What is The Canterbury Tales about short summary?

In The Canterbury Tales, a group of pilgrims traveling to Canterbury Cathedral compete in a storytelling contest. This overarching plot, or frame, provides a reason for the pilgrims to tell their stories, which reflect the concerns sparked by the social upheavals of late medieval England.

What is the importance of the General Prologue in The Canterbury Tales?

The prologue to The Canterbury Tales is most important because it established the class structure of society in Medieval England. Chaucer uses the genre of estates satire. He introduces the nobility first, followed by the clergy, the merchants, tradesmen, and finally the peasants.

Who is speaking in the prologue of The Canterbury Tales?

The Knight The first pilgrim Chaucer describes in the General Prologue, and the teller of the first tale. The Knight represents the ideal of a medieval Christian man-at-arms. He has participated in no less than fifteen of the great crusades of his era. Brave, experienced, and prudent, the narrator greatly admires him.

Which Pilgrim is introduced first in the prologue to The Canterbury Tales?

The first pilgrim Chaucer describes in the General Prologue, and the teller of the first tale. He represents the ideal of a medieval Christian man-at-arms. He has participated in no less than fifteen of the great crusades of his era.

What is the moral lesson of Canterbury Tales?

One of the main lessons throughout all of the tales and main story is that honor and honesty is valued. In stories like the Physician’s Tale, we see that the lying Appius who lusts after a young girl, is eventually caught for his lies and thrown in jail where he kills himself.

Why is Canterbury so important?

Canterbury has been a European pilgrimage site of major importance for over 800 years since the assassination of Archbishop Thomas Becket in 1170. The pilgrims in the Canterbury Tales followed the Pilgrims Way to Canterbury, to worship and make penance at the tomb of the murdered Archbishop, Thomas Becket.

What is the main theme of Canterbury Tales?

Social satire is the major theme of The Canterbury Tales. The medieval society was set on three foundations: the nobility, the church, and the peasantry. Chaucer’s satire targets all segments of the medieval social issues, human immorality, and depraved heart.

What is the main idea of The Canterbury Tales?

Which Canterbury Tale is the best?

The Best Canterbury Tales Everyone Should Read

• The Nun’s Priest’s Tale.
• The Knight’s Tale.
• The Merchant’s Tale.
• The Reeve’s Tale.
• The Wife of Bath’s Tale.
• The Friar’s Tale.
• The Tale of Sir Thopas.
• The General Prologue.

What is the main idea of the Canterbury Tales?

What message is Chaucer giving us with this story?

His basic message is that he met up with lots of people all going to the same place–which happens in April since that’s when they get “pilgrimmage fever”–and they have decided to play a game of story telling on the way for entertainment.

Why is the Canterbury Tales so important?

The Canterbury Tales is also important because of Chaucer’s decision to write in English, specifically Middle English. In the late 14 th century, French was still the primary literary language of those in power. The Canterbury Tales became one of the first major works of literature to be written in English.

Why is there prioress in the Canterbury Tales?

The Prioress is important to The Canterbury Tales because she is one of the only devout people on the pilgrimage , one of the only people actually going on the pilgrimage to worship. Though Chaucer’s description of her in the General Prologue is rather unflattering, her tale attests to her true piety.

What are all the characters in the Canterbury Tales?

The characters in The Canterbury Tales seem to portray real life characteristics. Some of the characters include the Wife of Bath, the Knight, the Monk, the Squire and the Clerk. The Canterbury Tales is full with themes of nobility, and loyalty.

What is the premise of the Canterbury Tales?

The premise of The Canterbury Tales is a tale-telling competition between pilgrims on their way to Canterbury. In the General Prologue , the Host introduces the structure: each pilgrim will tell two tales on the way to Canterbury and two on the way home.