Vocabulary. incomplete - незаконченный knight - рыцарь parson - пастор plowman - пахарь diverse - разнообразный nun - монахиня

incomplete - незаконченный knight - рыцарь parson - пастор plowman - пахарь diverse - разнообразный nun - монахиня

Answer the Questions

1. When were «The Canterbury Tales» written?

2. Arc they complete?

3. What is the plan of «The Canterbury Tales»?

4. How many talcs were there according to the plan?

5. What does this one-way pilgrimage represent?

6. What pilgrims are there? What do they represent?

7. The work combines diverse subjects and styles, doesn't it?

3.4. Sir Thomas Malory

Sir Thomas Malory (?—1471?), was Ihc author of the book «Le Mortc Darthur». This title is Frcnch for «The Death of Arthur». In «Le Morte Darthur», Malory told the whole story of King Arthur of Britain and the careers of such knights of the Round Table as Lancelot, Gareth, and Tristan. The book provides the fullest ver­sion of the legends about Arthur and his court ever written in En­glish.

Scholars disagree on the identity of the author of «Le Morte Darthur». Records from 1400's show that several Englishmen named Thomas Malory lived at this time. A knight of Warwickshire, who was imprisoned for a series of crimes, is usually identified as the author.

Malory translated and adapted much of his work from earlier French and English writings about Arthur. He completed his work about 1470. William Caxton, the first English printer, published the first edition of the book in 1485. He made the title of Malory's last selection, «Le Morte Darthur», stand for the entire book. A manuscript copy of Malory's work was found at Winchester Col­lege in England in 1934. The most accurate and complete modem editions of «Le Morte Darthur» are based on the Winchester manu­scripts.

Malory's book has influenced the work of many artists and writ­ers. Such writers include the English poets Edmund Spencer and Lord Tennyson.