Thor’s Day, September 10: Men Who Fight
EQ: How (and why) did Chaucer explore both sacred and profane?
 Welcome! Gather
CHAUCER SHEETS,
pen/cil, paper, wits!
 Geoffrey Chaucer,
The Canterbury Tales:
Middle & Modern English
o Knight
o Squire
o Yeoman
 Journal Entries
Link To Nevill Coghill translation:
https://docs.google.com/document/d
/1L2blrR8oXdP8G_U5AQezwUGn
KIiKDlKdkDeBMqEDpPQ/edit?hl=
en_US
ELACC12RL-RI2: Analyze two or more themes or central ideas of text
ELACC12RI3: Analyze and explain how individuals, ideas, or events
interact and develop
ELACC12RL5: Analyze an author’s choices concerning how to structure
specific parts of a text
ELACC12RL-RI9: Analyze for theme, purpose rhetoric, and how texts treat
similar themes or topics
ELACC12RL10: Read and comprehend complex literature independently
and proficiently.
“Periods” of English Language, Literature
 Old English (OE): ???? – 1066
o Sometimes called “Anglo-Saxon”
 Example: Beowulf
 Medieval (“Middle”) English (ME): 1066 – 1500s
o Development from Hastings to Spenser, etc.
 Example: Geoffrey Chaucer
 Modern English: 1500s – today
o Doesn’t mean “just like now”!
 Examples: Shakespeare up to now
Geoffrey Chaucer (1343 - 1400)
is from what is called the medieval era.
He writes in what is called Middle English.
Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales: Middle English
Full text in Middle English, with translation: http://www.librarius.com/canttran/genpro/genpro001-042.htm
5
10
15
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 heath
The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
Hath in the ram his halve cours yronne,
And smale foweles maken melodye,
That slepen al the nyght with open ye
(so priketh hem nature in hir corages);
Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,
And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,
To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;
And specially from every shires ende
Of engelond to caunterbury they wende,
The hooly blisful martir for to seke,
That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke.
Bifil that in that seson on a day,
In Southwerk at the Tabard as I lay
Redy to wenden on my pilgrymage
To Caunterbury with ful devout corage,
At nyght was come into that hostelrye
Wel nyne and twenty in a compaignye,
25 Of sondry folk, by aventure yfalle
In felaweshipe, and pilgrimes were they alle,
That toward Caunterbury wolden ryde.
The chambres and the stables weren wyde,
And wel we weren esed atte beste.
30 And shortly, whan the sonne was to reste,
So hadde I spoken with hem everichon
That I was of hir felaweshipe anon,
And made forward erly for to ryse,
To take oure wey ther as I yow devyse.
20
35 But nathelees, whil I have tyme and space,
Er that I ferther in this tale pace,
Me thynketh it acordaunt to resoun
To telle yow al the condicioun
Of ech of hem, so as it semed me,
40 And whiche they weren, and of what degree,
And eek in what array that they were inne;
And at a knyght than wol I first bigynne.
Greek God of the warm West Wind
sun is halfway through Aries’ zodiac sign
a shire is a district of England
holiest site in England; big cathedral
St. Thomas Beckett, martyred for
opposing king’s power over church
area in south London; famous inn
various, very diverse
Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales: General Prologue
Chaucer asks us to analyze the Canterbury pilgrims using the very specific things he points out:
Me thynketh it acordaunt to resoun
To telle yow al the condicioun
Of ech of hem, so as it semed me,
And whiche they weren, and of what degree,
And eek in what array that they were inne;

“condition,” i.e., of the soul: is this pilgrim’s soul healthy, or not?

“of what degree”: Is the pilgrim a good representative of his class and job?

“array”: their stuff – clothes, jewelry, possessions, physical appearance, etc.
Using these criteria, analyze and evaluate Chaucer’s pilgrims. Use questions 1-6 to analyze evidence;
evaluate pilgrim in question 7. Create and complete a SEPARATE page of answers, notes and quoted
passages for each pilgrim.
