WorksheetsThe Prologue to the Canterbury Tales
Total questions: 21
Worksheet time: 16mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
What season is described in the opening passage of The Canterbury Tales?
a)
summer
b)
winter
c)
spring
d)
fall
2.
Why did everyone go on a pilgrimage to Canterbury?
a)
To visit the shrine of Beowulf
b)
to visit the shrine of Archbishop Thomas Becket
c)
To visit the grave of a beloved family member
d)
To visit the shrine of King Alfred the Great
3.
Including the narrator, how many pilgrims were at the Tabard Inn that night?
a)
30
b)
28
c)
25
d)
12
4.
"Proposed the plan of storytelling on the way to and from Canterbury".
a)
reeve
b)
knight
c)
monk
d)
host
5.
What was the prize for who told the best story?
a)
lunch
b)
dinner
c)
dessert
d)
drink
6.
What game does the host propose to the pilgrims?
a)
they tell two stories on the way to Canterbury
b)
they tell two stories on the way from Canterbury
c)
the winner with the best story gets a free meal at the expense of the other travelers
d)
all answer choices are correct
7.
Who wrote The Canterbury Tales?
a)
Unknown
b)
Geoffrey Chaucer
c)
The Venerable Bede
d)
Edmund Spenser
8.
How many tales was each of the pilgrims supposed to tell according to the rules set forth by the host?
a)
2
b)
4
c)
1
d)
29
9.
Thomas a Becket was
a)
a Catholic priest
b)
the Archbishop of Canterbury
c)
a former friend of King Henry II
d)
all of the above
10.
From the 11th to the 14th century, _________ was considered a low-class, vulgar language in Great Britain.
a)
French
b)
English
c)
Italian
d)
Latin
11.
The following writer was influential in making English a "legitimate" language:
a)
Dante
b)
Chaucer
c)
Shakespeare
d)
Petrarch
12.
When did Chaucer begin writing the Canterbury Tales?
a)
1387
b)
1400
c)
1066
d)
1336
13.
As the pilgrims prepare for their journey, the host of the Inn, sets a challenge for each pilgrim to tell
a)
four stories on the way to Canterbury and four stories on the return trip.
b)
tell one story going and one story on the return.
c)
tell two stories on the way to Canterbury and two on the return trip.
d)
tell two stories on the way to Canterbury
14.
The General Prologue only includes____ stories.
a)
120
b)
100
c)
24
d)
29
15.
The host of the Inn is __________.
a)
James Bailey
b)
Johnny Bailey
c)
Harry Bailey
d)
Jim Bailey
16.
The Father of English poetry is _________.
a)
William Shakespeare
b)
Harry Bailey
c)
Johnny Bailey
d)
Geoffery Chaucer
17.
The upper classes spoke __________
a)
English
b)
Latin
c)
French
18.
The Canterbury Tales show what life is like during this time period.
a)
True
b)
False
19.
The purpose of the Prologue is to
a)
analyze religious customs
b)
reveal the narrator's thoughts
c)
introduce the cast of characters
d)
describe London during the Middle Ages
20.
The pilgrims in The Canterbury Tales represent many different occupations, social classes, and personalities.
a)
true
b)
false
21.
How far was it from Southwark to Canterbury?
a)
5 miles
b)
55 miles
c)
500 miles
d)
155 miles
100 %
