Miller's tale

Carpenter marries young wife - cheats on him w/ student. John hears there will b a flood. Student & wife go 2 have sex. Stalker of wife tries 2 get girl, burns student ass.

Caitlyn

140 characters

I think most of your summaries are wrong because it is supposed to be 140 characters or less. not 140 words or less. characters are letters and punctuation.

Caitlyn

correct me if im wrong

Prioress 140

boy sings alma redemptoris through a Jew town. Satan comes, has the Jews kill him. Jesus lead mother to his singing dead body. Christians kill jews, the boy fully dies.

-ken

Plowman

This is the only thing in the Canterbury Tales that mentions the plowman.

With him there was a plowman, was his brother,
That many a load of dung, and many another
Had scattered, for a good true toiler, he,
Living in peace and perfect charity.
He loved God most, and that with his whole heart
At all times, though he played or plied his art,
And next, his neighbour, even as himself.
He'd thresh and dig, with never thought of pelf,
For Christ's own sake, for every poor wight,
All without pay, if it lay in his might.
He paid his taxes, fully, fairly, well,
Both by his own toil and by stuff he'd sell.

He is The Parson's brother, was on the pilgrammage for religious reasons, and was a hard worker who always paid his taxes.

Chaucer never made a tale because he died before a tale could be written.

A possible tale that was NOT written by Chaucer was Pier's The Ploughman by William Langland. An overview of the tale is as follows.

Lucre( percieved as a tangible woman but is defined as riches in a negative sense) controls all of the affairs of the kind and court and even the curch. The Dreamer had a vision and was able to interperate the difference bewtween right and wrong.

Lady Church(Mary) interpreted the vision and told the Dreamer to seek Truth and Charity.

Later in the tale, Piers The Ploughman comes along and tells the Dreamer about Charity and helps him on his pilgrammage to find truth.

Piers means Peter which means rock. Piers is the rock on which the new, better church was built on. Piers followed the 7 virtues and 10 commandments perfectly and he lost many friends because of this.

7 Virtues- Chastity, Temperance, Charity, Diligence, Patience, Kindness, Humility.

10 Commandments- Thou Shall NOT

Have false gods before me
Use the Lord's name in vain
Forget the Sabbath day
Forget to honor thy father and mother
Kill
Commit Adultry
Steal
Bear false witness
Covet thy neighbor's wife
Covet thy neighbor's property

The Plowman was the best of the lower class and was Chaucer's best description of the lower class of the three estates. Was on the pilgrammage for religious reasons, and he had no tale.

Joe I.

Canterbury Tales- Man of Law

Man Of Law
Physical Characteristics
1. Dressed in a nice, multi-colored coat with a silk sash with little bars, showing off his wealth.
2. Extremely smart and wise
-Able to recite statutes and case judgements

Character and Social Class
1. Close to nobility because of his intellect and wealth, he speaks like a stereotypical lawyer, possibly to fit in with the nobility, but remains down-to-earth and humble by the way he dresses.
2. Even though he is close to nobility, he is not. As part of the middle class, the introduction to his prologue suggests that he pitties and laments for the povertous people/lower class for turning away from god.
3. Appointed by the king to the assize (supreme court), he has earned a lot of respect from nobility.
4. Chaucer the pilgrim sees him as an overly-busy man that may be just putting up a front to protect his laziness.
5. Hypocrit that likes to judge other people.

Faith
1. As part of the middle/working class, he is able to heavily invest in faith, not being poor enough to suspect there is no god, and not rich enough to think it's a fight between the Government and the Church.
2. In the intro to his prologue, he sympathsizes for and laments those who turn away from God, and pitties the poor who fall victim to sin.
3. In the lawyer's tale, faith remains strong and riteous despite the overwhelming theme of violence and lust - all leading to believe he is very religious.


Intro to Prologue/Prologue
Intro to the Prologue: The host notices that the day is almost over and urges the Man of Law to tell his story. The Man of Law says that he wouldn't be able to tell a story since so many have been told, had it not been for a tale he heard from a merchant many years ago.

