The canterbury tales lesson

transcript

The Canterbury Tales

The Pardoner’s Tale&

The Wife of Bath’s Tale

English IV College Prep. Mrs. Ring

The Pardoner’s TaleLines 1-12

1. It is ironic that the Pardoner preaches against avarice because he is

a. Especially greedyb. A pious manc. A friend of the Summoner’sd. Rude to the Host

2. The Pardoner earns money from all of the following except

a. Preaching against greedb. Begging from church to churchc. Selling relics and papal pardonsd. Making and selling baskets

3. The rioters go looking for death because they

a. Want to repent for their sins and find salvation

b. Plan to avenge the deaths of their friendsc. Know he has a great store of treasured. Want to banish him from England

4. The quote “Death is dead!” is an example of all of the following, except

a. Alliterationb. Dialoguec. Ironyd. Kenning

Stop and PredictLines 110-161

What do you think the three rioters will find underneath the tree? Write your prediction and the textual evidence that supports it on a chart like the following.

My Prediction Textual Evidence

DiscussLines 162-177

• After learning what the rioters found under the tree, are you surprised? Why or why not?

5. What does the “lucky man” who draws the longest straw have to do?

a. Rob another group of riotersb. Go to fetch food and winec. Stay to guard the treasured. Find an inn where they can spend the night

Stop and PredictLine 193

Do you think the two who remain to guard the treasure can be trusted with the treasure? Write your prediction and the textual evidence that supports it on a chart like the following.

DiscussLines 200-230

• Does the plan that the two “friends” come up with surprise you or is this what you predicted?

Stop and PredictLines 230-246

Now that you have read what the youngest rioter has planned, what do you think will actually happen when he returns to the group ? Write your prediction and the textual evidence that supports it on the chart.

6. Which of the following statements best describes the end of the tale?

a. The rioters become rich.b. Death takes the gold florins.c. The rioters meet death.d. Death takes a holiday.

7. After their search for Death, the rioters murder one another. This is an example of

a. Dramatic ironyb. Situational ironyc. Poetic ironyd. Verbal irony

The Pardoner’s Tale8. The Pardoner’s pious story reveals his

a. Immoralityb. Honestyc. Ignoranced. Sensitivity

The Pardoner’s TaleReflection

On the same paper that you used for your predictions chart, write 3-5 sentences reflecting on the predictions you made. How accurate were they? What helped you make such accurate predictions, or what caused you to make inaccurate predictions? How did making the predictions help you comprehend the text?

Side JournalEntry #1 (Lines 1-17):

Summarize the conversation between the Pardoner and the Wife of Bath.

Entry #2 (Lines 18-21):Chaucer includes certain details in order to provide insight into his characters. Jot down the details from the text that prove that the Wife of Bath is well-educated.

Lines 31-56

1. What or who, according to the Wife of Bath, has rid the land of fairies and elves?

a. The growth of towns and villagesb. An evil incubusc. The spread of dairy farmsd. Holy friars

Lines 31-58

2. The purpose of lines 31-56 is to do all of the following EXCEPT

a. To illustrate the Wife of Bath’s knowledge of English history.

b. To describe the setting of the story.c. To criticize the Church of Rome.d. To establish a mood of mysticism and fantasy.

Side JournalEntry #3 (Lines 60-64):What crime did the Knight commit? What clues from the text told you this?

Entry #4 (Lines 65-82):Write your reaction to the punishment the queen has given the Knight. Do you think it fits the crime? Why or why not?

Entry #5 (Lines 101-125):List three things that the Knight was told that women want that you find funny or interesting. Do you agree with any of them?

Lines 126-1583. What stereotype about women does the tale of King Midas reinforce?

a. Women do not get along with other women.b. Women are only interested in a man for his

money.c. Women can’t keep secrets.d. Women are obsessed with having nice

clothes.

Side JournalEntry #6 (lines 165-176):Why do you think Chaucer included the detail about the four and twenty ladies who mysteriously disappeared?

Entry #7 (lines 177-190:What did the old woman ask in return for revealing the answer to the Knight’s question? How did the Knight respond?

Entry #8 (lines 213-221):What was the answer – what do women want the most? Do you agree with this answer? Why or why not?

4. Use your knowledge of context clues and prefixes to define “misalliance” as it is used on p. 143 (line 245). Write a synonym for the word on your slip of paper.

Side JournalEntry #9 (Lines 275-279):List the three specific complaints (other than her appearance) that the knight lists about his new wife. Skip a few lines after each.1.2.3.

Next to each complaint, jot down a few of the old woman’s rebuttals from lines 285-394.

Lines 395-4035. What does the old woman imply will

happen if he chooses to have a young and beautiful wife?

a. She will leave himb. She will be unable to manage a householdc. She will be unfaithful to himd. She will not remain young and beautiful

forever

Side JournalEntry #10 (lines 404-432):Summarize the story’s resolution in your own words.Be sure to include why the old woman chose to transform herself for the knight as she did.

The Canterbury TalesWritten Response

The pilgrims going to Canterbury compete to tell a story that provides the greatest pleasure and the most instruction in morality. On your paper, write a paragraph in which you evaluate how well the Pardoner and the Wife of Bath accomplished this. Determine who out of these two you think should win the competition. Be sure to include specific details from both tales to support your answer.

Refer to the text: pp. 129-148

The canterbury tales lesson

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