The Canterbury Tales

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The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
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The Tabard at Southwark
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The Pilgrims are on their way to the shrine of St
Thomas a Becket.
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The General Prologue

• http//academics.vmi.edu/english/audio/GP-Opening.
  html
• Middle English
• Written in the 1380s
• Frame story
• Church people, nobility, common people, tradesmen

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The Knight
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The Squire
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Courtly Love
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Stories of Courtly Love were inspired by French
Troubadours.
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They were a backlash to Beowulf and a result of
a time of short-lived peace in England and France
after the Dark Ages.
The church, of course, objected to its principals
and existence.

• Too much emphasis on earthly love

• Too strong a female role

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Courtly Love Code of Conduct

• Love is like a sickness, with symptoms like
  sleeplessness, paleness, lack of hunger, etc

• Knight serves his lady with the same dedication
  which he serves his king

• Knights love inspires him to do great deeds to
  win the love of his lady

• Lady is usually in control of the relationship

• Usually not between a husband and wife

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The Prioress
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The Friar
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The Monk
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The Wife of Bath
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