Chaucer Flashcards
Cautionary tale
Exemplum
Introduction to a story with a purpose
Frame story
A story of chivalry
Courtly romance
A story where the main character is an animal
Beast fable
A story based on bad, bay day behavior
Faubliaux
Walking through a Jewish village, a Christian boy sings a religious song. Hearing it, the Jews slit his throat. Mother Mary takes pity on him and puts a grain on his tongue that keeps him alive so long as he keeps singing. What tale is this?
Prioress
What happens to the Jews in the prioress’s tale?
They are all hung for killing the Christian boy
What kind of tale is the miller’s?
A fabliaux mocking courtly love
Nicholas pretends to be sick, has a vision on a biblical flood, which he says they can only survive by sitting in tubs on the roof. This is a distraction so Nicholas can sleep with the carpenter’s wife. They convince the townspeople the carpenter is crazy, the end. What tale is this?
Miller
January marries May, who cheat on him with the squire. Jan is blinded. Pluto thusly condemns women’s morality and gives Jan his sight so he can see he has been cuckholded. He sees May and the squire having sex in a tree, but May convinces him it never happened. What tale is this?
Merchant
Why is the miller’s tale a fitting one for him?
He’s a raunchy drunkard
Why is the merchant’s tale a fitting one for him?
He has marital troubles, and his tale is about why women suck.
Why is the Knight’s tale a fitting story for him?
He believes in chivalry, the story is ridiculous because no one else does
Why is the pardoner’s take a good fit for him?
Highlights his hypocrisy, since he himself loves money
What kind of tale is the nun’s priest?
Beast fable