A Study of The Canterbury Tales and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Table of ContentsThe Journey Begins . . . England in the Middle Ages Focus questionGeoffrey Chaucer The Canterbury TalesTravelers to CanterburyChaucer’s Middle Ages PopulationSir Gawain and the Green KnightThe Green Knight Sir GawainWorks Cited

The Journey Begins . . .

In October 1066, a daylong battle near Hastings, England, changed the course of history.

England in the Middle Ages

Feudalism replaced the Nordic social system.

The primary duty of males above the serf class was to serve in the military—Knighthood.

Women had no political rights.

Chivalry and courtly love served as the system of social codes

England in the Middle Ages

Lower, middle, and upper-middle classes developed in the cities.

England in the Middle Ages

The Crusades extended from 1095-1270.They brought contact with Eastern mathematics, astronomy, architecture, and crafts.

England in the Middle Ages

The Magna-Carta defeated papal central power.

England in the Middle Ages

The Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453) was the first national war waged by England.

England in the Middle Ages

The Black Death (1348-1349) brought the end of the Middle Ages.

Fleas on rats carried the bubonic plague

which killed thousands of people.

in Europe.

How do the writings of the Middle Ages represent the lives, loves, loyalties, and humor of humanity?

Discover the answer by reading The Canterbury Tales and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

Geoffrey Chaucerc. 1343-1400

Considered the father of English poetryWrote in the vernacularServed as a soldier, government servant, and member of ParliamentIntroduced iambic pentameterFirst writer buried in Westminster Abbey

Learn more about Chaucer. Go to. . .http://www.unc.edu/depts/chaucer/index.html

The Canterbury Tales: Snapshot of an Age

It frames a story of characters on a religious pilgrimage to Canterbury.The characters are a concise portrait of an entire nation.The pilgrimage is a quest narrative that moves from images of spring and awakening to penance, death, and eternal life.The characters tell stories that reflect “everyman” in the universal pilgrimage of life.

The Travelers to Canterbury

Working Class

Plowman Reeve HostCook Miller

Haberdasher Dyer Carpenter Weaver Carpetmaker

The Travelers to Canterbury

Professional Class

Military Religious Secular

Knight, Squire, Yeoman

Nun, 3 Priests, Friar, Parson,

Pardoner, SummonerCleric, Serjeant at Law, Merchant,

Skipper, Doctor

The Travelers to Canterbury

Upper Class

Wife of Bath Franklin

Chaucer’s Contemporaries

Chaucer’s Snapshot of the Middle Ages Population

Sir Gawain and the Green KnightHave the rules of love changed?

The Art of Courtly Love ( twelfth century document) listed several rules of love:

No one can be bound by double love.

The easy attainment of love makes it of little value. Difficulty of attainment makes it prized

A new love puts flight to an old one.

If love diminishes, it quickly fails and rarely revives

The Green KnightHe challenges King Arthur’s knights to a New Year’s game.The Green Knight wants to exchange “one blow for another.”The stranger will stand for the first blow if the other knight will agree to have his turn in a year and a day.

Sir Gawain Sir Gawain accepts the Green Knight’s challenge.He honors his word and searches for the knight’s Green Chapel.Gawain finds a lord and his lady on his quest who offer him shelter on Christmas day.The lord has the lady tempt Sir Gawain three times on the rules of courtly love.Gawain resists--all but one advance.The Green Knight reveals himself to be the lord and spares Gawain for his honesty.

Works Cited Home

Brown, Ian. “The Green Knight.” 2002. May 16, 2003 <http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/gawmenu.htm>.

“Geoffrey Chaucer.” Elements of Literature Sixth Course. Ed. Robert R. Hoyt. Austin, 1977. T99.Pyle, Howard. “Sir Gawain the Son of Lot, King of Orkney.” 1903. May 16, 2003 <http://wwwlib.rochester.edu/camelot/gawmenu.htm>.

“The Canterbury Tales: A Snapshot of an Age.” Elements of Literature Sixth Course. Ed. Robert R. Hoyt. Austin, 1977. T101-T104.