltsas. All Rights Reserved.

Major ConflictsMajor Conflicts

involve clashes between social classes

differing tastescompeting professionsconflict between the

sexes

© Copyright Academic Year 2007-2008, by M. Baltsas. All Rights Reserved.