Geoffrey Chaucer (1340-1400 CA.)

Question 1

1.Chaucer’s father was a deputy to Kings Butler, that led to teenage Chaucer serving in the Court of countess Elizabeth of _______ ,the Duke of ____________ wife.

Answer 1

Elizabeth of Ulster, the Duke of clearances wife.

Question 2

2. In which year Chaucer was sent to fight off in the Hundred years war in France ?
   a) 1357 b)1358
   c) 1359 c)1360

Answer 2

1359

Question 3

3. In hundred years war , Chaucer was captured by France and was ransomed by which king ?
   a) Edward II. b)Edward III
   c) Richard d) John of Gaunt

Answer 3

b) Edward III

Question 4

4. Chaucer married ___________ the lady in waiting to the queen.

Answer 4

Phillipa de Roet

Question 5

5. Chaucer spent most of his life in Royal service acting as a diplomat throughout _______, _____ and_______ where he was introduced to the writings of Dante, Petrarch, and Bocaccio.

Answer 5

France, Spain , and Italy.

Question 6

6. In England he held several government appointment, serving as Representative of ______, in House of common.

Answer 6

Representative of Kent in house of common.

Question 7

7. In which Chaucer lost his wife , which cut him off her royal annuities ?
   a) 1386 b)1387
   b) 1388 c)1389

Answer 7

1387

Question 8

8. In Oct 25th , 1400 where was Chaucer buried ? What is it called now ?

Answer 8

Buried in the Grounds of Westminster Abbey , part of the grounds called poets corner.

Question 9

9. Chaucer was the first poet to be buried in poets corner. Name the poet buried next to him ?

Answer 9

Edmund Spencer

Question 10

10. Chaucer was fluent in what languages ?

Answer 10

Latin
French
Italian

Question 11

11. Why did Chaucer choose to write in English despite being fluent in French, Spanish and Italian ? The language of literature

Answer 11

Middle English poems were composed in Latin or Spanish, the language spoken by nobility.
But Chaucer’s middle English was wide spread among commoners. Wasn’t a language for literature until Chaucer made it to be.
This bold choice of his made common language acceptable in literature.

Question 12

12. He wrote several dream vision poems including

Answer 12

The Book of Duchess
Parliment of fowls
The House of Fame.

Question 13

13. Which dream narrative of 13th century influenced Chaucer to use a dream sequenced framework to book, as main narrative ?

Answer 13

French dream narrative, Roman de la Rose.

Question 14

14. The general dream narrative was

Answer 14

the poet, or dreamer, related a fantastical experience, usually while escorted by a wise guide.

Question 15

15. Chaucer liked to depict his dream narrative to be

Answer 15

His narrator falling asleep while reading a book, when then inspired the contents of the dream.

Question 16

16. Chaucer’s subject matter for his dream narrative were wide raged covering

Answer 16

Country love, bereavement, and fame

Question 17

17. Which Italian writers work inspired Chaucer to pen the narrative poem “Troilus and Criseyde”

Answer 17

The basic plot of doomed lovers “Troilus and Criseyde” during Torjan war was borrowed from Boccaccio’s - “Filostrato”

Question 18

18. “Troilus and Criseyde” poem is notable for seven-line iambic pentameter called _______

Answer 18

Rime (rhyme) Royal

Question 19

With that she gan hire face for to wrye a
With the shete, and wax for shame al reed; b
And Pandarus gan under for to prie, a
And seyde, ‘Nece, if that I shal be ded, b
Have here a swerd and smyteth of myn hed!’ b
With that his arm al sodeynly he thriste c
Under hire nekke, and at the laste hire kyste. c (22-28

Answer 19

In this stanza the temporary opposition between Criseyde and Pandarus is emphasised by the rhyme between ‘wrye’ (cover, shield) and ‘prie’ (peer, peep), as Pandarus deliberately intrudes beneath her flimsy protection: first with his gaze, then with his arm and finally with his mouth. The sense of this intrusion is given greater force by the final couplet’s rhyme on ‘thriste’ and ‘kyste’, focusing attention on Pandarus’ activity. Whereas Criseyde is the subject of verbs only in the first two lines, both of which are more passive, to do with covering (‘gan…to wrye’) or changing expression (‘wax’). The opposition between Pandarus and Criseyde is further brought out in his offer to her. It seems too hyperbolic to be taken seriously and the regular iambic pentameter of the line (26) in contrast to the less regular rhythms of the rest of the stanza contributes to that impression. The offer is then immediately undercut by the thrusting of his arm. The final line places particular stress on ‘nekke’ offering a counterpoint to the ‘hed’ that Pandarus said should be struck off for his deception, emphasising Pandarus’ position of control and undercutting any notion of Criseyde truly taking vengeance on Pandarus.

Question 20

20. Chaucer was the first English poet to use _______ in poem

Answer 20

Meter in poem, a practice widely imitated by others including Shakespeare and John Milton

Question 21

21. Chaucer completed only _____ of his initially planned 120 Canterbury tales.

a) 23 b)24
c) 25 c)26

Answer 21

24

Question 22

22. He framed his tales by introducing thirty Pilgrims traveling together from London to ________ Cathedral

Answer 22

London to Canterbury Cathedral

Question 23

23.name the innkeeper host ___________asked each pilgrim to tell four stories,to pass time .two on the way, two on return.

Answer 23

Harry Bailey