British+Literature

Periods 2,3,4,5
= ** Canterbury Tales Wiki Worksheet ** =

Part One
The Middle Ages is one of the most interesting and colorful time periods in history. The research questions in Part One of this activity will give you only a brief glimpse into the people of the time and how they lived. It will also demonstrate how Chaucer creates characters that help us understand the complexities of the historical time period. Be sure to create a link to each site that provides an answer for each of the research questions. You may have more than one site for any one question. Research questions:   What specific occupation does your character practice? 

What does the need for this occupation tell us about the time period?  W hat was his or her social standing?    What might your character’s day to day life be like?    What details about this character does Chaucer not include?    What modern day occupation might correspond to your medieval character and why? = =

1. Paraphrase each line of the prologue describing your character. 2. Which lines in the prologue best describe your character’s physical appearance? 3. Which lines describe his/her personality? 4. Which specific words add to your understanding of the character’s personality? 5. List at least 5 examples of spelling variations from middle to modern English
 * Part Two: Text Examination**

Once you have researched the background of your character and examined the text in which your character is developed, you can analyze the language better. //Analysis of the passage// (Be sure to answer in complete sentences and include these responses in your wiki page. Don’t limit yourself, however; include any additional information that would help a reader understand the text better.) 1. What is Chaucer’s opinion toward this character? 2. What specific lines or words tell you this? 3. What word choices require an understanding of vocabulary from the time period? **//This example comes from the opening lines of the prologue. Your analysis will include specific lines and images from your passage.//** By choosing Spring as the time frame for his prologue, Chaucer opens with a hopeful attitude. Spring is a time of new beginnings and the pilgrims are embarking on their own new journey. [|Zephyr] brings new life with his “sweet breath.” (Notice the link defining the word “zephyr. Be sure to include any links you think would help your reader understand your meaning.)
 * Part Three**