The Canterbury Tales

What event marked the beginning of the Middle Ages?

• William the Conqueror and his army invaded England and unified the nation.

• Thomas a Becket was made the Archbishop of Canterbury.

• King Henry VIII divorced his wife and split from the Catholic Church.

• King James I had the Bible translated from Latin into English.

Answer explanation

William the Conqueror came from Normandy, a region of France, and invaded England in 1066. He conquered the Anglo-Saxons and unified the nation. He became its first king, King William I, ushering in the start of the Middle Ages.

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During the Middle Ages, Old English was influenced by __________ transforming the language into Middle English.

• German

• Italian

• Latin

• French

Answer explanation

Old English (Germanic Anglo-Saxon English) blended with the French language that William the Conqueror brought from Normandy to create Middle English.

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King Henry II had Thomas a Becket named Archbishop of Canterbury because he wanted to

• rid the church of corruption.

• reward Thomas a Becket for his loyalty.

• have control of the church and its money.

• show the nation that he was a faithful Christian.

Answer explanation

When the previous Archbishop of Canterbury died, King Henry II named his friend Thomas a Becket as the new archbishop because he believed it would give him control over the church.

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Thomas a Becket was murdered by

• William of Sens

• four knights

• Gervase the Monk

• Geoffrey Chaucer

Answer explanation

After hearing King Henry II complaining about Thomas a Becket, the four knights thought they would gain favor from the king if they killed Becket, so they went and murdered him in the cathedral.

In the days following Thomas a Becket’s death, ALL of the following occurred EXCEPT

• some people dipped their clothing in his blood and scooped up the blood in bowls.

• King Henry II did penance by lying prostrate at Becket’s tomb and allowing himself to be whipped by monks.

• a woman who had been paralyzed was able to walk after being bathed in water mixed with Becket’s blood.

• the monks left his body lying where he was slain for seven days to show the horrific murder.

Answer explanation

People believed that Thomas a Becket's blood had healing power, so they used cloths and bowls to take some from the cathedral floor. King Henry repented for his part in the murder by doing penance at the tomb of Thomas a Becket, and Becket's popularity increased after his death. People from all over Europe made pilgrimages to Canterbury to see the shrine of the martyred saint for hundreds of years after his death.

What happened for hundreds of years after Thomas a Becket's death?

• People were forbidden to utter his name.

• People debated about who had actually killed him.

• People made pilgrimages to Canterbury to visit the shrine of the murdered martyr.

• People refused to attend church because they were afraid.

Answer explanation

The shrine of Thomas a Becket in Canterbury Cathedral became a popular tourist destination for people from across Europe for centuries after Becket's death.

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When the new Canterbury Cathedral was built, it was constructed in the gothic style to emphasize

• the brilliance and majesty of God.

• the wrath and judgement of God.

• the brutality and cruelty of Becket’s death.

• the importance of all the saints, not just Becket.

Answer explanation

Gothic architecture uses flying buttresses, which allows the building to be taller and more open. It also includes high windows, often of stained glass, which allows light to pour into the cathedral. This emphasizes the brilliance and majesty of God.

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Chaucer used the pilgrimage as a way to

• emphasize the characters’ religious sincerity.

• describe the hardships of Medieval life.

• frame the stories told by individual characters.

• create a vivid and realistic setting.

Answer explanation

Rather than just write a collection of short stories, Geoffrey Chaucer used the idea of a pilgrimage to Canterbury as a framing device to connect all the pilgrims and their stories.

The pilgrimage begins in

• April.

• June.

• October.

• December.

Answer explanation

The journey begins in April, once the ice and snow of winter have melted. The temperature is warming, birds are singing, and flowers are blooming. The pilgrims are ready to get out of the house and travel.

The pilgrimage begins at the ______________ in London.

• Globe Theatre

• Tower of London

• Tabard Inn

• London Bridge

Answer explanation

The pilgrimage begins in the Tabard Inn, which is in Southwark, a area on the south side of London. The pilgrims will travel to Canterbury, which is about 60 miles away.