Prologue: Before he starts his tale, he talks about how he feels sorry for the lower class which is forced into sin, speaking as a lawyer seeming to place judgment upon them, and that they should not be hated. He also scorns the upper classes for their greed.

The Lawyer's Tale
While in Rome, Syrian traveling merchants meet the Emperors daughter, Constance, known for her looks and good nature. When they returned to Syria, they told the Sultan of Constance who then fell in love with her and wished to marry her.

However, a Christian emperor would never allow his daughter to marry a Muslim. So the Sultan converted to Christianity, and upon his conversion, he recieved Constance's hand in marriage. Constance was unhappy with the arrangement, not wanting to live in a foreign country, but accepted the marriage believing that women were to be subject to the will of men.

The Sultana (The Sultan's mother), although happy with the marriage, is idignified by her son's conversion and vows to never denounce Islam, and commands her council to do the same. The Sultana compares Constance to Eve, corrupting her son as Ever corrupted Adam, but pretends to accept the Christian faith while planning the massacre of her traitorous company at the feast celebrating the new marriage.

Constance is the only one who survives the slaughter and is sent on a small ship of food back to Italy. After many years of aimless sailing, surviving by prayer, she finally arrived at Northcumberland.

Found by a nearby, pagan warden of a castle, Constance refused to tell her identity, but a blind Christian on the beach recognized her, and the Warden and his wife converted to Christianity out of fear.

The king of the castle, Alla, was currently at war with the Scots at the time; a knight fell in love with Constance, influenced by the Devil, and when she refused him, he planned revenge. During the night he slit the warden's wife's throat (who shared a room with Constance) and framed Constance for the murder by placing the knife by her bed.

When King Alla and the warden returned from Scotland, the Knight blamed Constance, though no one could bring themselves to believe it, they sentenced her to death. When the King overheard Constance's prayers declaring her innocence, he asked the Knight to declare Constance's guilt with his hand on the bible. When he did so, he was struck down, his eyes bursting.

After seeing the miracle, Alla converted to Christianity and married Constance. Upset with the marriage, Alla's mother (Lady Donegild) started messing with their relationship. When their first son, Mauritius, was born, Alla was in Scotland. Medling with the letters sent between the two about their son, Lady Donegild changed Constance's letter to say that their son was evil and wicked, to which Alla responded that he loved his son none-the-less. Lady Donegild changed Alla's letter to say that her and their son was banished.

When Alla returned, Constance was already gone, so he killed his mother for her heinous actions. While on the boat, Constance was saved by attempted rape by the warden's steward when he abruptly drowned; believed to be the mercy of God upon his loyal worshiper.

After hearing about the slaughter of the Christian men in Syria, the Roman emperor sends an army to the Sultan. On the way, a senator found Constance and brought her back home, where no one remembered her.

Alla, trying to deal with the relationship with his wife, traveled to Rome. Alla had dinner with the senator and Mauritius who recognized Alla, but didn't know who he was. The family reunite, Alla, Constance, Mauritius, and Constance's father.

Constance and Alla return to Northcumberland, and Mauritius eventually takes the throne as the Roman emperor.

The tale then ends with prayer, praising the grace and generosity of God.

Reoccuring Themes
> Faith/Christianity
> Loyalty
> Violence
> Lust

What are the requirements for the poetry project due on the 14th?
-Erica M.

The Canterbury Tales

The Clerk

Character Description:

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nThe clerk is a student at Oxford.

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His lack of an actual profession leaves him poor. Although educated, his intellectual pursuits have left him virtually unemployable.

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He tells a tale of the humble Griselde, who marries a man of high status who cruelly tests her devotion to him.

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n

Prologue:

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The host remarks that the Clerk sits as coyly and quitly as a new-married bride, and tells him to be more cheerful.

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The Host continues to argue that, when someone is entered into a game, they have to play by the rules of that game.

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The Clerk replies kindly that the Host has the "governance" over the company (in charge of the pilgrims) and says that he will tell a tale which he learned from a worthy clerk, Francis Petrarch(not an actual clerk inside joke back in the Chaucer Era), who is now dead and nailed into his coffin.

