FAVORITE CANTERBURY TALE

FAVORITE CANTERBURY TALE

THE MERCHANT'S TALE

You are going to read a summarry of this Tale...

"...A sixty year old knight named January who lived in Lombardy, Italy had lived many years of wantonness but suddenly he had a strong desire to get married with a beautiful, young maiden and have a son to heir. He discussed the situation with his brothers. One of them named Placebo, told January he could make his own decision without taking anyone’s opinion; on the other hand, Justinus was completely against of his decision of marriage, he said to January that women are bad and unfaithful.

™January still decided to get married; he chose a girl named May. She was a very beautiful and “innocent” twenty year old woman. January once again talked to his brothers, Justinus tried January to regret about his decision but he gave up and left. January got married in a lavish, luxurious wedding in where he was quite anxious for his first night in bed with May. The feasting was pure happiness; the guests danced and sang all night long. The knight’s squire Damian immediately fell in love with May. January couldn’t wait any longer and asked all the guests to leave the house. After the priest blessed the bridal bed, January took May and made love to her. May wasn’t impressed, otherwise she was upset about her husband bed skills and quickly went off to sleep.

Four days alone passed by for the new married couple, then January noticed the absence of Damian and asked what was happened to him. He was informed that Damian had been sick for days. January told May to visit him with the ladies of the court to cheer him up. When they visited Damian, he gave May a letter declaring how deeply in love he was with her. After reading the letter, May was full of pity and decided to give back a letter to Damian declaring the same words. Time later, Damian recovered from his illness.

™January’s happiness didn’t last long because he lost his eye-sight, for that reason he became very jealous and possessive with his young wife, he always feared he could be deceived. May was too upset she couldn’t send messages to Damian anymore, but finally she could get Damian working into January’s personal garden and one day she told him to hide in the pear tree. At the same time this was happening God Pluto and his wife Proserpina were watching the whole scene, he started denouncing the disloyalty of women. 

™Pluto decided to heal January’s eye-sight; at the very moment May was betraying him Proserpina made May give the perfect answer to her husband. May climbed up the tree to “pluck a pear” but she really embraced Damian and he made love to her. At that precise moment January’s eye-sight was restored and he saw the unfaithful embrace of Damian and his wife, he started to cry but May said to him she was only trying to restore his eye-sight by doing that. May told January his eyes were too weak to see with brightness. January was convinced with May’s response and he only embraced her..."

Click on this link, you will find a video with another summary of the Tale

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9eNKAE_-v8

By the way is my favorite Tale because it is very funny and interesting. 

Hope you enjoy as much I do! (:

CANTERBURY TALES

CANTERBURY TALES 

Chaucer wrote his collection of stories, told as if by pilgrims on the road from× London to Canterbury, in the last two decades of the 14th century. The book was unfinished when he died in 1400. No text in his own hand still exists, but the surprising number of near-contemporary copies that do survive - over 80 - suggests the tales proved a medieval 'bestseller'. This early and richly ornamented manuscript copy was made within a generation of× Chaucer's death.

Who was Chaucer?

Geoffrey Chaucer was born in× London, around 1345, into a well-connected family of wine-merchants. As a young teenager he was taken into an aristocratic household. Still in his teens, he fought in Edward III's army in×France. During a botched attack on Rheims, Chaucer was taken prisoner, but released after a ransom was paid, in part by the king himself.

By 1367, he had entered royal service under the patronage of the king's son, the powerful× John of Gaunt, Duke of× Lancaster. When the duke's wife died two years later,× Chaucer composed the 'Book of the Duchess' in her memory, his first known poem.

For the rest of his life,× Chaucer's fortunes were tied to the political intrigues of court life. While John of× Gaunt's influence was in the ascendant he did well, obtaining generous pensions and lucrative administrative appointments, such as× Comptroller of the Custom and× Subsidy of Wools, Hides and× Woodfells. Diplomatic duties took him to× France and Italy, where he became familiar with the works of Dante, Petrarch and Boccaccio - authors who would inspire his own poetry.

When Edward III died in 1377, he was succeeded by his young grandson, Richard II. As the new king's uncle,× John of Gaunt's authority grew stronger - much to the advantage of× Chaucer, who reached the top of his public career when he became one of the two knights for the county of× Kent in 1386.

But a turbulent power struggle between× John of Gaunt and× Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of× Gloucester would soon lead to a decline in× Chaucer's circumstances. His last years were spent using his court connections to secure protection from his creditors as he waited for royal pensions to be paid. Chaucer died in 1400.

What is the 'Canterbury Tales' about?

