Canterbury Tales Project - Marking Period 3
Guiding Question - What can we learn from Chaucer’s portrayal of people from the Middle Ages?
Background: Geoffrey Chaucer, a fourteenth-century Englishman is considered to be one of the greatest poets to write in the English language. In addition to its literary value, The Canterbury Tales is significant because it is the first major work of literature to have been written in English, a language that during Chaucer’s time was considered unworthy of poetry or prose. Full of romance, drama, pathos, and humor, Chaucer’s diverse collection of tales paints a vivid literary portrait of his medieval society. His writing influenced many English authors of great renown who succeeded him, including William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens. The Canterbury Tales is structured as a collection of stories told by a socially diverse group traveling to Canterbury to pay homage to St. Thomas. Chaucer introduces his characters in the Prologue and then presents each pilgrim’s tale interspersed with dialogue between and among the travelers.
For this project, you will be graded on the depth of your research into your character. Your goal is to make a detailed and insightful presentation to the class, which places the characters within medieval contexts, and makes connections to what Chaucer wanted us to understand about societal traditions. Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales is a ‘snapshot’ of the middle ages. In the absence of a camera, his words are captured light, his pages are film. With your partner you will explore the cultural relevance of the tale that your character tells on his/her way to Canterbury. You will need to have a working understanding of the tale itself and why Chaucer felt the need to place that tale in the context of the story.
Part One - Research questions:
Part Two - Character Analysis/Sketch:
Part Three - Analysis:
Part Four - Design:
"Introductory Lecture and Objectives" eNotes Publishing Ed. Scott Locklear. eNotes.com, Inc. eNotes.com 8 Nov, 2015<http://www.enotes.com/topics/canterbury-tales/teacher-resources#teacher-resources-enotes-lesson-plan-introductory-lecture-objectives>
Guiding Question - What can we learn from Chaucer’s portrayal of people from the Middle Ages?
Background: Geoffrey Chaucer, a fourteenth-century Englishman is considered to be one of the greatest poets to write in the English language. In addition to its literary value, The Canterbury Tales is significant because it is the first major work of literature to have been written in English, a language that during Chaucer’s time was considered unworthy of poetry or prose. Full of romance, drama, pathos, and humor, Chaucer’s diverse collection of tales paints a vivid literary portrait of his medieval society. His writing influenced many English authors of great renown who succeeded him, including William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens. The Canterbury Tales is structured as a collection of stories told by a socially diverse group traveling to Canterbury to pay homage to St. Thomas. Chaucer introduces his characters in the Prologue and then presents each pilgrim’s tale interspersed with dialogue between and among the travelers.
For this project, you will be graded on the depth of your research into your character. Your goal is to make a detailed and insightful presentation to the class, which places the characters within medieval contexts, and makes connections to what Chaucer wanted us to understand about societal traditions. Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales is a ‘snapshot’ of the middle ages. In the absence of a camera, his words are captured light, his pages are film. With your partner you will explore the cultural relevance of the tale that your character tells on his/her way to Canterbury. You will need to have a working understanding of the tale itself and why Chaucer felt the need to place that tale in the context of the story.
Part One - Research questions:
- What is the occupation of your character?
- What does the need for this occupation tell us about the time period?
- What was the character’s social standing?
- How does Chaucer use direct and indirect characterization to reveal important themes about medieval society?
- What vocabulary words are critical to the understanding of your character?
- Answer the questions on the study guide about your character
Part Two - Character Analysis/Sketch:
- What is your character’s physical appearance? (cite lines from the prologue)
- What is your character’s personality? (cite lines from the prologue)
Part Three - Analysis:
- What is Chaucer’s opinion toward this character?
- Why does Chaucer feel the need to have this character take the pilgrimage?
- What lessons/morals does Chaucer hope to provide for his audience?
Part Four - Design:
- Will your presentation be pleasing to the audience?
- Does your presentation look like it was professionally created?
- Are there any grammar errors in your presentation?
- Provide citations for your research
"Introductory Lecture and Objectives" eNotes Publishing Ed. Scott Locklear. eNotes.com, Inc. eNotes.com 8 Nov, 2015<http://www.enotes.com/topics/canterbury-tales/teacher-resources#teacher-resources-enotes-lesson-plan-introductory-lecture-objectives>