Canterbury Tales (1387)

The Miller's Tale

The Miller is drunk, rough-talking, bawdy.

• A cuckold is tricked into sleeping on his roof in a washtub, while his wife Alison consorts with various suitors.
• Alison (carpenter's wife) with boarder Nicholas convinces carpenter that apocalyptic flood is coming
• A 3rd suitor, Absalom, comes and pokes Nicholas with a hot poker

Canterbury Tales (1387)

The Pardoner's Tale

The Pardoner is a smooth-talking huckster.  He has fake bits of the true-cross, St. Peter's sail, etc.

• Three drunkards search for death but instead find a treasure, over which they murder each other.

Canterbury Tales (1387)

The Merchant's Tale

The Merchant is in debt, but carries himself w/dignity.

• The Knight January is old & blind.  His young wife May cheats on him, but when his sight is restored, she says she did it to cure him.
• Her lover's name is Damian.

Canterbury Tales (1387)

The Wife of Bath

She is a bit deaf, gap-toothed, plump and ruddy.  She has had 5 husbands and carries feminist views of love, sex & marriage.

• King Arthur's knight commits rape.  To escape sentencing, he must do what women desire most.  He marries an old witch for the answer (sovereignty); the witch turns into a beautiful woman.

Canterbury Tales (1387)

The Knight's Tale

It's the first tale!

• Arcite & Palamon are both friends, and are jailed together.  Both fall in love with Emily and fight.  Arcite fights with Mars, Palamon fights with Venus; Arcite wins, but dies, and Palamon gets Emily.

Canterbury Tales (1387)

The Prioress

The Prioress is dainty, materialist, loves her little dogs.

• Jew kills a Christian boy.  The boy was singing a Christian hymn in a Jewish neighborhood.  The boy continues to sing after his throat is slit.

Canterbury Tales (1387)

The Nun's Priest(s)

** A mock hero epic--parodies conventions of classical epic poetry such as The Iliad.

• Chaunticleer the rooster is kidnapped by Sir Russell, a sweet-tongued fox.  Chaunticleer gets away when the fox opens his mouth to brag.  

By William Langland.

8 allegorical visions, where Will seeks out Truth in dreams.  

Written at the same time as the Canterbury Tales, but is in alliterative verse, not rhyming.  

Beowulf slays monster Grendel--becomes king.  Years later, a dragon kills him, and Wiglaf becomes king.

Written in Old English verse:

• Strong stress
• organized by alliteration, not rhyme
• based on number of stressed syllables
• caesura: deep pause

By Sir Thomas Malory.

Written in PROSE late middle English.

Written by the unknown poet of 'Pearl,' 'Patience,' and 'Cleanness'

Told in alliterative verse with the 'bob and wheel' at the end.

Green Knight shows up at a New Year's party and issues a challenge: anyone who desires can behead him, but he who fails must be beheaded.  Gawain succeeds, but knight reheads self.  Gawain shows up for beheading, but the Green Knight spares him.  

Bible: Old Testament

Genesis

The Creation (7 days)

The Fall: in Eden & kicked out (Paradis Lost is this & Creation)

Cain & Abel: Cain kills Abel (jealous), banished 'East of Eden', but protected by God

The Flood: Noah!  To start over

Tower of Babel: God scatters his people.  It's a language-origin story.

Abraham & Issac: Inspired Kierkegaard's 'Fear & Trembling'

Bible: Old Testament

Exodus

Story of Moses

• The Ten Plagues
• Parting the seas
• The Ten Commandments

Bible: Old Testament

Samuel and Kings

First kings of Israel, as anointed by the prophet Samuel

• Saul, then David (of Goliath story), Solomon
• Absalom rebels against father David

Bible: New Testament

Gospels

Matthew, Mark, Luke & John

Bible: Old Testament

Jonah

Bible: Old Testament

Daniel

Babylonian captivity of Jerusalem

• Court Tales & Daniel's interpretation of dreams