Vocabulary. masterpiece - шедевр prosperous - процветающий appoint - назначать justice - судья

masterpiece - шедевр prosperous - процветающий appoint - назначать justice - судья

charitable - щедрый, милосердный rival - противник nobleman - дворянин fashion - мода

lofty - возвышенный, высокомерный elaborate - сложный, изысканный corruption - развращение, продажность tolerance - терпимость abuse - злоупотреблять friar - монах

pardoner - продавец индульгенций

summoner - проповедник

brevity - краткость

earthy - земной

shrine - святыня, гробница

Answer the Questions

1. When and where was Chaucer born?

2. What kind of carcer did Chaucer take?

3.Chaucer was one of the most learned men of his age, wasn't he?

4. Where did he travel?

5. What writers was he influenced by?

6. What are Chaucer's earliest works?

7. What is his greatest poem about?

8. What is the structure of «The Canterbury Tales»?

9. How did Chaucer picture himself in «The Canterbury Tales»? What for?

3.3. «The Canterbury Tales»

«The Canterbury Tales» is a group of stories by the English poel Geoffrey Chaucer. Scholars consider it the outstanding work in Middle English, the fonn of English used from about 1100 to about 1485. Chaucer worked on «The Canterbury Tales» from about 1386 until his death in 1400. He did not quite complete the work, but his plan is suggested in the general prologue. He gathered 29 pilgrims at the Tabard Inn in Southwark, across the River Thames from London, for a pilgrimage to Canterbury. Each pilgrim agreed to tell two tales going and two tales returning.

Chaucer wrote only 24 tales, and four of these arc incomplete. The pilgrims approach Canterbury on the fourth day. There is no return journey. Many critics believe this one-way pilgrimage actu­ally represents Chaucer's intended plan - a pilgrimage of human life that suggests the journey from earth to heaven.

Chaucer introduced the pilgrims in the prologue. The knight, the parson, and the plowman are idealized portraits representing the medieval three estates—aristocracy, clergy, and workers. Other pilgrims are drawn mainly from the middle class of English society of the 1300's. Chaucer provided much detail about the characters' appearance and private lives. Like their tellers, the tales display diverse subjects and styles. Most tales reflect the personalities of the pilgrims who tell them. For example, the nun tells a story about a saint. Some are anranged in groups and give different viewpoints on a subject. Love, marriage, and domestic harmony are the most common themes.