1. Read the Background to the Middle Ages in the text (p. 75-88) and take Active Reading Notes. Expect a quiz.
Middle Ages Essential Questions
1. How much has human nature (d)evolved since Anglo Saxon times? How do societies aid or inhibit expressions of human nature? Are we more or less controlled in modern times?
2. How does a society encourage bravery? Is there an element of stupidity in bravery?
3. How does wealth, agriculture, and weaponry affect power and social class?
4. What influences change a society's language?
5. What themes of medieval Romances still exist today?
INTRODUCTION TO THE MEDIEVAL ROMANCE
The Medieval Romance ("Wife of Bath's Tale," "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight," and "Monty Python and the Holy Grail")
THE CANTERBURY TALES (review "The Wife of Bath's Tale," read and analyze the Prologue, read "The Pardoner's Tale," three additional tales as outside reading)
The Tales - You may choose one of the following three methods for annotating your reading:
Use sticky notes in the book I’m providing you.
Find a free online version and annotate electronically
Buy your own book and write in the book itself. The Canterbury Tales are such a fun, wonderful piece of literature and history that it’s worth owning a copy--you’ll enjoy seeing your comments twenty years from now.
You will be reading the following Tales:
Tale
Pages
Annotations Due Date
Reading Assessment
“The Miller’s Tale”
86-106
Friday, December 6
25 points
“The Prioress’ Tale” *Warning: This tale contains anti-Semitic material - critics are divided regarding whether Chaucer was engaging in anti-Jewish sentiment or criticizing it.
170-176
Friday, December 13
25 points
“The Nun’s Priest’s Tale”
215-231
Monday, December 16
25 points
“The Merchant’s Tale”
357-388
Friday, December 20
25 points
The Close Reading Annotations At a minimum (in order to earn 80% of the assessment grade), you should have three annotations per page. Annotations should include questions, comments, connections, vocabulary, interesting quotes, patterns etc. When annotating, bear in mind the possible essays below, so that you build your evidence as you read.
Mad 40 Assessment - December 20 Your Mad 40 will be a 200 point assessment (100 points Writing and 100 points Language). You may write on one of the following topics; you will be allowed to use your book with annotations. General Instructions:
You were to have read four additional Tales (we read The Wife of Bath's Tale, The Pardoner's Tale in class).
In your essay, you MAY use evidence from the in-class tales, but you MUST use evidence from all four outside tales.
You may use your original notes during class and since I am expecting to see quoted textual evidence from the tales, it is strongly suggested that you bring your annotated copy of the Tales with you.
You MAY create a thesis statement outside of class for your essay.
Topics to guide your essay: 1. In the Tales you've read, is there a pattern to Chaucer's depiction of gender? Does he seem to have some message about males or females and the way in which they operate in the world and interact with one another? Your thesis should consist of a response to these questions.
2. Create a thesis that discusses Chaucer's themes and/or character traits that weave a common thread throughout the Tales you've read.
3. Create a thesis that discusses how sin and redemption operate in Chaucer’s tales.
4. Create a thesis that discusses how Chaucer uses humor and exaggeration to comment on society.
MIDDLE ENGLISH
Following the Norman Conquest and throughout the Middle Ages, the English language evolved into a more modern language, thanks in part to French influences. Before you listen to this excerpt from The Canterbury Tales in Middle English, listen again to the Old English Lord's Prayer for comparison purposes.
3. Read and take notes on Ballads on page 96. Bring in a modern Ballad for class. Elements of a Romance:
-Tales of high adventure
-Ordinary laws of nature don't apply
-Written in verse
-Role of Women: virgins, temptresses, or old crones
-Time frame: things occurring within a year and a day
-events occurring in threes
-Usually a quest and a quest within a quest (side quest)
Notes on Sir Gawain
-Begins on New Year's Eve celebration in King Arthur's Court
-Lavish celebration - beautiful women, incredible food, opulence is everywhere (velvet, jewels, gold)
Wife of Bath's Tale as a Medieval Romance
Element
Evidence
Time (year and a day)
Knight has year and day to return
Things in Threes
-dialogue (old crone quoting Philosophers)
-three types of women (wives, crones, maidens)
-Number of ladies night meets divisible by three (24)
Magic
-Crone turns young and loyal
-Ladies vanish into thin air
Role of women
-Crones, virgins, wives
-Women should be seen as equal (opposite example)
Sin and Redemption
Rape - Learns what women want
Poetic Justice
Knight rapes maiden; crone returns the action
Side quest
? Interviewing everyone; maybe the marriage and trying to overcome that ...it's his quest for understanding
Quest
What women want
The Pardoner Characteristics (l 689)
- Blonde hair - thin rat tails and long.
- Bulging eye balls
-Wallet on lap full of pardons
-Goat voice
-Beardless
-Gelding or mare (castrated male or female)
-Goblet, Mary's veil, cross, pig's bones...."relics" that he sells
-Lied to priests and congregation
-Read beautifully and told stories; beautiful voice and then would preach with honey tongue
-His performances would cause people to throw silver his way. Pardoner's Prologue
-"preach for nothing but greed of gain"
-Irony - preaches against very vice he holds
-Can save souls by his preaching - but that's what he's in it for. Wants to make "some of that cash money."
