After sampling several of Chaucer's most famous tales, your high school students will choose between a creative writing assignment or an analytical one. And gladly will they learn and gladly will you teach!

Introduction to Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales

(12^th grade English—1^st term)

Reading Assignments:

Day 1) "General Prologue"

Day 2) "The Nun's Priest's Tale"; "The Pardoner's Tale" (and "Prologue")

Day 3) "The Wife of Bath's Prologue" and "Tale"

Day 4) "The Miller's Tale" (and "Words between the Host and Miller"); "The Reeve's Prologue" and "Tale"

Recommended but not required: "The Knight's Tale" and "The Merchant's Tale"

In this brief excursion into Chaucer's works we'll be focusing on Chaucer's use of irony, farce, and other species of humor and on his dissection of human foibles.

Writing Project:

I: You may write your own Chaucerian tale, complete with prologue or other introductory material. The main requirement is that the tale both instruct and delight, enlighten and entertain. It is recommended that you write in one of Chaucer’s genres (e.g., fable, sermon, farce, or chivalric romance) and demonstrate your knowledge of other facets of Chaucer's style.

or

II: You may write an essay on one of the following topics:

1. Human virtues and accomplishments change from era to era; human vices are eternal. Explore Chaucer's analysis of human vice in two of the tales.
2. Relations between the sexes in two of the tales. (If you choose this topic, be sure to read "The Knight's Tale.")