1. Explain the relationship between "Sentence" and "Solaas" in the CT. What is the moral responsibility of art according to Chaucer? Does he ever undermine or question that moral responsibility?

2. Explain what Chaucer means by "the wordes moote be cosyn to the dede"? How does this provide a baseline of evaluation for readers and pilgrims to follow?

3. When Chaucer says we must excuse him for retelling the pilgrims' tales in the same way they told them (in the same language) what is he saying about the relationships among language/character/truth?

4. Chaucer often describes the pilgrims in the General Prologue (GP) as the best or the worthiest or the most honorable of their kind. Why does he do this? Are they all really the best?

5. Discuss Chaucer's use of Estates Satire in the GP.

6. What is the function of the Host in the GP? Comment on the portrait of the Host. What is his agenda for the pilgrimage?

7. Explain the disparity between our expectations and the actual portrait of one or two pilgrims in the GP. What is the effect of this disparity?
top of page

1. Why does the Knight tell a courtly romance? What are our expectations for this genre (which the Wife of Bath also uses)? How does this genre throw light on the character of the Knight? Is it really a romance or is it a tragedy?

2. What is the role of fortune and fate in the Knight's Tale (KT)? How does the idea of an orderly universe play itself out? Where do we see Fortune's Wheel--what does it mean? Does everything come out all right in the end for all the characters? Why do two almost identical characters, Palamon and Arcite, have such different fates? Is that fair? What is Chaucer suggesting? Why do bad things happen to good people? What role does Christian doctrine play in this tale? What role does Boethius' Consolation of Philosophy play in it?

3. How does the structure of the KT display its main themes? What is its structure?

4. How well are the characters in the KT developed? Is character a major factor in how we are invited to interpret/analyze these figures?

5. Explain why Emelye's prayer to Diana does not get positive results? Discuss Emelye's fate. Notice all the places where the KT comments on the nature of women. What are women like? What is the role of women in the courtly romance?

6. Discuss the symbolism of the artwork in one or more of the three temples.

7. How does Chaucer combine "sentence" and "solas" in the KT?

1. Notice the repetition of the word (and its variants) privytee in this tale and its prologue. Why is there such an emphasis on this notion of secrecy/secret knowledge/God's secrets/women's secrets? How is this appropriate to the tale?

2. How does this notion of God's secrets comment on the role of fate in the KT?

3. The prologue to the MT brings up the idea of each tale's relation to the others. The Miller declares that he knows a noble tale that will quite the KT. How many shadings of meaning does Chaucer give to the word quitten ? How does the MT's position challenge the KT and raise the issue of class/social tension?

4. What are some of the ways that Nicholas and Absolon are types of courtly lovers?

5. How many "plots" do you see operating in The Miller's Tale (MT)? When do they all come together?

6. How is education important to the MT? Who learns what?

7. From the information in the GP, the Prologue to the MT, and the MT itself, what do we learn about the Miller's character?

8. How does everyone in the MT get what they deserve and deserve what they get?

10. Discuss the role of women in the MT. What happens to Alisoun? Why isn't she "punished" in the tale?

11. What seem to be the most important driving forces of the fabliau world? Compare to the romance world.

12. The fabliau genre typically makes fun of the romance. How do we see the MT mocking or commenting on the KT? Notice similarities of plot/descriptions of Emelye and Alisoun/themes/etc.

1. Look closely at the language of the ML's prologue and tale. Notice the legal jargon that both the host and the ML use. In what way does the idea of this pilgrim being a "man of law" impact on the meaning of his tale? How is the law used in his tale? Remember our discussion of "mannes governance" (line 297)

2. What is the relationship between women's will and "mannes governance" in this tale?

3. Look at what this tale has to say about motherhood. Compare and contrast the two evil mothers-in-law with Custance and the Virgin Mary. How does this discourse of motherhood influence or complicate what the tale has to say about women's roles?