-Would take money from poorest widow...and spend it on wine and women (guess he's not a gelding)
-Proud of being "wholly vicious"
-Heavy drinker
Middle Ages Essential Questions
1. How much has human nature (d)evolved since Anglo Saxon times? How do societies aid or inhibit expressions of human nature? Are we more or less controlled in modern times?
2. How does a society encourage bravery? Is there an element of stupidity in bravery?
3. How does wealth, agriculture, and weaponry affect power and social class?
4. What influences change a society's language?
5. What themes of medieval Romances still exist today?
INTRODUCTION TO MIDDLE AGES
Brief Introduction to Middle Ages
Most Important Modern Contributions of "Middle" Ages
Magna Carta Background
INTRODUCTION TO THE MEDIEVAL ROMANCE
The Medieval Romance ("Wife of Bath's Tale," "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight," and "Monty Python and the Holy Grail")
THE CANTERBURY TALES (review "The Wife of Bath's Tale," read and analyze the Prologue, read "The Pardoner's Tale," three additional tales as outside reading)
The Prologue Project
Prologue Project Rubric
IN Class Essay (Irony in Wife of Bath's Tale and Pardoner's Tale)
Outside Reading Essay Questions:
Canterbury Tales Outside Reading Assignments
The Tales - You may choose one of the following three methods for annotating your reading:
You will be reading the following Tales:
*Warning: This tale contains anti-Semitic material - critics are divided regarding whether Chaucer was engaging in anti-Jewish sentiment or criticizing it.
The Close Reading Annotations
At a minimum (in order to earn 80% of the assessment grade), you should have three annotations per page. Annotations should include questions, comments, connections, vocabulary, interesting quotes, patterns etc. When annotating, bear in mind the possible essays below, so that you build your evidence as you read.
Mad 40 Assessment - December 20
Your Mad 40 will be a 200 point assessment (100 points Writing and 100 points Language). You may write on one of the following topics; you will be allowed to use your book with annotations.
General Instructions:
- You were to have read four additional Tales (we read The Wife of Bath's Tale, The Pardoner's Tale in class).
- In your essay, you MAY use evidence from the in-class tales, but you MUST use evidence from all four outside tales.
- You may use your original notes during class and since I am expecting to see quoted textual evidence from the tales, it is strongly suggested that you bring your annotated copy of the Tales with you.
- You MAY create a thesis statement outside of class for your essay.
Topics to guide your essay:1. In the Tales you've read, is there a pattern to Chaucer's depiction of gender? Does he seem to have some message about males or females and the way in which they operate in the world and interact with one another? Your thesis should consist of a response to these questions.
2. Create a thesis that discusses Chaucer's themes and/or character traits that weave a common thread throughout the Tales you've read.
3. Create a thesis that discusses how sin and redemption operate in Chaucer’s tales.
4. Create a thesis that discusses how Chaucer uses humor and exaggeration to comment on society.
MIDDLE ENGLISH
Following the Norman Conquest and throughout the Middle Ages, the English language evolved into a more modern language, thanks in part to French influences. Before you listen to this excerpt from The Canterbury Tales in Middle English, listen again to the Old English Lord's Prayer for comparison purposes.
3. Read and take notes on Ballads on page 96. Bring in a modern Ballad for class.
Elements of a Romance:
-Tales of high adventure
-Ordinary laws of nature don't apply
-Written in verse
-Role of Women: virgins, temptresses, or old crones
-Time frame: things occurring within a year and a day
-events occurring in threes
-Usually a quest and a quest within a quest (side quest)
Notes on Sir Gawain
-Begins on New Year's Eve celebration in King Arthur's Court
-Lavish celebration - beautiful women, incredible food, opulence is everywhere (velvet, jewels, gold)
Wife of Bath's Tale as a Medieval Romance
-three types of women (wives, crones, maidens)
-Number of ladies night meets divisible by three (24)
-Ladies vanish into thin air
-Women should be seen as equal (opposite example)
- Blonde hair - thin rat tails and long.
- Bulging eye balls
-Wallet on lap full of pardons
-Goat voice
-Beardless
-Gelding or mare (castrated male or female)
-Goblet, Mary's veil, cross, pig's bones...."relics" that he sells
-Lied to priests and congregation
-Read beautifully and told stories; beautiful voice and then would preach with honey tongue
-His performances would cause people to throw silver his way.
Pardoner's Prologue
-"preach for nothing but greed of gain"
-Irony - preaches against very vice he holds
-Can save souls by his preaching - but that's what he's in it for. Wants to make "some of that cash money."
-Would take money from poorest widow...and spend it on wine and women (guess he's not a gelding)
-Proud of being "wholly vicious"
-Heavy drinker
Pardoner's Tale