1. Pilgrim being evaluated:
2. To which class does this pilgrim belong – nobility, worker, or church? Does s/he behave in a
way that is ideal for this class? Quote to support, citing line numbers.
3. Describe this pilgrim’s job. What exactly does s/he do? Margin notes may help.
4. List the specific details we are TOLD about this Pilgrim’s physical life. Include things like
appearance, possessions, and physical behavior. Quote for support; cite line numbers.
Remember: if you are told nothing, that tells you something!
5. List the specific details we are TOLD about this Pilgrim’s moral or mental life. Include anything
having to do with language, belief, or behavior towards others. Quote for support; cite line
numbers. Remember: if you are told nothing, that tells you something.
6. Based on what you’ve found, rank this pilgrim on this scale:
Purely Vulgar
Mixture of both
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Purely Sophisticated
8
9
10
7. Based on what you’ve found, rank this pilgrim on this scale:
Purely Profane
Mixture of both
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Purely Sacred
9
10
8. Based on what you’ve found, rank this pilgrim’s motivation and impact on this scale:
Purely Physical
Mixture of both
Purely Spiritual
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
9. Based on what you’ve found, rank this pilgrim’s motivation and impact on this scale:
Purely Selfish
Mixture of both
Purely Selfless
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
10. Put this all together in a Reading Journal Entry (quotation, citation, 100 words’ commentary)
evaluating this pilgrim by Chaucer’s criteria. Use evidence you have gathered above, and quote
for support, citing line numbers. Consider, and answer: are we supposed to admire this pilgrim?
Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales: General Prologue
Middle English
Nevill Coghill translation
A Knight ther was, and that a worthy man,
That fro the tyme that he first bigan
To ryden out, he loved chivalrye,
Trouthe and honour, fredom and curteisye.
Ful worthy was he in his lordes werre,
And therto hadde he riden (no man ferre)
As wel in Cristendom as hethenesse,
And ever honoured for his worthinesse.
50
There was a Knight, a most distinguished man,
Who from the day on which he first began
To ride abroad had followed chivalry,
Truth, honor, generousness, and courtesy.
He had done nobly in his sovereign’s war
And ridden into battle, no man more,
As well in Christian as in heathen places,
And ever honored for his noble graces.
At Alisaundre he was, whan it was wonne;
Ful ofte tyme he hadde the bord bigonne
Aboven alle naciouns in Pruce.
In Lettow hadde he reysed and in Ruce,
No Cristen man so ofte of his degree.
In Gernade at the sege eek hadde he be
Of Algezir, and riden in Belmarye.
At Lyeys was he, and at Satalye,
Whan they were wonne; and in the Grete See
At many a noble aryve hadde he be.
60
At mortal batailles hadde he been fiftene,
And foughten for our feith at Tramissene
In listes thryes, and ay slayn his foo.
This ilke worthy knight had been also
Somtyme with the lord of Balatye,
Ageyn another hethen in Turkye:
When we took Alexandria, he was there.
He often sat at table in the chair
Of honor, above all nations, when in Prussia.
In Lithuania he had ridden, and Russia,
No Christian man so often, of his rank.
When, in Granada, Algeciras sank
Under assault, he had been there, and in
North Africa, raiding Benamarin;
For all along the Mediterranean coast
He had embarked with many a noble host.
In fifteen mortal battles he had been
And jousted for our faith at Tramissene
Thrice in the lists, and always killed his man.
This same distinguished knight had led the van
Once with the Bey of Balat, doing work
For him against another heathen Turk;
And evermore he hadde a sovereyn prys.
And though that he were worthy, he was wys,
And of his port as meke as is a mayde.
He never yet no vileinye ne sayde
70
In al his lyf, un-to no maner wight.
He was a verray parfit gentil knight.
But for to tellen yow of his array,
His hors were gode, but he was nat gay.