Chaucer's long poem follows the journey of a group of pilgrims, 31 including Chaucer himself, from the Tabard Inn in Southwark to St Thomas à Becket's shrine at Canterbury Cathedral. The host at the inn suggests each pilgrim tell two tales on the way out and two on the way home to help while away their time on the road. The best storyteller is to be rewarded with a free supper on their return.

This literary device gives Chaucer the opportunity to paint a series of vivid word portraits of a cross-section of his society, from a knight and prioress, to a carpenter and cook; a much-married wife of Bath, to a bawdy miller - an occupation regarded in Chaucer's day as shifty and dishonest.

Chaucer mixes satire and realism in lively characterisations of his pilgrims. The tone of their tales ranges from pious to comic, with humour veering between erudite wit and good honest vulgarity. Taken together, the tales offer a fascinating insight into English life during the late 14th century.

Chaucer's original plan was for over 100 stories, but only 24 were completed, some of which had already been written for earlier works. Their order varies in different surviving copies, the Hengwrt manuscript being valued most for its accuracy.

Why was Chaucer important?

Chaucer is credited with having set the style for Middle English literature. Earlier Anglo-Saxon poetry, such as 'Beowulf', had been succeeded by a taste for French literature, in large part the result of England being ruled by Norman French kings after the Conquest of 1066. Even by Chaucer's day, the royal court was still bilingual.

His first works are either translations of French originals or much influenced by them. Later, Chaucer's writing picked up an Italian flavour through his diplomatic visits there. Finally, he blended French, Italian and classical influences into a truly English style in two great works: 'Troilus and Criseyed' and the 'Canterbury Tales'.

Continuous publication of the 'Canterbury Tales' since Chaucer's death, and the inspiration it has provided for other writers and artists, are testimony to the enduring appeal of his characters and their stories: proof that people's hopes and fears - and the English sense of humour - are little changed by six centuries of history.

  Why Geoffrey Chaucer is considered the father of the English Language?

Chaucer known as the father of English poetry when he started writing there was no standards in English. He was the first person who introduced modern English. It is better to consider him as the father of the modern English poetry. There were some earlier poets in England but their language has established to spoken and their versification has become out of date and does not appeal to us any longer.

We give him the title because of his accomplishments. His largest and best known are The Canterbury Tales. In this work Chaucer creates a frame story with his poetry. The outer story is the pilgrimage that the group is taking to pay homage to Becket at Canterbury. The inside story is a collection of short stories focusing on the individual travelers. 

Through his own life experiences, is able to give us a picture of life un his age for all levels of society. His Tales give us the knight to the plowman. Not many authors have ever been able to do this well, and it was several hundred years before Shakespeare came along and was also able to successfully represent all members of society in a straightforward and truthful way while still being entertaining.

He is called the father of English literature because he was the first to write what became generally well-known and recognized poems and stories in the language of the common people of his time medieval English. Until that time, the language of the educated and of written literature in England was Latin or French. Chaucer wrote a great many works that were well-received during his lifetime and that continue to be recognized as masterpieces, but the defining factor that sets him apart was the fact that they were written in English.

    What even started the traditional pilgrimage to Canterbury?

Because of Thomas Becket death people go to Cathedral because ever since the murder of Becket in the Cathedral in 1170, Canterbury has attracted thousands of pilgrims.

 What sort of picture did Chaucer want to portray about English society through his tales?

Since Chaucer sets on the Canterbury Tales at a time of economic transition in England, in which new mercantile and artisan classes are shaking things up for the more traditional "estates" of those who pray, those who fight, and those who work, you can bet that class is going to be a big issue in the Tales. It's most important in the pictures of members of these new classes like the Merchant or Tradesmen's. These portraits explore the source of these tourists' wealth and the way they and their families are dealing with their newfound social status. One of the most important questions this new class raises is what qualifies someone to have a position of power in their community. Is it only wealth, as seems to be the case when these men ascend to important positions in the government, or is something more "noble" required, as traditionalists would have us believe? The contrast between members of the new and traditional social classes allows The Canterbury Tales to explore this question.

Here you have a link with all the CANTERBURY TALES 

Written by:

 Geoffrey Chaucer 

http://english.fsu.edu/canterbury/

All of them have there own interestings aspects, take a lot of it, you will like it to!

