Canterbury Tales

Essay on Canterbury Tales

This essay covers the Canterbury Tales, both the prologue and the tales we covered in class. Choose one for an essay of approximately 650-850 words. Make sure you are careful about sentence structure, word choice, and other usage issues. Proofread your paper carefully and attach the Essay Checklist which is on Canvas. You must turn in a hard copy of your essay and submit it to turnitin on Canvas. Failure to submit your essay to turnitin means your paper will be penalized 25 points.

1. Even though Chaucer’s sources are sometimes quite ancient and even foreign to his own world, his insights and applications are always distinctly medieval. Using at least three different pilgrims as well as the tale in your text, identify the elements which place this story and the pilgrims squarely in the fourteenth century, citing specific examples to support your general observations.

2. Canterbury Tales is Chaucer’s satirical treatment of many aspects of medieval life, especially the Church. Remembering that satire presumes an ordered world with standards that those criticized fall short of and that irony involves contrasts between actuality and appearance, use at least three characters associated with the Church (the Pardoner, the Summoner, the Nun, the Parson, the Monk, and the Friar) and show how Chaucer’s use of satire and irony shape his portrayal of them. Discuss his implications about the Church.

3. Discuss: Chaucer the poet should always be distinguished from Chaucer