4. Explain what's going on in lines 267-287.

5. Look at the ML's discussion of literature in his prologue. What does he say about Chaucer? About Ovid? Why does he specifically make reference to the theme of metamorphoses? Does this have any relation to his tale?

6. What does the ML's prologue say about literature? Why does he place it in the realm of exchange, the discourse of buying and selling merchandise? He got this tale from a merchant and merchants in the tale exchange news of Custance with the sultan. What is the meaning of this connection between tale telling and the exchange of women?

7. What is the "sentence" of the MLT?

8. Explain what is going on in the epilogue to the MLT. Going on the assumption of critics that the Wife of Bath should be inserted instead of the Shipman and it is her "joly body" that shall tell the next tale, how does this epilogue make a link or contrast between the MLT and the WOB's prologue and tale? 

1. How does the Wife describe the role of wives in her prologue to her tale?What types of wives are there? How does she describe the role of husbands? What types of husbands are there? What is the stereotype of wives that men seem to have according to the Wife? How does she relate to each of her husbands? What about her fifth husband? How has the balance of power shifted in her last marriage?

2. How does the debate between experience and authority play itself out in the Wife's prologue? She appeals to experience but does she appeal to authorities too? What kind of authorities? What is the effect of her "preaching" on this subject?

3. How would you characterize the Wife after reading her prologue? Does she seem like an "authority" on marriage? (a trustworthy one?) What is her strength--her knowledge of people?

4. How does the reference to "Who painted the lion?" work in the Wife's prologue and tale? How does the book of wicked wives work?

5. According to the Wife's tale, what do women want? or Discuss how mastery ("maistrie") functions in her tale?

6. Are there any connections between the Wife's prologue and her tale? Why does the Wife tell this tale? How does the character of the Wife influence our reading of her tale? In what way does fantasy play in this tale? Is this a female fantasy? Who gets the best deal?

7. Is the Wife a feminist figure? What do you mean by "feminist"? Can this anachronistic term be usefully applied to Chaucer's character at all?

8. Explain the last seven lines of the Tale. 

1. Once again in the Clerk's prologue we get a discussion of literature. What does the Clerk say about Petrarch and the authority of this tale?

2. The host describes the Clerk as riding "as coy and stille as dooth a mayde/ Were newe spoused, sittynge at the bord" (lines 2-3). He notices that the Clerk is silent (as a new bride) and may be engaged in sophistry, that is false argumentation. Is this important to our reading of the tale he tells--or to his relationship to the WOB? Can he be compared to Griselde?

3. What is the "sentence" of the tale? What is the genre of this tale? Notice that the host calls it both a legend (saint's life) and a 'gentil tale" (romance?) If it is an exemplum, are wives supposed to be like Griselde? The Clerk says no--does he really mean no? The clerk says that this is an example of what wives shouldn't do. Is this then an allegory for the soul's relationship to God? Does Walter represent God? Again, the Clerk says no--Walter is only a mortal man. What is the role of the court/ townsfolk?

4. How does the CT "quite" the WOBT? Take into account the Clerk's mention at the end of the tale of the Wife of Bath and "hire secte."

5. What is the effect on our reading of the tale of the Clerk's interruptions to condemn Walter's actions? How do we feel about the Clerk?

6. How does the Host read this tale? Does he misread it? How can you tell?

7. Compare this tale to the MLT. Do any of the themes carry over? Is Custance like Griselde? Why or why not? and what is significant about the differences?

8. What do you think of the Clerk's advice to wives at the end of the tale? 

1. How does this tale fit into the discussion of marriage or wives that's been going on? Can we use the merchant's prologue as an indication of how that discussion is affecting the pilgrims or the host's final words at the end of the tale?

2. Does this tale "quite" the WOBT? Why or why not and what is significant about the differences or similarities?

3. What genre is this tale? Fabliau, sermon on marriage, debate on marriage, exemplum, a folktale, romance? How does Chaucer make use of generic expectations here?