BEOWULF POEM, SOME INFORMATION

 BEOWULF

• "Set against the coming of× Christianity, this is the story of the last hero: in 507, a monstrous troll wreaks havoc in the mead hall of the× Danish king, Hrothgar. He offers rewards for the death of× Grendel, so Beowulf, a great and boastful× Geatwarrior, arrives with his thanes. Beowulf sets aside his armor and awaits the monster; a fierce battle ensues that leads to× Beowolf's entering the watery lair of×Grendel's mother, where a devil's bargain awaits. Beowulf returns to× Herot, the castle, and becomes king. Jump ahead many years, and the sins of the father are visited upon× Beowulf and his kingdom. The hero must face his weakness and be heroic once again. Is the age of demons over?..."
  - Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>

1.    What biblical allusions are made in the poem?

Some of those are:

The allusion that Cain and Abel were sons of Adam and Eve. Grendel and his “family” are said to be descendants from Cain because of the grave sin he committed when he killed his brother.

Grendel is referred to as a descendant of Cain: “the hostile-hearted creature, Gods enemy, guilty of murder”

Also there is a reference to the Great Flood that took place in Genesis: “The origin of ancient strife, when the flood, rushing water, slew the race of giants they suffered terribly: that was a people alien to the Lord. The Ruler made them a last payment through water welling” , the author of Beowulf is suggesting that the swords creators were descendants of those that caused God to bring on the flood perhaps even suggesting that they were descendants of Cain.

Earlier in the passage these same giants are referred to with reverence: “There came into the possession of the prince of the Danes, after the fall of devils, the work of wonder-smiths”, there is a contrast between the pagan and Christian cultures as the same “giants” are referred to with honor and contempt in succeeding paragraphs.

2.    Old English poems rely heavily on alliteration, what instances of alliteration can you find on Beowulf?

“He found the sprawled in sleep, suspecting nothing, their dreams undisturbed”

“Up from his swampland, sliding silently toward that gold-shining hall”

Both of this uses “s” to give Grendel the appearance of moving quietly and smooth as well as mean almost like a snake.

“To glow across the land and light it, the corners of the earth were made lovely with trees and leaves, amide quickly with life with each”

The reiterating “I” sound produces a very calm and happy image, an ideal picture of a peaceful life.

3.    What Symbolism can you find in the story?

A symbol of the mead hall symbolizing what is good can be found in the very beginning of the story when all of the soldiers are singing happily,

 "…as day after day the music rang Loud in the hall, the harps rejoicing Call and the poet's clear songs, sung…"

Another example of a symbol the evil and hate of Grendel is shown when he goes to the mead hall at night and eats the sleeping soldiers and scares them enough to where they have to abandon their great hall,

 "To escape him, searched for rest in different beds, as far from Herot as they could find, Seeing how Grendel hunted when they slept. Distance was safety; the only survivors were those who fled him. Hate had triumphed."

4.    Is foreshadowing used?

Yes it is used.

When it shows the funeral of Shield Sheafson, with which the poem opens, foreshadows Boewulf’s funeral at the poems end, the story if Sigemund told by the scop, or bard, foreshadows Beowulf’s fight with the dragon, the story of king Heremod foreshadows Beowulf’s eventual ascendancy to kingship.

5.    What is Beowulf's guiding philosophy?

Beowulf demonstrates an interesting mix of Christian belief with pagan view of the world. Throughout the text Beowulf and other talk about wyrd which is the Anglo-Saxon view of fate. They are very aware of their actions and the glory they hope to gain from their choices in the actions that take. But over it all, they see fate as being a dominating force. It is fate that Beowulf leams of Grendel, it is Hrothgar’s fate to accept the help from Beowulf, it is fate that Beowulf dies after a fatal wound from the fire breathing dragon.

An also the character talk about God, and pray for Gods good providence in their lives. These comments seem to be in opposition to the concept of wyrd, but when we consider that the story of Beowulf is a pagan story, but was only passed by oral tradition the Christian views of God find their way into the story.

Both of these philosophies of life are presented throughout the text, both before battlers, during battles, and after them. The audience of original story would have understood the idea of wyrd’s role in life, and the later Christian audiences understood a blending of fate and God.

6.    When does Beowulf become king of the Geats?

He became kind of the Geats after killing Grendel’s mother.

7.    Beowulf is an Anglo-Saxon epic hero, what are those characteristics and how are they shown in the story?

Beowulf exemplifies the traits of the perfect hero. The poem explores his heroism in two separate phrases: youth and age and through three separate and increasingly difficult conflicts with Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon. Although we can view these three encounters as expressions of the heroic code, there is perhaps a clearer division between Beowulf’s youthful heroism as an unfettered warrior and his mature heroism as a reliable king. The two phrases of his life, separated by fifty years, correspond to two different models of virtue, and mucho of the moral reflection in the story centers on differentiating these two models and on showing how Beowulf makes the transition from one to another. 

Here you have the direct link to see the movie BEOWULF online,

http://www.megashare.sh/watch-beowulf-online-TkRjdw

Hope you enjoy it!