a long poem by Geoffrey Chaucer, begun in 1387. It consists of the stories told by a varied group of pilgrims, people travelling from London to Canterbury to show respect for St Thomas Becket. It is one of the first great poems in English, and some of the stories are well known for referring to sex in humorous ways.
What is the message of The Canterbury Tales?
One of the main lessons throughout all of the tales and main story is that honor and honesty is valued. In stories like the Physician’s Tale, we see that the lying Appius who lusts after a young girl, is eventually caught for his lies and thrown in jail where he kills himself.
What is The Canterbury Tales story about?
What is The Canterbury Tales about? Chaucer’s long poem follows the journey of a group of pilgrims, 31 including Chaucer himself, from the Tabard Inn in Southwark to St Thomas à Becket’s shrine at Canterbury Cathedral.
What does Canterbury symbolize?
Canterbury is the symbol of the celestial city: the and of life. The journey of the pilgrims becomes the allegory of the course of the human life.
What is the moral or the message of the story?
The moral or the message of a story refers to the lesson that the reader can take away from it. These can often be expressed as simple, generalized statements.
What are 3 themes found in The Canterbury Tales?
The Canterbury Tales Themes
- Social Satire. Medieval society was divided into three estates: the Church (those who prayed), the Nobility (those who fought), and the Peasantry (those who worked).
- Competition.
- Courtly Love and Sexual Desire.
- Friendship and Company.
- Church Corruption.
- Writing and Authorship.
What is the purpose and message of the Prologue to the Canterbury?
The General Prologue is the first part of The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. It introduces the frame story, in which a group of pilgrims travelling to the shrine of Thomas Becket in Canterbury agree to take part in a storytelling competition, and describes the pilgrims themselves.
What is the purpose of the journey to Canterbury?
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. Many would come long distances, including from all over Europe. Some would come on foot, while those who could afford it might ride on horseback.
What was The Canterbury Tales inspired by?
From the 1370s on, Italian poetry became the overriding influence for Chaucer’s work. Obviously familiar with the writings of Dante and Petrarch, Boccaccio especially was a major source.
Why is a Canterbury called a Canterbury?
Canterbury as a city has it’s origins in the Roman settlement of Durovernum Cantiacorum, established in the first century AD after the Roman invasion of 43 AD. The name was taken from the Cantiaci tribe that inhabited the area at the time of the Roman invasion. The name of the county of Kent also derives from them.
Why is Canterbury named Canterbury?
The name was decided at the first meeting od the Canterbury Association of which Dr John Bird Sumner, archbishop of Canterbury, was elected president. The minutes of the Association meeting record that it was decided ‘to call it Canterbury after our ecclesiastical mother‘.
What are 3 reasons The Canterbury Tales are important?
The Canterbury Tales is considered Chaucer’s masterpiece and is among the most important works of medieval literature for many reasons besides its poetic power and entertainment value, notably its depiction of the different social classes of the 14th century CE as well as clothing worn, pastimes enjoyed, and language/
What is the problem in The Canterbury Tales?
Major conflict The struggles between characters, manifested in the links between tales, mostly involve clashes between social classes, differing tastes, and competing professions. There are also clashes between the sexes, and there is resistance to the Host’s somewhat tyrannical leadership.
The five groups were Royalty, Nobility, Church, Merchants, and Peasantry.
How did The Canterbury Tales reflect the medieval society?
Its vivid portrayal of a diverse group of travelers reveals much about the composition and values of society in late medieval England. It shows us shifting dynamics of social power, an economy in flux, and diverse expressions of faith and doubt within late medieval Christianity.
The Canterbury Tales as a Satire
The Canterbury Tales is a satire, which is a genre of literature that uses humor—sometimes gentle, sometimes vicious—to ridicule foolish or corrupt people or parts of society.
Why was Canterbury Tales written?
The tales are presented as contributions to a story-telling contest by a group of pilgrims travelling from London to Canterbury to visit the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket. Chaucer’s plan was to write two stories for each of the pilgrims, telling their tales both on the way there and on the return journey.
What is the most famous Canterbury Tale?
Perhaps the most famous – and best-loved – of all of the tales in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, ‘The Miller’s Tale‘ is told as a comic corrective following the sonorous seriousness of the Knight’s tale.
What is Canterbury best known for?
What is Canterbury Most Famous For? Canterbury is famed for its splendid cathedral and atmospheric medieval streets. A lively and multinational student population adds a more youthful element, and no doubt helps to sustain a good selection of attractive pubs and a healthy café scene.
Why is Canterbury important to Christianity?
There is evidence of a group of Romano-British Christians worshipping in the ancient city. In fact, Canterbury’s church of St Martin’s might even date from this time, making it the site of Christian worship in England to have been in longest continuous use.
What important event happened in Canterbury?
The assassination of Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral on 29 December 1170 changed the course of history.