The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

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The Canterbury Talesby Geoffrey Chaucer
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Literary Terms

• satire
• characterization
• frame narrative/story
• prologue
• hyperbole
• stereotype

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satire

• A literary mode based on criticism of people and
  society through ridicule. The satirist aims to
  reduce the practices attacked by laughing
  scornfully at them--and being witty enough to
  allow the reader to laugh, also.  Ridicule,
  irony, exaggeration, and several other techniques
  are almost always present.

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characterization

• The method used by a writer to develop a
  character. The method includes (1) showing the
  character's appearance, (2) displaying the
  character's actions, (3) revealing the
  character's thoughts, (4) letting the character
  speak, and (5) getting the reactions of others.

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frame narrative

• The result of inserting one or more small stories
  within the body of a larger story that
  encompasses the smaller ones. Often this term is
  used interchangeably with both the literary
  technique and the larger story itself that
  contains the smaller ones, which are called
  "framed narratives" or "embedded narratives." The
  most famous example is Chaucer's Canterbury
  Tales, in which the overarching frame narrative
  is the story of a band of pilgrims traveling to
  the shrine of Thomas a Becket in Canterbury. The
  band passes the time in a storytelling contest.
  The framed narratives are the individual stories
  told by the pilgrims who participate.  

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prologue

• An introductory section of a literary work. It
  often contains information establishing the
  situation of the characters or presents
  information about the setting, time period, or
  action. In the "General Prologue" of The
  Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer describes the
  main characters and establishes the setting and
  purpose of the work.

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hyperbole

• Exaggeration or overstatement.
• Example I'm so hungry I could eat a
  horse. He's as big as a house.

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stereotype

• 1. A conventional, formulaic, and oversimplified
  conception, opinion, or image.
• 2. One that is regarded as embodying or
  conforming to a set image or type.

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Geoffrey Chaucer (1343-1400)

• Son of a merchant, page in a royal house,
  soldier, diplomat, and royal clerk.
• The Canterbury Tales provides the best
  contemporary picture we have of 14th century
  England.
• Began writing Canterbury Tales in 1386
• Known as The Father of English Poetry

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The Canterbury Tales

• Originally planned to write 124 tales
• Only 24 tales were completed
• Each character tells a tale on the pilgrimage to
  the cathedral at Canterbury

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Manuscripts Written in Middle English

• Ellesmere Manuscript
• 240 pages of parchment leaves
• The most famous manuscript in the English language

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General Complexity of The Canterbury Tales

• Different genres have different views of the
  world, different vocabularies, and different
  images for truth

• Romance- deals with human emotions and
  relationships
• Fabliau- deals with the basic human needs of
  food, sex, or money
• Saints Life- deals with the operations of God
• Sermons and Ethical Treatises- deals with
  spiritual matters

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The Prologue

• Prologue- an introduction
• Setting- in spring in the city of Southwark at
  the Tabard Inn
• 30 pilgrims in all
• 3 groups of pilgrims-1)Oratores (those who pray),
  Bellatores (those who fight), and Laborares
  (those who work)

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Theory of the Four Humors

• This theory held that the body's state of
  health--and by extension the state of mind, or
  character--depended upon a balance among the four
  elemental fluids blood, yellow bile, phlegm, and
  black bile. The four basic human temperaments,
  phlegmatic, sanguine, melancholic, and choleric,
  were each caused by a predominance of one of the
  four humors. The humors and their corresponding
  temperaments were closely allied with the four
  elements (air, fire, water, and earth) and the
  dualities of hot/cold, moist/dry .

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Phlegmatic

• The temperament of the calm and tough phlegmatics
  was influenced by excess phlegm, and was closely
  associated with water, cold and moisture.
  Characteristics dull, pale, cowardly. 

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Sanguine

• Sanguines, whose cheerful and lively temperament
  resulted from the dominance of the blood, and was
  associated with the air, heat and moisture.
  Characteristics amorous, happy, generous.

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Melancholic

• The worry and gloominess of the melancholies were
  due to a surfeit of melancholy. Associated with
  earth, cold and dryness. Characteristics
  gluttonous, lazy, sentimental

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Choleric

• The energetic cholerics had too much choler (an
  irritable petulant feeling) in his or her system.
  Associated with fire, heat and dryness.
  Characteristics violent, vengeful.

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The Seven Deadly Sins
Pride is an excessive belief in one's own
abilities. Envy is wanting what others have, be
it status, abilities, or possessions. Gluttony
is the desire to eat or consume more than you
require. Lust is a powerful craving for such as
sex, power and money.  Anger is the loss of
rational self-control and the desire to harm
others. Greed is the desire for material wealth
or gain. Sloth is laziness and the avoidance of
work.
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