Canterbury Tales Semester Exam Review

The Canterbury Tales is an important literary work because

• it was written by a famous lord in both French and Old English.

• it is the first frame tale in literature and is written in modern English.

• it is the first major literary work written in the Middle English vernacular and provides wide-ranging social commentary.

• it is a collaboration between many authors, all writing in the vernaculars of their countries.

Who wrote The Canterbury Tales?

• Shakespeare

• unknown author

• Geoffrey Chaucer

• Edmund Spenser

What is a frame in a literary work?

• a story that brackets another story

• a type of setting

• the important elements of a story

• the theme of a story

Which statement is true of a frame story?

• It always includes characters with symbolic meanings.

• It usually involves adventures of gods and goddesses

• It make critical commentary on society

• It may contain a group of different narratives within an overarching story.

"The Pardoner's Tale" falls into what subgenre of literature?

• pastoral

• elegy

• allegory

• frame story

What can you infer about the three rioters in "The Pardoner's Tale"?

• They are sinners

• They are loyal friends.

• They come from feuding families.

• They come from the highest ranks of medieval society.

Why is it accurate to say that "The Pardoner's Tale" is filled with irony?

• It contains a moral message.

• Its events have unexpected twists.

• It personifies Death.

• It pokes fun at human weakness.

Which archetype does "The Pardoner's Tale" explore?

• star-crossed lovers

• the pain of exile

• a heroic quest against all odds

• punishment for evil deeds