4. Explore the link between the MerchT and the ClerkT. Has the Merchant misread the tale that he so eagerly responds to? Does this discredit him as an authority. Notice how he picks up the WOB's theme of experience--is that to counter the Clerk's retelling of an authorized tale (by Petrarch)?

5. Discuss the theme of illusion/ delusion in the tale. How does language fit into this theme? Does the role of language in this tale (as a bearer of falsehood) set us up for the Manciple's Tale?

6. Are men or women generalized or homogenized in this tale as they possibly are in the WOBT? Or are May and January and Damian individuals? Why might this be important?

7. Explain the role of the garden in this tale?

8. Again, what is the "sentence" of this tale? Think of the different audiences--readers, pilgrims, wives?

9. What is the role of the written word in this tale? The role of privacy? 

1. The Wife's Tale and the Franklin's Tale both deal with the subject of marriage. What are the different messages each tale gives? What seems to be the focus of each tale?

2. What comment does the FrT make on the nature of love and its relationship to mastery? How does this ideal work itself out in the tale? Is Dorigen's marriage ideal? She is both courtly lady and wife. Are these roles compatable?

2. In the Franklin's Tale, which character was the most generous and why?

3. How does mastery function in the Franklin's Tale?

4. Why isn’t Dorigen considered to be one of the generous characters? Take a closer look at her character.

5. Consider the meaning of this tale with regard to the on-going intertextual discussion of love and marriage in the Canterbury Tales. Dorigen has mastery--or seems to--but she still gets into trouble. Can women handle mastery in relationships? Compare this tale's ending to that of the WOBT. 

1. Does the Pardoner give a "sermon" to the pilgrims? What is his message? How do the pilgrims respond to him? Will they worship his relics? Why or why not?

2. Discuss the connections between the Pardoner and his tale. How does the theme of avarice (greed) figure in this?

3. Why is there such an emphasis on the physical or material world in his tale? How can this be used to tell a spiritual tale? Is this an allegory? Notice the emphasis on body parts.

4. Discuss the figure of the Old Man.

5. Can the Pardoner, as a sinner, tell a virtuous tale or does his character corrupt the virtuous message of his tale? He does not follow what he preaches--what effect does that have on the reader or on the pilgrims?

6. What is the irony underlying the Pardoner’s profession in the context of the Canterbury pilgrimage?

7. How does the Host react to the Pardoner? How do the other pilgrim's react? Why is the Host so mad? What does he threaten to do to the Pardoner? Notice who makes the peace again.

8. Has the Pardoner slipped into his own performance in some way? 

1. Are there any discrepancies between the Prioress and the tale she tells? Think of her sentimentality and of the brutality of the tale. Is there more compatibility between her and her tale?

2. How does the Anti-Semitism function in this tale? Is this thoroughly a convention of the genre of a miracle of the Virgin? Is Chaucer simply a man of his time? Is he satrizing the Prioress by placing this very brutal sentiment in her mouth? Are these even the right questions to be asking about this theme? Does the fact that there were no Jews in England at this time make any difference?

3. How are Christians implicated in the evil ascribed to the Jews?

4. Look at the beautiful poetry of the prologue--could this beautiful prayer really introduce a satirical tale?

5. Explain the role of the Holy Innocents in this tale. Is it important that the little clergeoun learns his Alma Redemptoris by rote without understanding the words?

6. How does this tale fit into the CT project? Its generic function (to induce devotion) seems to limit any critical analysis. What about its position between the Shipman's Tale and the Tale of Sir Thopas?

7. How do the themes of language and meaning (word being cousin to deed) work in this tale? Is God's "grete worthynesse" conveyed without complex rhetoric--with silence--with the voice of the dead child?

8. What is the symbolism of the grain? Relate to the wheat at the end of the Nun's Priest's Tale. 

1. Discuss how the debate between of fortune or fate or destiny and free will functions in The Nun's Priest's Tale (NPT).

2. How does the discussion of dreams function in the NPT?

3. How does Chaucer use the Beast-Fable genre to make his point in the NPT? What is his point?

4. How does the NPT comment on the theme of maistry in marriage or of what women want? How does the battle of the sexes play itself out in the NPT and how does it compare to what we saw in the WOBT?

