The Canterbury Tales Notes
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Teacher’s notes
LEVEL 3
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The Canterbury Tales
The Clerk’s Tale
Geoffrey Chaucer
Griselda’s husband tests her love with increasing cruelty,
including the loss and apparent murder of her two
children, divorce and remarriage and the employment of
Griselda as servant to his new wife. Her husband finally
feels pity for Griselda and tells her that everything was
a test. The children are still alive, the remarriage never
actually happened and then they live happily together for
many years.
The Wife of Bath’s Tale
What do women want? A knight must find the answer to
this question to avoid being punished for breaking the law.
Various answers are offered to him but the correct answer,
About the author
according to this story, is that they want to be the head of
Geoffrey Chaucer (1342/3 –1400) was born into a
their house. A knight gets this answer from an ugly old
well-to-do English family. Not much is known about his
hag in return for a promise to grant her a wish. When she
education but he was well read, spoke French and had
says she wants him to marry her, he has to agree. He is
some knowledge of Latin and Italian. He was the king’s
terribly depressed, but his new wife points out that it is
personal attendant and married a servant of the queen’s.
better to have an ugly old wife who makes him happy than
He fought in the Hundred Year’s War against France, was
a beautiful wife who makes him sad. He agrees and she
instantly becomes a beautiful young woman.
captured and the king had to pay a ransom for him. He
was sent on diplomatic and trade missions to France and
The Pardoner’s Tale
Italy. He was controller of the Customs on wool and wine.
Three drunken men set out to find Death and kill him.
The Canterbury Tales, his major work, is considered one of
During the search, they find bags of gold. They decide to
the greatest works in English literature.
keep the treasure but then plot among themselves to kill
each other to get more of the gold for themselves. In this
Summary
way, they all find Death!
A group of pilgrims going to see the tomb of Thomas
The Franklin’s Tale
à Becket in Canterbury meet at an inn in London and
Dorigen is wooed by Aurelius while her husband,
decide to take part in a game. The game consists in each
Arveragus, is away at war. She does not love Aurelius
pilgrim telling a story on their way to Canterbury. The
but says she will be his if he can make the rocks in the
one who tells the best story will be given a free meal at the
sea disappear. A magician makes the sea cover the rocks.
same inn.
Dorigen’s husband returns from the wars and makes her
The Knight’s Tale
keep her promise. But Aurelius is moved by her sadness
Two knights, Arcite and Palamon, fall in love with Emily,
and releases her from the promise. The magician, in turn,
the niece of King Theseus of Athens, while they are in
decides not to take Aurelius’s money for his services.
prison in the city. Arcite is freed first but is banished
The Friar’s Tale
from Athens. In disguise he returns to serve his love while
A summoner on the way to get money from an old
Palamon escapes from prison. They meet by accident in
woman pretends to be a bailiff when he meets a devil.
a forest and begin to fight. Theseus arrives and stops the
They see a man cursing his horses saying ‘The devil take
fight but sets up a battle to resolve the dispute. Before
you!’ but the devil refuses to take the horses because he
the battle, Arcite prays to Mars for victory and Palamon
realises that the man doesn’t mean it. However, when the
prays to Venus for Emily’s heart. Both wishes are granted.
old woman curses the summoner, the devil sees that she is
Arcite wins the battle but falls from his horse and dies so
sincere and takes the summoner to hell.
Palamon wins Emily’s heart.
The Canterbury Tales - Teacher’s notes of 3
c Pearson Education Limited 2008
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