English: The Canterbury Tales Test

Question 1

What is a frame tale?

Answer 1

A narrative that provides a vehicle for the telling of other stories

Question 2

How is the Canterbury Tales a frame tale?

Answer 2

It has stories within a story: people tell stories while taking a pilgrimage to Canterburry to see the shrine of St. Thomas a’Becket

Question 3

Who mediates the story-telling contest? What happens to the winner?

Answer 3

The Host; they get a prize (a large dinner)

Question 4

What is the goal of the Canterbury tales?

Answer 4

To expose hypocrisy, particularly in the Religious Group

Question 5

What is Chaucer’s disclaimer?

Answer 5

He’s telling the story as it appears to him

Question 6

How many characters are there?

Answer 6

29

Question 7

Where to the characters gather at the beginning of the story?

Answer 7

The Tabard Inn

Question 8

Who is in the Knightly Group?

Answer 8

The knight, the squire, the yeoman

Question 9

Chivalrous, noble, truthful, honorable and generous. He is distinguished and perfect. Modest, gentle, courageous, wise

Answer 9

Knight

Question 10

He is lowly and courteous, strong and young. He likes to draw and write and is “fiery.” He’s a ladies man.

Answer 10

Squire

Satire: he’s easily distracted by worldly things

Question 11

Neat, Robin Hood-like, jack of all trades, young and in training, flighty but gives effort

Answer 11

Yeoman

Question 12

Who is in the Religious Group?

Answer 12

The Nun, Monk, Friar

Question 13

Name of the Nun

Answer 13

Madame Eglyntyne

Question 14

Particular, entertaining, pleasant and friendly. Coy, sings nasally, fakes French speech

Answer 14

The Nun

satire: she’s very fake

Question 15

Manly man, gaudy, uncloistered, unorthodox, a hunter,

Answer 15

Monk
(satire: Being a monk isn’t really for him, he’s a likable and good guy but he’s not good at monk stuff-not everyone should be a priest)

Question 16

Greedy, in it for the money, concerns self with only wealthy people, a con-man, drunkard, a flirt, wild

Answer 16

The Friar (Hubert)

Question 17

Satire in the Religious Group

Answer 17

They progressively get worse/more corrupt the higher up in rank the are.

Question 18

In debt, but doesn’t appear to be. paranoid about the wool trade because he’s in debt, a good guy, but not good with money

Answer 18

Merchant

Satire: He’s good with other people’s money, but not his own

Question 19

Studious, formal, respectful, educated, morally virtuous, poor in wealth

Answer 19

Oxford Cleric

Satire: smart, but stuck in a different world (of books) which prevents him from accumulating any wealth

Question 20

Wise, arrogant, discreet, a big spender, successful, appears trustworthy and appears to know what hes doing; always appears busy

Answer 20

Sergeant at the Law

Question 21

Happy, lives for pleasure, loves food and wine

Answer 21

Franklin (prosperous, lower-class land owner)

Question 22

These 5 are listed together; formal in dress, they are like a fraternity, rich and hard–working but all their money goes to their wives who want to be treated like queens, need backbone

Answer 22

Haberdasher, Dyer, Carpenter, Weaver, Carpet-Maker

Question 23

Dedicated to cooking, good at his job, a loner

Answer 23

The Cook
(Satire: he has an ulcer –> custard in pies; he’s a nasty cook–> people have no regard for others and their well-being)

Question 24

tanned, experienced, skilled, hardcore (“walk the plank”), drunk, good at job

Answer 24

The Skipper

Question 25

greedy, out to make money, keeps savings near diseases, smart, educated

Answer 25

The Doctor

Satire: He diagnoses his patients via horoscopes, taking a gamble with their lives

Question 26

Has had 5 husbands, somewhat deaf, wealthy, knows what men want and willing to give it to them

Answer 26

A worthy woman/Woman at Bath City

Satire: She’s going to Jerusalem, presumably to be cleansed

Question 27

Good preacher, honest, virtuous, cares about and visits people, ironically better than anyone in religious group, parallels the Knight

Answer 27

The Parson
(contrasts woman at Bath City who’s description comes before his)
(Satire: Chaucer: “I think there never was a better priest”)

Question 28

good, honest worker, religious, does job happily and with pride even though it’s literal crap, parallels squire

Answer 28

The Plowman
(He and the Parson are brothers-mama raised them right)

Question 29

The 6 that Chaucer rides with

Answer 29

The Miller, The Manciple, The Reeve, The Summoner, the Pardoner, The Host
(Ironically these are all the worst people besides the Host)

Question 30

Thief, bagpipe player, stout, strong, starts fights, obnoxious, quick to anger, dirty mouth

Answer 30

The Miller

Question 31

Not rash like the Miller, good at what he does, smart yet illiterate

Answer 31

The Manciple

satire; He’ smart but he’s illiterate

Question 32

Old, choleric (angry), think, neat, a carpenter, frail, comical looking

Answer 32

The Reeve

He’s described with animal imagery to show that he’s stubborn

Question 33

summons people that break church law, crusty, drunkard, hot-headed, blackmailer, he has carbuncles and whelks, lecherous, ready to be with anyone at anytime woohoo (probably the worst person)

Answer 33

The Summoner

STDs-herpes

Question 34

Sings, rips people off, sleazy, a liar, greedy and corrupt

Answer 34

The Pardoner (he has authority of the Pope)
(Satire: He’s a different person outside of church)
(animal-like imagery)

Question 35

How do they decide who tells their story first?

Answer 35

They draw lots (belief of the time was that lots were controlled by God)