Of fustian he wered a gipoun
Al bismotered with his habergeoun;
For he was late y-come from his viage,
And wente for to doon his pilgrimage.
He was of sovereign value in all eyes.
And though so much distinguished, he was wise
And in his bearing modest as a maid.
He never yet a boorish thing had said
In all his life to any, come what might;
He was a true, a perfect gentle-knight.
Speaking of his equipment, he possessed
Fine horses, but he was not gaily dressed.
He wore a fustian tunic stained and dark
With smudges where his armor had left mark;
Just home from service, he had joined our ranks
To do his pilgrimage and render thanks.
Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales: General Prologue
Middle English
Nevill Coghill translation
With him ther was his sone, a yong SQUYER,
A lovyere, and a lusty bacheler,
80
With lokkes crulle, as they were leyd in presse.
Of twenty yeer of age he was, I gesse.
Of his stature he was of evene lengthe,
And wonderly deliver, and greet of strengthe.
And he had been somtyme in chivachye,
In Flaundres, in Artoys, and Picardye,
And born him wel, as of so litel space,
In hope to stonden in his lady grace.
Embrouded was he, as it were a mede
Al ful of fresshe floures, whyte and rede.
90
Singinge he was, or floytinge, al the day;
He was as fresh as is the month of May.
Short was his goune, with sleves longe and wyde.
Wel coude he sitte on hors, and faire ryde.
He coude songes make and wel endyte,
Juste and eek daunce, and wel purtreye and wryte,
So hote he lovede, that by nightertale
He sleep namore than dooth a nightingale.
Curteys he was, lowly, and servisable,
And carf biforn his fader at the table.
100
He had his son with him, a fine young Squire,
A lover and cadet, a lad of fire
With locks as curly as if they had been pressed.
He was some twenty years of age, I guessed.
In stature he was of a moderate length,
With wonderful agility and strength.
He’d seen some service with the cavalry
In Flanders and Artois and Picardy
And had done valiantly in little space
Of time, in hope to win his lady’s grace.
He was embroidered like a meadow bright
And full of freshest flowers, red and white.
Singing he was, or fluting all the day;
He was as fresh as is the month of May.
Short was his gown, the sleeves were long and wide;
He knew the way to sit a horse and ride.
He could make songs and poems and recite,
Knew how to joust and dance, to draw and write.
He loved so hotly that till dawn grew pale
He slept as little as a nightingale.
Courteous he was, lowly and serviceable,
And carved to serve his father at the table.
A YEMAN hadde he, and servaunts namo
At that tyme, for him liste ryde so;
And he was clad in cote and hood of grene;
A sheef of pecok-arwes brighte and kene
Under his belt he bar ful thriftily;
(Wel coude he dresse his takel yemanly:
His arwes drouped noght with fetheres lowe),
And in his hand he bar a mighty bowe.
A not-heed hadde he, with a broun visage.
Of wode-craft wel coude he al the usage.
110
Upon his arm he bar a gay bracer,
And by his syde a swerd and a bokeler,
And on that other syde a gay daggere,
Harneised wel, and sharp as point of spere;
A Cristofre on his brest of silver shene.
An horn he bar, the bawdrik was of grene;
A forster was he, soothly, as I gesse.
There was a Yeoman with him at his side,
No other servant; so he chose to ride.
This Yeoman wore a coat and hood of green,
And peacock-feathered arrows, bright and keen
And neatly sheathed, hung at his belt the while
(For he could dress his gear in yeoman style,
His arrows never drooped their feathers low)
And in his hand he bore a mighty bow.
His head was like a nut, his face was brown.
He knew the whole of woodcraft up and down.
A saucy brace was on his arm to ward
It from the bow-string, and a shield and sword
Hung at one side, and at the other slipped
A jaunty dirk, spear-sharp and well-equipped.
A medal of St. Christopher he wore
Of shining silver on his breast, and bore
A hunting-horn, well slung and burnished clean,
That dangled from a baldrick of bright green.
He was a proper forester, I guess.