Nu*"
Period
Pre-Reading Activity
Monsr chy S co:u eng er llunt
ThroughoutThe Canterbury Tales t}lre pilgrims refer to historical figures including
monarchs and people who worked closely with the monarchs. For this reason, it is helpful to
understand a iittle bit about the history of the kings of England. The Saxons were the first to
rule as king of all England, so that is where this scavenger hunt begins. The Danes were next
to seize the throne, and they ruled for a few generations before the Saxons reclaimed the
crown. The Normans were next followed by the Plantagenets, two of whom ruled during
Chaucer's lifetime. Chaucer's life and this scavenger hunt end with the first of the Lancaster
line.
Direcrtons: Using sources auailable online or inyour library, identifu each of the
follouing Eng lkh monarchs.
To help, a list from which to choose has been provided below.
Henry II rr54 - rr8g
Richard I "the Lionheart" uSg - rr99
John Lackland rrgg - tzt6
Henry III rz16 * L272
Edward I "Longshanks" 1272 - rgo7
Edward II r3o7 - LBzZ
Edward IIIrgzT - tS77
Richard II q77 - 1399
Egbert 8oz - 839
Alfred "the Great" 87r - 9oo
Ethelred II "The Unready" 978 - tot6
Hardicanute 1o4o
-
Lo42
WilliamIro66 -to87
William II ro87 - 11oo
HenryIuoo-119s
Stephen 1135
1.
-
HenryIV 499
1154
nnY Tf
therefore
he
le /o
f*#"nhe
age
- r4tg
of 9, hewas raisedbythe ctergy and
easily led by the church. His wife was also influential. He redefined the
monarchy such that the king was limited by a pre-Parliament council.
llgt * tzlo
This crirel and greedy Plantagenet king abused taxes to the
point where every part of society, including the clergy and the Archbishop of Canterbury
Stephen Langdon, rose against him. The Church excommunicated him. He was also
forced to sign the Magna Carta.
lAl
- {o3";
Son of SweF (Swein), this king was a Dane who created
H$f*ila?"kingwasknownasthe"LionofJustice." He
4. \rnfV J'
king
when
became
his brother was killed in a hunting accident.
qep
|
t7l
Ca
5.
\{ f tr 'l ir* r* r-,',', i' ThL/d;"'},i?"g bears a superlative name. He is the son of
Aethelwulf and is known for creating the Royal Navy as well as being a Christian,
scholar, and wise king.
6. V alt * il
Gloucester in
t*
rhiL?ilstr;J"if-J,nelawsinctudingthestatuteor
1278. He was nicknamed for his height.
@zorr Secondary Solutions
-B-
The Canterbury Tales Literature Guide