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The Tale

Part I

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The tale begins with the description of Saluzzo, a region at the base of Mount Viso in Italy. There was once a marquis of this region named Walter.

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He was wise, honorable, and noble, but his mind was always on seeking immediate pleasures – he even refused to marry

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The people of his realm begged him to find a wife, so that his lineage would continue. They even offer to find him a wife.

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He agrees to marry on one condition, he will marry whomever he chooses, regardless of birth, and his wife shall be treated with the respect, no matter her origin.

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He then set the day he would be married; his people thanked him and returned home.

Part II ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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lNot far from the marquis’ honorable palace, among the poor people, lived a man named Janicula, who had a daughter Griselde, who was exceedingly virtuous, courageous and charitable.

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lWhile hunting, the marquis caught sight of Griselde and, recognizing her virtue, immediately decided that this exemplary woman should be his wife.

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lThe marquis then came to Janicula’s home and asked him for his permission to marry his daughter.

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lWalter asked her hand in marriage, and asked her to to be ready to do whatever he said, whenever he said it, but never to resent him; if she agreed to this, he would swear to marry her. Griselde swore never to disobey him.

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lSoon she gave birth to a baby girl, although she would have preferred a son to be his father's heir.

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Part III ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

lSoon after his daughter was born, the marquis decided to test his wife. The narrator, at this stage, explicitly expresses doubt about why the marquis would test his wife.

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lThe marquis told her that although she was dear to him, to the rest of the nobility she was not. The nobility wanted her to be taken away from Griselde and put to death. Griselde received this news without grievance, and said that she and her child would do anything that pleased her husband.

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lRather than putting the child to death (though allowing Griselde to believe her child was dead), the marquis instead sent the child away with one of his sergeants to be raised by his sister, the wife of the Earl of Panago, in Bologna.

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lWalter pitied his wife, who remained steadfast and dedicated to him, silently accepting her fate and that of her child. Griselde never spoke of her daughter, nor even mentioned her name.

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Part IV ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

l

Four years passed, and Griselde had another child, a boy, and, when it was two years old, Walter repeated the same test.

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lThe people, Walter argued, did not want the low blood of Janicula to succeed him as marquis.

lShe accepted this, and told Walter that she realized she was of low birth and would consent to die if it pleased him.

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lThe same sergeant came to take away her son, and Griselde kissed her child goodbye.

lWalter then devised his next test: organizing the court of Rome to send a counterfeit papal bull which ordered Walter to divorce Griselde and take another wife. Upon hearing this, Griselde remained steadfast.

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lHowever, the marquis had written a secret letter to Bologna, ordering the Earl of Panago to return home his children. The Earl was to pretend that the daughter was to marry the marquis himself.

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Part V -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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lWalter told Griselde of the papal bull, returned her dowry to her, and sent her back to her father’s house.

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lShe was stoic upon hearing this, and, though she reiterated her love for Walter, she did not repent for loving him.

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lShe only asks that she not be sent naked from the palace, but will be given the simple smock, just the like the ones she used to wear in poverty, to spare her from suffering the indignity of returning home completely unclothed.

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lWalter granted this request, she was then stripped of all of her riches, Griselde returned home to her father in her poor clothes once more.

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lThe people followed her home, weeping for her bad fortune, but Griselde herself did not shed a tear, and, as she approached the house, her father ran out to cover her with his old coat.

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Part VI ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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l

The Countess of Panago arrived at Saluzzo from Bologna with Griselde's two children. Walter sent a message to Griselde that he would be married soon and wished for Griselde to plan the ceremony.

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lGriselde agreed and began to make the arrangements.

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lWhen he introduced Griselde to his new wife, she pleaded with him not to treat the new wife as unkindly as he did her, but meant no malice in her words.

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lWalter kissed Griselde and claimed that she had always been his wife. Griselde stood, astonished, like someone who had woken from a sleep.

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lThe supposed new wife was actually Griselde's daughter. Griselde then kissed them and held them so tightly that they could not tear the children from her arms.

