"General Prologue" (adapted from a guide by Richard Kroll)

1. What is the general purpose of such a prologue?

2. What or who are we presented with, and in what order?

3. The pilgrims represent a variety of human types. How would you group them?

4. Who presents the tale? Is the relation between `poet' and `narrator' the same or different from that in Beowulf?

5. What does the setting do for the rest of the tales?

(a) What is the putative purpose or motive for the journey?

(b) How does the season amplify or ironize that motive?

7. With respect to the narrator, what is he like? (lines 19-42; 717-48)

(a) How does he tend to see the other pilgrims?

(b) How is each description ordered? What details does the narrator tend to notice?

8. What is the relationship of the Host to the journey; to the pilgrims?

9. Which pilgrims are the most appealing figures? Which the least? Why?

The Wife of Bath's Prologue (adapted from a guide by Florence Boos)

1. What do we already know about the Wife of Bath from the Prologue? Why do you think Chaucer may emphasize these particular details?

2. The Wife's opening remarks are an elaborate answer to the exposition of St Jerome's "Against Jovinianus". a misogynist and anti-marital tract (and the book to which probably her husband no. 5 refers in his boring speeches). To what extent does she make a good case for herself? For sexual enjoyment? Are there arguments she could make but doesn't?

3. Is the Wife as unconventional as her defensiveness would suggest? Which aspects of her life are orthodox and which less so?

4. What is the effect of her narration of her life with the five husbands? Is there a progression in her experiences? Is she accurate in claiming authority in describing the woes of marriage?

5. Why is the book from which Jenkin keeps on quoting the cause of their argument? The Wife makes an argument that all books are essentially biased against women - why?

6. At the end, do you feel more or less sympathy with her? On what grounds is her reconciliation with Jenkin supposedly based? Is she in fact eager to dominate him?

7. What effect is created by the interruptions of the Pardoner, Friar, and Summoner?

_______________________The Wife of Bath's Tale - next class

1. The Wife starts her tale with a snide remark directed against one of the men who interrupted her. How does she get back at him?

2. Who pleads for the knight's life? How credible do you think it is?

3. What is the task set for the knight?

4. The knight, like Gawain, has to give his word of honour to show up to his own possible execution. What is missing in this notion of “honour” the poem presents?

5. The Wife quotes the story of King Midas to prove that women can't keep secrets, but she gets it wrong. How is her story different from the one described by Ovid? Why does she make this mistake? What point does Chaucer (who knew his Ovid perfectly well) want to illustrate by giving her the wrong version of the story?

6. What deal does the old woman offer to the knight?

7. How does the knight explain why he can't consummate his marriage?

8. The knight's wife gives him a long pillow talk. What does she lecture him about?

9. What does the tale seem to reveal about the Wife's own fantasy life?

10. There are essentially two schools of interpreting the Wife of Bath: either she is meant to represent the folly and weakness of women or she is a great proto-feminist character. Which one do you side with and why?

11. What relation does her tale bear to her preoccupations in her prologue? Is it in fact a tale of female mastery and domination? What does the old woman of the tale desire? 9. What effect is created by the Wife's repeated intrusion as a narrator in her own tale? Her insertion of anti-feminist jokes and deprecating views on women?

"The Miller's Tale"

(a) How is Nicolas described?

(b) How is the wife described? In what order are things presented, and what happens to the nature of the description as it proceeds?

(c) In what terms does “hende Nicolas” woo the wife?

(d) How does the wife swear to fulfil Nicolas' desire?

(e) How is Absalon described?

(f) Why are Alison and John only named in the bedroom scene?

11. The Trick:

(a) What is the Carpenter's explanation for Nicolas' curious state?

(b) Is there any irony in the advice given to John in the lines: “In wise old Solomon you'll find the verse/'Who takes advice shall never fare the worse'”?

(c) Where and how do secrets keep coming into the language and action?

(d) What is the moral of the tale's end? Or is it just a sophomoric joke?

 

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