Canterbury Tales, PROLOGUE

5 September 2022
4.7 (114 reviews)
17 test answers

Unlock all answers in this set

Unlock answers (13)
question
Chaucer uses the pilgrimage primarily as a device to...
answer
Frame the stories told by individual characters.
Explanation: Chaucer uses the pilgrimage primarily as a device to allow him to create a microcosm of fourteenth-century English society. By placing his characters on a journey to a holy shrine, Chaucer can have them interact with people from all walks of life, allowing him to explore the various social classes and the relationships between them. In addition, the pilgrimage provides a framework within which Chaucer can satirize the various foibles and hypocrisies of his characters.
question
The narrator is portrayed as...
answer
Naive and observant.
Explanation: The narrator is portrayed as a very reliable source of information. The reader is able to trust the narrator because the narrator is able to provide a great deal of detail about the events that took place. The narrator is also able to provide a clear and concise explanation of the events that took place.
question
The narrator says he plans to "give account of all their words and dealings, / Using their very phrases as they fell." For which kind of characterization would an author provide such details?
answer
Indirect characterization.
Explanation: The narrator of the story is planning to provide a detailed account of the words and actions of the characters in the story. This type of characterization is known as direct characterization.
question
Which best describes Chaucer's attitude towards the Nun?
answer
Amused and tolerance.
Explanation: Chaucer's attitude towards the Nun is one of admiration and respect. He believes that she is a virtuous and holy woman who is devoted to her religious beliefs.
question
Best summarizes the meaning of the following passage... He was an easy man in penance-giving / Where he could hope to make a decent living; / It's a sure sign whenever gifts are given / To a poor Order that a man's well shriven, / And should he give enough he knew in verity / The penitent repented in sincerity.
answer
He gave out easy penances and absolution in exchange for gifts wherever he thought he could get gifts out of the confessors. He knew that if he exacted a large enough price for the sin that the penitent person would truly feel sorry for what he'd done. In fact, whenever a poor group of friars receives gifts tou can be sure that someone has just received absolution for his sins.
Explanation: This passage is about a man who is good at giving penance, or punishment for sins, because he knows that he will be rewarded for it. The passage suggests that when someone gives a gift to a poor person, they are really just trying to make themselves feel better about their own sins.
question
What can the reader infer about the Friar from these lines? But anywhere a profit might accrue / Courteous he was and lowly of service too.
answer
He will use people for money.
Explanation: The Friar is courteous and humble, and he is willing to help others make a profit.
question
Chaucer describes the Pardoner's hair as "rat-tails" primarily to...
answer
Imply moral corruption.
Explanation: Chaucer describes the Pardoner's hair as rat-tails" primarily to emphasize his physical repulsiveness. The Pardoner is already unpleasant to look at, with his "sallow" skin and "slitty" eyes, and his greasy hair only adds to the effect. Chaucer is deliberately making the Pardoner as unappealing as possible, in order to contrast him with the beautiful young Summoner."
question
What do the following lines suggest about the woman from Bath? In all the parish not a dane dared stir / Towards the altar steps in front of her
answer
She is selfish and arrogant.
Explanation: The woman from Bath is a very powerful woman. She is so powerful that no one in the parish dared to go near her.
question
Chaucer calls the Franklin's girdle "white as morning milk" to...
answer
reiterate the Franklin's obsession with food.
Explanation: In the passage, Chaucer is describing the Franklin's girdle, which is a belt worn around the waist. The girdle is white, and Chaucer compares its color to that of milk. He does this to show how pure and innocent the Franklin is. The Franklin is a very wealthy man, but he is also very kind and generous. He is the type of person who would give away his possessions to those in need.
question
Best summarizes the meaning of the following passage... Whatever money from his friends he took / He spent on learning or another book / And prayed for them most earnestly, returning / Thanks to them thus for paying for his learning.
answer
Whatever money he borrowed from his friends he spent on his studies and books and then prayed earnestly for his friends as a way of giving them thanks.
Explanation: The passage is about a young man who is grateful to his friends for supporting his education. He takes money from them and uses it to buy books and learning materials, and then he prays for them. He is thankful for their support and hopes that they will continue to help him in his studies.
question
The following is not an example of direct characterization...
answer
Children were afraid when he appeared.
Explanation:The passage is about a young man who is grateful to his friends for supporting his education. He takes money from them and uses it to buy books and learning materials, and then he prays for them. He is thankful for their support and hopes that they will continue to help him in his studies.
question
By positioning his description of the Miller almost immediately after that of the Plowman, Chaucer accentuates...
answer
The virtues of the Plowman as well as the buffoonishness and criminality of the Miller.
Explanation: By positioning his description of the Miller almost immediately after that of the Plowman, Chaucer accentuates the contrast between the two characters. The Miller is a dirty, unkempt man, while the Plowman is clean and well-dressed. The Miller is also rude and aggressive, while the Plowman is polite and gentle. This contrast highlights the differences between the two characters and makes the Miller seem all the more unappealing.
question
What theme does Chaucer convey in the Prologue to The Canterbury Tales?
answer
The infinite variety of human nature.
Explanation: The theme that Chaucer conveys in the Prologue to The Canterbury Tales is that of human nature and its potential for good or bad. Chaucer uses a variety of characters to show that people are capable of both kindness and cruelty, depending on their circumstances. He also shows that people are capable of change, depending on their experiences.
question
In standing by to carve meat for his father at the table, the young Squire is showing himself to be...
answer
Solicitous.
Explanation: The young Squire is showing himself to be polite and respectful. He is also showing himself to be helpful and willing to do whatever is needed to make sure that his father has a pleasant dining experience.
question
This noble example to his sheep he gave, / First following the word before he taught it, / And it was from the gospel he had caught it.
answer
Past perfect tense.
Explanation: This is a quote from the poem The Shepherd's Calendar" by John Clare. The speaker is talking about how a shepherd led his flock by example, and how he learned this from the gospel."
question
He lisped a little out of wantonness / To make his English sweet upon his tongue. / When he had played his harp, or having sung, / His eyes would twinkle in his head as bright / As any star upon a frosty night.
answer
Past perfect.
Explanation: The speaker in this poem is describing someone who speaks with a lisp, possibly out of a desire to make their English sound more pleasant. This person is also a musician, and the speaker notes that when they play their instrument or sing, their eyes seem to light up brightly. It's as if the music brings them joy and happiness, and the speaker finds this quality endearing.
question
Which word or phrase is most nearly the same in meaning as avouches?
answer
Asserts positively.
Explanation: The word avouches" means to confirm or attest to the truth of something. The word "vouch" has a similar meaning."