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lThey then lived happily ever after and the son succeeded his father after his father died

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----------------------------------------- The End -------------------------------------------

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Summary ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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The tale itself is simple enough: woman of low birth is horribly tested by her noble husband, made to suffer extremely, and eventually, is restored to good fortune.

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Jimmy B.

The Friar

Description/Personality
-Mendicant Orders of Roman Catholic Church
-Job is to beg on behalf of the poor
-Loves money
-Ladies' Man
-Doesn't associate with those he should
-Rude
Prologue
-Friar thanks the Wife of Bath’s for her tale
-Informs everyone that he will tell a tale about a summoner, and wishes not to offend The Summoner traveling with them, even though the are known for vulgar behavior
-The Host of the inn suggests that he tells a different tale, but The Summoner disagrees and let’s the Friar tell his tale
Tale
-Takes place in England
-The Archdeacon is very against fornication, lechery, and witchcraft
-The Archdeacon had a Summoner that was very skilled at depicting lechers
-The Summoner's job was to summoned those who had enough tithes to pay the church, and when they did he would take half of it the earnings
-The Summoner slept around with prostitutes and would make them reveal their customers
-One day he travels to summon an old widow, and on the way meets a Yeoman
-The Summoner tells the Yeoman that he is a bailiff (police officer)
-The Summoner questions the Yeoman's name and he says that he is a fiend

-The Yeoman admits to living a life of theft, and then the Summoner confesses and admits that he does the same
-The Yeoman than explains that he was in fact a devil in disguise
-The Summoner questions why he is on Earth, and the devil says that sometimes devils are God's instruments
-The demon tells him that they will meet again someday, and he will have better evidence of hell
-The Summoner suggests they continue on their way to the widow's house
-They come across a farmer whose horse and wagon is stuck in mud
-The farmer curses, asking for the devil to take everything
-The Summoner urges the devil to do as he says, but the devil explains that the farmer didn't really mean what he said, he was just frustrated
-The farmer prays to God and his wagon is pulled out of the mud
-The demon and the Summoner finally reach the widow's house
-The Summoner tells her she must go to court because of excommunication
-She claims she is sick and cannot travel there, and asks him to represent her
-The Summoner demands her to pay and she refuses because she claims she is guiltless of sin, so he threatens to take her new pan
-She curses saying she gives his body to the devil
-The devil asks the widow if she means what she said and she says yes, unless the Summoner repents
-The Summoner refuses, and he is dragged to hell, where all summoners should be, with the devil
-The Friar hopes that one day all the summoners can repent for their terrible acts and become good men
Other Important Info
-The Friar and the Summoner have a great amount of animosity towards each other because they are each other's working competition
-The Friar is ruthless and opinionate, and he makes it know to everyone

Victoria B

KNIGHT

Character Description

The Knight follows several ideals or morals that are found throughout the text

v “Chivalrie” or Prowess

v “Trouthe” or Fidelity

v “Honour” or Reputation

v “Fredom” or Genorosity

v “Curteisie” or Refinement

Military Service

v The Knight has fought in the Crusades, wars in which Europeans traveled by sea to non-Christian lands and attempted to convert whole cultures by the force of their swords.

v The Knight has battled the Muslims in Egypt, Spain, and Turkey, and the Russian Orthodox in Lithuania and Russia

v He has also fought in formal duels

Appearance and Personality

v The Knight wears a tunic made of coarse cloth, and his coat of mail is rust-stained, because he has recently returned from an expedition.

v The Knight is very docile and will only use his force if he is provoked

v Other than that he is gentle and avoids confrontation

Knights tale part 1-4

v Long ago in Ancient Greece, a great conqueror and duke named Theseus ruled the city of Athens.

v One day, four women kneel in front of Theseus’s horse and weep, halting his passage into the city. The eldest woman informs him that they are grieving the loss of their husbands, who were killed at the siege of the city of Thebes

v Creon, the lord of Thebes, has dishonored them by refusing to bury or cremate their bodies. Enraged at the ladies’ plight, Theseus marches on Thebes, which he easily conquers

v Theseus captures two soldiers from the expedition and keeps them as prisoners

v One day, a duke named Perotheus, friend both to Theseus and Arcite, petitions for Arcite’s freedom

v Theseus agrees, on the condition that Arcite be banished permanently from Athens on pain of death

v Arcite returns to Thebes, miserable and jealous of Palamon, who can still see Emelye every day from the tower.

