Answer and Explanation: The pilgrims are on their way to Canterbury to pay respect to Saint Thomas Becket. As a martyred Christian, the pilgrims visit his shrine in Canterbury to pay respect to his sacrifice for his faith. For this reason the pilgrims are on their way to the shrine of Saint Thomas at Canterbury.
What is in Canterbury that the pilgrims are going to visit?
The tales (mostly written in verse, although some are in prose) are presented as part of a story-telling contest by a group of pilgrims as they travel together from London to Canterbury to visit the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral.
Why are the pilgrims going to Canterbury in The Canterbury Tales?
During the Middle Ages thousands of pilgrims came on a journey to Canterbury each year to visit the shrine of Thomas Becket to pray and seek help for their problems.
Why are all the people going to Canterbury in Prologue to Canterbury Tales?
Summary of The Prologue
That evening, a group of people arrive at the inn, all of whom are also going to Canterbury to receive the blessings of “the holy blissful martyr,” St. Thomas à Becket. Calling themselves “pilgrims” because of their destination, they accept the Narrator into their company.
Who is the saint that that pilgrims wanted to visit in Canterbury Cathedral?
Saint Thomas
The remains of martyrs like Saint Thomas were supposed to have special healing powers, and so thousands of pilgrims flocked to Canterbury. Holes and prayer niches were often made in the side of the saint’s tomb or shrine so pilgrims could get closer to their remains of the saint.
Who went on the pilgrimage to Canterbury?
The use of a pilgrimage as the framing device enabled Chaucer to bring together people from many walks of life: knight, prioress, monk; merchant, man of law, franklin, scholarly clerk; miller, reeve, pardoner; wife of Bath and many others.
Where do the pilgrims meet before their trip in Canterbury Tales?
The book tells the story of some pilgrims who went to Canterbury together. On their journey from London, they each told a story – a tale. The pilgrims met at a house called the Tabard Inn in London.
Why are the pilgrims traveling to Canterbury quizlet?
Why are the travelers going to Canterbury? They are on a pilgrimage to see the relics of St. Thomas Becket.
How many pilgrims are going to Canterbury Canterbury Tales?
31 pilgrims
Written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer at the end of the 14th century, The Canterbury Tales tells the story of a group of 31 pilgrims who meet while travelling from the Tabard Inn in Southwark to the shrine of St Thomas Becket in Canterbury.
Why did everyone pilgrimage to Canterbury who is the martyr?
Canterbury’s cathedral became a popular pilgrimage site following the martyrdom of Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury who was murdered in 1170 by supporters of King Henry II. The English particularly loved Becket as a saint due to his English heritage and they believed he could cure illness.
Why did the monk go on the pilgrimage?
To help others find salvation.
Who are the 29 pilgrims in the Canterbury Tales?
The pilgrims are identified, from left to right, as “Reeve, Chaucer, Clerk of Oxenford, Cook, Miller, Wife of Bath, Merchant, Parson, Man of Law, Plowman, Physician, Franklin, 2 Citizens, Shipman, The Host, Sompnour, Manciple, Pardoner, Monk, Friar, a Citizen, Lady Abbess, Nun, 3 Priests, Squires Yeoman, Knight, [and]
Who are the main characters in The Canterbury Tales?
The Canterbury TalesCharacters
Who was murdered at Canterbury?
Archbishop Thomas Becket
Archbishop Thomas Becket is brutally murdered in Canterbury Cathedral by four knights of King Henry II of England, apparently on orders of the king.
When did the pilgrims travel to Canterbury?
Pilgrims first started making the journey from AD1172 from Winchester to Canterbury, where Thomas Becket was buried after his martyrdom two years before.
Who are the 31 pilgrims in Canterbury Tales?
The Pilgrims
- The Narrator. The narrator makes it quite clear that he is also a character in his book.
- The Knight. The first pilgrim Chaucer describes in the General Prologue, and the teller of the first tale.
- The Wife of Bath.
- The Pardoner.
- The Miller.
- The Prioress.
- The Monk.
- The Friar.
Where were the pilgrims going on their journey?
The Move to America
At that time, Virginia extended from Jamestown in the south to the mouth of the Hudson River in the north, so the Pilgrims planned to settle near present-day New York City. There they hoped to live under the English government, but they would worship in their own, separate church.
Did the pilgrims walk to Canterbury?
As an ancient byway dating back as far as the Stone Age because of its topography that forms a natural causeway, pilgrims have followed this path to Canterbury since the 12th century in order to pay respects to Saint and martyr Thomas Becket.
How many pilgrims does the narrator meet going to Canterbury?
At the Tabard Inn, the narrator meets 29 pilgrims who are on their way, making a pilgrimage to Canterbury. They let the narrator join them since he heads to the same place.
What type of people would have gone on pilgrimages?
Sometimes such pilgrimages were performed by relatives, friends or servants who may have promised in advance of the testator’s death that they would do so, but sometimes the pilgrim was a hireling. English testators quite often directed that a priest should go to Rome to say masses there on their behalf.
What important event happened in Canterbury?
Canterbury has been a European pilgrimage site of major importance for over 800 years since the assassination of Archbishop Thomas Becket in 1170.