The Canterbury Tales: General Prologue & Frame Story Summary The action begins at a tavern just outside of London, circa 1390, where a group of pilgrims have gathered in preparation for their journey to visit the shrine of St. Thomas Becket in Canterbury.
When and where does the prologue take place in The Canterbury Tales?
“The Prologue” takes place in April at the Tabard Inn in Southwark. What event or circumstance causes the characters to gather? The characters gather for a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Thomas à Becket in Canterbury.
Where does the General Prologue take place?
When and where does the Prologue take place? In April in Southwark at the Tabard Inn. What event or circumstance causes the characters to gather? They are making a pilgrimage to Canterbury, to give thanks to Thomas Becket for rescuing them from sickness and escaping the Black Death.
Where was the prologue of The Canterbury Tales?
The Tabard Inn
The narrator, Geoffrey Chaucer, is in The Tabard Inn in Southwark, where he meets a group of ‘sundry folk’ who are all on the way to Canterbury, the site of the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket, a martyr reputed to have the power of healing the sinful.
What is the importance of spring season in the opening of the Prologue to The Canterbury Tales?
The springtime symbolizes rebirth and fresh beginnings, and is thus appropriate for the beginning of Chaucer’s text. Springtime also evokes erotic love, as evidenced by the moment when Palamon first sees Emelye gathering fresh flowers to make garlands in honor of May.
What time of year does the General Prologue begin?
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote . . . The narrator opens the General Prologue with a description of the return of spring. He describes the April rains, the burgeoning flowers and leaves, and the chirping birds.
Where does The Canterbury Tales take place?
Written in Middle English, the story follows a group of pilgrims who are travelling the long journey from London to Canterbury Cathedral. Setting off from a London inn, the innkeeper suggests that during the journey each pilgrim should tell two tales to help pass the time.
What is the purpose of the General Prologue in The Canterbury Tales?
The General Prologue is, arguably, the most familiar part of the Canterbury Tales. It frames the longer story collection by setting the season, describing the pilgrims who will narrate the tales, and laying the ground rules of the storytelling contest.
When did Chaucer write the General Prologue?
During 1380-1392, he wrote the “General Prologue” and some of Canterbury Tales. By the year 1400, he had completed the Canterbury Tales, perhaps the most famous poem in medieval English!
Is the prologue at the beginning or the end?
A prologue is a piece of writing found at the beginning of a literary work, before the first chapter and separate from the main story.
What is the setting in the beginning of the story of Canterbury Tales?
What is the setting at the beginning of The Canterbury Tales prologue? The setting at the beginning of The Canterbury Tales is a journey from London to Canterbury being made by pilgrims. The journey begins in an inn in London.
Does the prologue come before Act 1?
A prologue is a scene(s) set before the story, before the first chapter. It’s integral to the plot, however, so it must be included in the book. The prologue could be years before the events of the novel take place or it could be just weeks. The exact timing isn’t important.
Is the prologue before chapter 1?
A prologue comes before the first chapter of a novel. It is part of the narrative and serves to set up the main story, provides some vital information, and prepares the reader for what is to come.
How many lines are there in prologue to Canterbury Tales?
The Canterbury Tales (Middle English: Tales of Caunterbury) is a collection of twenty-four stories that runs to over 17,000 lines written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer between 1387 and 1400. It is widely regarded as Chaucer’s magnum opus.
Why is April important in The Canterbury Tales?
But to English teachers, Chaucerians and medievalists, April is well known as a grand month to go on a religious pilgrimage. In the prologue to his “Canterbury Tales,” Geoffrey Chaucer tells us of a charming English springtime and the desire it engenders to the people of his day to make a pilgrimage.
Who was the first pilgrim introduced in the prologue?
The Knight
The Knight
The first pilgrim Chaucer describes in the General Prologue, and the teller of the first tale. The Knight represents the ideal of a medieval Christian man-at-arms. He has participated in no less than fifteen of the great crusades of his era. Brave, experienced, and prudent, the narrator greatly admires him.
During what month does the General Prologue take place?
The date: why June 1389? The previous section explains why 1389 would be a possible year for Chaucer to have written and presented the Prologue. But why June 6? We have chosen this date as it is falls exactly between two critical dates: 3rd May 1389 and 12 July 1389.
Who is the host in the General Prologue Canterbury Tales?
Harry Bailly
Harry Bailly, Bailly also spelled Bailey, fictional character, the genial and outspoken host of the Tabard Inn who accompanies the group of pilgrims to Canterbury in Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales (c. 1387–1400).
Where does everyone meet in the General Prologue?
tavern
In the “General Prologue,” the pilgrims meet at a tavern before the journey begins and the Host of the tavern suggests that the pilgrims tell stories during their pilgrimage to help them pass the time.
In which season and month does The Canterbury Tales take place?
The Canterbury Tales begins with a Prologue (which means “a few words to begin”). In the prologue Chaucer describes the time of year, which is April, when the weather begins to get warmer after winter. He says that it is at this time that people begin to go on pilgrimage.
Does The Canterbury Tales take place in medieval times?
The Canterbury Tales is the best-known of Chaucer’s works. Its vivid portrayal of a diverse group of travelers reveals much about the composition and values of society in late medieval England.