v But Palamon, too, grows more sorrowful than ever; he believes that Arcite will lay siege to Athens and take Emelye by force.

v The knight poses the question to the listeners, rhetorically: who is worse off, Arcite or Palamon?

v Some time later, winged Mercury, messenger to the gods, appears to Arcite in a dream and urges him to return to Athens.

v Arcite is now very weak and frail from his “love sickness”

v Since he had been banished from Athens on the pain of death, so he disguises himself to gain entrance to the city

v He does so and takes on a job as a page in Emelye’s chamber under the pseudonym Philostrate, this puts him close to Emyle.

v Arcite goes to the woods and fashions leaves together to lament his pain

v Palamon has escaped from seven years of imprisonment that very day and hears Arcite’s song and monologue while -sneaking through the woods

v They confront each other, each claiming the right to Emelye. Arcite challenges his friend to a duel the next day. They meet in a field and start to bludgeon eachother

v Theseus, out on a hunt, finds these two warriors brutally hacking away at each other. Palamon reveals their identities and love for Emelye

v He summons the duke to justly decide their fate, suggesting that they both deserve to die

v Theseus is about to respond by killing them, but the women of his court (especially his queen and Emelye) intervene, pleading for Palamon and Arcite’s lives

v The duke decides instead to hold a tournament fifty weeks from that day. The two men will be fighting against one another, each with a hundred of the finest men he can gather. The winner will be awarded Emelye’s hand in marrige

v Theseus prepares for the tournament by constructing an enormous stadium

v By its gate, he builds three temples to the gods—one for Venus, the goddess of love; one for Mars, the god of war; and one for Diana, the goddess of chastity.

v The tournament nears, spectators assemble, and both Palamon and Arcite arrive with impressive armies

v The Sunday before the tournament, Palamon visits the temple of Venus and supplicates her in the night. He tells her of his desire for Emelye and requests that she bring him victory in the name of his love

v That dawn, Emelye also rises and goes to the temple of Diana, she begs Diana to prevent the impending marriage. But an image of Diana appears and informs her that she must marry one of the Thebans. Obedient, Emelye retires to her chamber.

v Arcite walks to the temple of Mars and begs the god of war for victory in the battle.

v Both Palamon and Arcite receive “signs” from each temple that each of them will reign victorious.

Emyle is informed in her temple that she will have to marry one of them

v After much feasting, the spectators assemble in the stadium. The magnificent armies enter, appearing evenly matched

v After Theseus has sternly delivered the rules, the bloody battle of flashing swords and maces begins

v Though Palamon fights valiantly, Arcite sees his chance and brings Palamon “to the stake”, he claims him with a sword at his throat

v Emelye rejoices as Theseus proclaims Arcite victorious. Venus, on the other hand, weeps with shame that her knight lost, until Saturn calms her and signals that all is not over

v At Saturn’s request, the earth shakes beneath Arcite as he rides toward Theseus. The knight’s horse throws him, crushing his chest. Gravely wounded, the company transports Arcite to bed, where physicians attempt in vain to heal him.

v Arcite expresses his love to Emelye, and then tells her that if she decides to marry another, she should remember Palamon, who possesses the qualities of a worthy knight “trouthe, honour, knyghthede, / Wysdom, humblesse”

v All of Athens mourns Arcite’s death

v After some years pass, the mourners heal, with the exception of Emelye and Palamon, who continue to go about sorrowfully, dressed in black

v During one parliament at Athens, Theseus berates the two for grieving too much

v He reminds them that God ordains that all must die, and refusal to accept death is therefore ignorant

v He requests that they cease mourning, and that his wife’s sister take Palamon for her husband and lord

v They obey, and as they realize the wisdom of Theseus’s advice over many years, Emelye and Palamon enjoy a long, loving, and happy marriage.

THE END

Mike S