The document discusses Chaucer's work The Canterbury Tales. It states that the Parson is presented as the most honest and moral of the pilgrims. While there is immorality amongst the clergy, the Parson stands out as an almost Christ-like figure due to his spiritual virtues and good works, such as visiting all in his parish despite rain or thunder. Though he teaches through example by following Christ and his apostles, the document notes that for every person who avoids traps of immorality, thousands have fallen into them. The Parson's goodness serves to highlight the unruliness of all the other pilgrims.

1. Who is presented as the most honest
and moral of Chaucer's pilgrims?
A. The Wife of Bath
B. The Reeve
C. The Parson
D. The Knight
E. The Tailor
Rapping The Canterbury Tales link

2. Despite the immorality that is apparent amongst the clergy, hope
manifests itself in the form of the Parson, who is presented as an
almost Christ-like figure. Although materially poor, he is spiritually
empowered, for "riche he was" of both "hooly thoght and werk.“
Moreover "Wyd was his parish, and houses far asonder," and yet "he
lafte not for reyne or thonder/ In siknesse and in meschief to visíte"
the "ferthest in his parisshe, smal and great.“ His impatience with
"any persone obstinat" seems to be his only flaw, for "Cristes love, and
his apostles twelve" he taught, but "ferst he folwed it himselve.“ Yet
for every trap that Chaucer's Parson has avoided, there are thousands
that have fallen into them, and in light of this, the goodness of
Chaucer's Parson only serves to heighten the unruliness that is
present in everybody else. For in the "General Prologue" he is the only
individual that completely measures up to the strict Christian ideal,
which is something even the Church itself does not.

3.  Draw one of the occupations in order to discern
your place in medieval society.
 You will then have an opportunity to conduct a
bit of research in order to write a journal
imagining a day in the life of your assigned
position.

4. Some things students should consider:
 Where do you live?
 Where do you work? Do you work?
 What challenges do you face on a daily basis? Or
do you face any at all?
 What is your family life like?
 How do you feel about the world around you?
 Do you have military training?
 What do you value? Describe your morals.
 What plans do you have for the future? Or do you
have any at all?

5. One last catch…As you are aware…Life in a feudal
society wasn’t fair and neither is this assignment:
 King: minimum of 1/5 of a page
 Church Official: minimum of a ¼ of a page
 Knight/Sir: minimum of a 1/3 of a page
 Wife of Knight: minimum of a 1/3 of a page
 Squire: minimum of a 1/2 of a page
 Wife of Squire: minimum of a 1/2 of a page
 Yeoman: minimum of a 3/4 of a page
 Wife of Yeoman: minimum of a 3/4 of a page
 Member of merchant class: minimum of a page
 Peasant: minimum of 1 ¼ pages
 Wife of peasant: minimum of 1 ¼ pages

6.  What does it mean to directly characterize
someone in the text?
 What does in mean to indirectly characterize
someone in the text?
 Break into pairs or you can work alone
 Pick a pilgrim
 First group/person to choose the pilgrim (and be
acknowledged by me) gets him/her

7. The analysis will be completed on a piece of butcher paper
and will take the following form:
 Consider the description of your character provided in
"The General Prologue"; draw an accurate picture of
him/her on your piece of butcher paper
 Select three (3) passages from the text (remember to
cite by page and line number!) that indirectly
characterize your character.
 Select three (3) passages from the text (remember to
cite here, too!) that directly characterize your character.
 Write three (3) adjectives that you think best describe
what this character is really like.

9.  Watch the “The Miller’s Tale” video and take the quiz
by 10:35 a.m. on Thursday, September 11 (via Moodle)
 Read “The Miller’s Prologue and Tale” pages 264-279
 Watch the “The Knight’s Tale and the Wife of Bath’s
Tale” video and take the quiz by 10:35 a.m. on
Thursday, September 11 (via Moodle)
 Read “The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale” pages
282-309
*******You only need to read one of the prologues and
tales, but watch both videos and take both quizzes*********
____________________________________________
 Complete your Chaucer Pilgrim Rewrite assignment by
next Tuesday