Chapter 3 the age of chaucer

• That slepen al the nyght with open ye • (So priketh hem nature in hir corages); • Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages … • （General Prologue 1-12）
St. Thomas Beckett
Canterbury Cathedral
St. Thomas à Becket
Archbishop of Canterbury
During reign of Henry II
Murdered in 1170 Canonized in 1172
Characters
V. Questions
(1) What kind of motivations do most of the pilgrims have, to show piety to God or to enjoy the beauty of nature? Why?
(2) How does Chaucer portray his characters? What devices does he use to bring out a life-like character?
• (2) Chaucer’s plan
– 30 pilgrims – 4 stories each – altogether 120 stories
• (3) Chaucer’s work consists of three parts
– The General Prologue
– 24 tales, two of which left unfinished – Separate prologues to each tale with links, comments, and quarrels in between
The Oxford Clerk
伙食管理员
Chaucer
Plot
• Pilgrimage • Kill time on the journey by telling stories • The best tale-teller will get a free supper on the cost of other pilgrims
She wears head coverings to Mass that the narrator guesses must weigh ten pounds.
Week 4 Age of Chaucer
A worthy woman all her life, what’s more She’d had five husbands, all at the church door, Apart from other company in youth; No need just now to speak of that, forsooth (truly). And she had thrice been to Jerusalem, Seen many strange rivers and passed over them; She’d been to Rome and also to Boulogne, St James of Compostella and Cologne, And she was skilled in wandering by the way.
Significance
• • • • A comprehensive picture of Chaucer’s time Dramatic structure Humor Contribution to English language
The Canterbury Tales
• • • • • • • • • Whan that Aprill, with his shoures soote The droghte of March hath perced to the roote, And bathed every veyne in swich licour, Of which vertu engendred is the flour; Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth Inspired hath in every holt and heeth The tender croppes, and the yonge sonne Hath in the Ram his halve cours yronne, And smale foweles maken melodye,
The narrator describes the slightly deaf Wife of Bath. This keen seamstress（女裁缝） is always first to the offering at Mass, and if someone goes ahead of her she gets upset.
• 29 pilgrims+ ―I‖ • Host—Harry Bailey
2. Pilgrims
Upper class: The Church people (The Knight)
Prioress
The monk
The Summoner
卖赦罪符者
男修道士
教区牧师
Learned professions
II. Literary Career
• 1) Period of French influence (1360—1372) The Book of the Duchess 公爵夫人之歌 • 2) Period of Italian influence(1372—1386 )
Troilius and Criseyde
(Man of Law Physician)
Medieval manor(领地, 庄园)people (Miller Reeve)
城镇(或地区的)长官
Mercantile class (Shipman Merchant)
Laborer (Plowman)
自耕农
The Squire
乡绅
The Wife of Bath
• 3) Period of so-called ―realism‖ (1386—1400 )
The Canterbury Tales
III. ―Father‖ of English poetry
– Introduce the rhymed stanzas of various types to English poetry (e.g. heroic couplet) – Develop his art of poetry – Master of the English language
IV. The Canterbury Tales
• 1. The Framework • (1) Previous collections of Stories
– The Thousand and One Nights
– Confessio Amantis（一个情人的忏悔） by Gower – Metamorphoses（变形记） by Ovid – Decameron（十日谈） by Boccaccio
• 4) Chaucer was himself a shrewLeabharlann Baidu, sophisticated person, toughened by a life of hard and complex experiences. • 5) He was a man of learned in French, Italian and Latin literature. • 6) Literature was an avocation (spare-time occupation) for him, rather than a full time job. It was not a money-making proposition.
She has had five husbands and has taken three pilgrimages to Jerusalem. She has also been to Rome, Cologne, and other exotic pilgrimage sites.
• • • • • • • • • • • •
当四月用它甜美的雨水 彻底驱走了三月的干旱， 并用浆汁滋润每根茎脉， 凭借其力量使花苞绽放； 当春风用它芬芳的气息 令树林和灌木发出绿芽， 还有绿苗，那初春的太阳 已走完白羊座的一半路程， 小鸟们整天不停地鸣叫， 连晚上睡觉都张着眼睛 （大自然就这样使它们发情）； 这时人们便渴望去朝圣…… （总引 1-12）
2. A general Prologue
• • • • Time Place Characters Plot
Time
• One day in spring April
Place
• From Tabbard Inn in the Southern suburb of London • To Canterbury Cathedral
Geoffrey Chaucer
(1340?-1400)
The Three ―Estates等级” (status)
• 1. The nobility (those that fought) • 2. The clergy (those that prayed)
• 3. The peasantry (those who produced the food which supported those who fought and prayed)
Week 4 Age of Chaucer
Her kerchiefs were of finely woven ground; I dared have sworn they weighed a good ten pound, The ones she wore on Sunday, on her head. Her hose were of the finest scarlet red And gartered tight; her shoes were soft and new. Bold was her face, handsome, and red in hue.
I. life
• 1) born in a wine merchant’s family • 2) married Philippa, a maid of honor to the queen and sister of the Duke of Lancaster, who later became his patron. • 3) several times he was sent to the continent on diplomatic missions, two of which took him to Italy. In Italy, met Petrach.
Wife of Bath 巴斯妇
Week 4 Age of Chaucer
Week 4 Age of Chaucer
A worthy woman from beside Bath city Was with us, somewhat deaf, which was a pity. In making cloth she showed so great a bent She bettered those of Ypres and of Ghent. In all the parish not a dame dared stir Towards the altar steps in front of her, And if indeed they did, so wrath was she As to be quite put out of charity.