5. Can we see Chaunticleer's "fall" as an allegory for the Fall of man from the garden of Eden? We do get that reference to March as the season when God first made man--and he takes bad advice from his wife? How does the discussion of free will or predestination fit into this allegory? Then, what do we do with this elaborate allegory when the narrator reminds us these are just chickens?

6. How does the Latin quote that Chaunticleer mis-interprets for Pertelote figure into the tale? Into the tale's discussion of women or of doctrine?

7. Explain how the narratives of the dreams are significant to the tale as a whole.

8. What does Chaucer say about literature in the NPT? About "sentence" and "solas"? 

1. Why does Chaucer show us the Manciple fighting with the Cook? This is only one of the many instances where the pilgrims seem to have disagreements--either personal or professional. How does this reflect on any "estates satire" Chaucer might be doing? What sort of community or society is he building for us? How do the tales fit into this social interaction? Think of the theme of "quitying."

2. Here again we see the theme of the word being cousin to the deed--but what use does Chaucer make of it in this tale? What is the result of speech in the Manc. T? What happens to speech itself as a result of what happens in the tale? Why does the Manciple warn us against being authors?

3. What does the Manc. T say about the nature of wives? This can be compared to what the Wife, the Merchant, the Clerk, and the Franklin have to say about wives. Does the fact of the wife's guilt or innocence play any role in the tale? If so, what?

4. What is the moral or morals of the story? Is the crow punished or rewarded for his speech? Is the stated moral the real moral or the only moral? Why is there confusion about this?

5. What is the function of the repetition of the moral keep well thy tongue at the end of the tale? Does the form of the warning match the message? Why would Chaucer do this?

6. Note the instances of privitee in the tale? Compare to other tales. 

1. What is Chaucer's final word (can there be a final word?) on what makes the best story? Take the GP, the prologue to the NPT and the retraction into account.

2. What was Chaucer's aim in writing the retraction? Are we to take him seriously or not? Why wouldn't we?

2. How would you describe the narrator from the info he gives us in the frame and in the dream too? Is he an expert lover? a scholar?

3. Explain how the inscriptions over the gates to the garden function to give meaning to the sights and love debate that follows?

4. How does the imagery of Venus and the garden fit with or contrast/comment on the figure of Nature and her birds in their love debate?

5. Again, what type of dream is this? Why might that be important to know?

6. What is the result of the debate? What is its nature? What is really at stake? How does class fit into the debate? Courtly Love vs Carnal Love?

7. Who should "win" the formel eagle? Does the fact that Nature allows the formel to choose and even to put off choosing suggest a pro-woman reading or does it simply exemplify the conditions of courtly love as ever put off to the future? Which way do you see Chaucer's sentiments lying? Does he favor Courtly love or merely satrize it here?

8. What does the dreamer learn about love--take into consideration his position at the beginning of the dream? How does the "male" authority figure of Africanus fit into this development of the dreamer as a lover.

9. How does the contrast of experience vs authority function in the arena of love?

1. What kind of dream is the BOD? (Somnium, visio, Oraculum, insomnium, apparation) Why is the type of dream important to our understanding of the poem?

2. What is the relationship of the frame story to the main dream?

3. Who is the Black Knight? John of Gaunt? Part of the dreamer's psyche? What is his role in the poem? LIkewise, what is the role of the narrator in this poem?

4. What is the function of the scenery in the dream? The whelp, the deer, the hunt, the locus amoenus, the ekphrasis? the classical stories? the chess metaphor? How does Chaucer use all this material to focus his message?

5. Look carefully at the narrator's responses throughout the poem--What is he like? What does he learn? How does he respond to the stories he reads, the metaphors he hears (chess game), the grief he hears, even the dream he has--what is his response when it is all over?

6. What should our response be to this poem? Is our response in any way conditioned by the elements of the poem? If so how and by which elements?