Chaucer- The Canterbury Tales

Chaucer- The Canterbury Tales

I found that the readings and exercises have definitely fed into my knowledge of the Canterbury tales. I also feel that by looking and the development of the English language right through from before the emergence of Beowulf has really helped my enjoyment of the text. Having first looked at the English language almost as an evolutionary object, I found that when I came to read the Pardoners tale in Middle English, the task had transformed into an enjoyable challenge rather than the daunting chore that it seemed to be during my school days!

The exercise on the Pardoners Tale complemented the ideas around language development well. I particularly liked the idea of spelling the old English words in modern English and feel that it could provide a good starting point for class discussion. The exercise not highlights developments in the English language; it also helps the reader to recognise patterns within the text, such as the use of ‘y’ instead of ‘I’ within certain spellings. Recognising differences such as this would help with further readings of the text.

I really enjoyed being able to listen to the extract at the same time as reading it. Listening to the text being read in Middle English seemed to give it a more romantic, mystical feel and is something I would defiantly introduce to a class. It would perhaps be a good idea to get the class to have a go at reading the text out loud in Middle English as part of a Plenary.

The Lesson plans and ideas on the Wife of Bath were really interesting. I think that looking at the cultural background and setting of the story is very important however
some of the tasks did seem a bit laboured and could be adapted slightly to appeal to the more kinaesthetic or visual learners. When discussing the idea of Chaucer the Poet and Chaucer the pilgrim a hot seating activity sprung to mind. Different members of the class could put on a hat and be transformed into Chaucer the Pilgrim and Chaucer the Writer. They could then be interviewed by the class on their lives, where they are from, what they have seen, what influenced their writing and their opinions towards the wife of Bath, etcetera. This could perhaps be something which could be done as part of a plenary, followed by a discussion on what they understood about the time in which Chaucer lived, or what they thought It would be like to live during that time in terms of the different expectations the would face (I can spot some cross curricular action going on here!).

Looking into the history of Medieval England would also benefit the understanding of the Pardoners tale, as I’m sure it could the Canterbury tales as a whole. This was particularly brought to mind when reading ‘The Death of the Salesman’, in the section when the text discusses the appearance of the Pardoner. He is almost described as a sexually frustrated gay man who is taking out his stresses on the poor unsuspecting commoner. It would be interesting when studying this story with a class of GCSE students, to gain a better understanding of Eunuchs and Pardoners and the responsibilities they hold, as well as medieval views towards homosexuality and beauty ideals. In Short all of the different approaches and readings we have studied so far, fit together nicely in the task of creating a master genius in the work of Chaucer!