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The Canterbury Tales Test Review

Total questions: 41

Worksheet time: 23mins

Name
Class
Date
1.
Who wrote The Canterbury Tales?
a)
Unknown
b)
Geoffrey Chaucer
c)
The Venerable Bede
d)
Edmund Spenser
2.

The narrative poem begins in London with a group of pilgrims who wish to travel to -

a)

Canterbury

b)

Mecca

c)

Chicago

d)

Tokyo

3.

What is a pilgrimage?

a)

a journey to a sacred place

b)

when people come to America

c)

traveling for vacation

4.

The pilgrims ' names refer to their

a)

personality

b)

profession or role

c)

clothes

d)

appearance

5.
Why was everyone at the Tabbard?
a)
They were on their way making a pilgrimage to Canterbury.
b)
They were on a trip to see the Archbishop.
c)
They were looking for a place to eat.
d)
They were in need of supplies and rest.
6.
What season is described in the opening passage of The Canterbury Tales?
a)
summer
b)
winter
c)
spring
d)
fall
7.
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
8.
The Canterbury Tales is an example of what type of story?
a)
bildungsroman
b)
roman a clef
c)
la nueva narrativa
d)
frame story
9.

Why do the characters tell stories in The Canterbury Tales?

a)

To pass the time and win a bag of gold.

b)

To pass the time and win a free horse.

c)

To pass the time and compete to win a free supper.

10.

What makes The Canterbury Tales a good reflection of the time period?

a)

All of the tales are biographical accounts of true events.

b)

All events reflect scientific achievements of the time.

c)

It tells of people in different social levels and occupations.

d)

It was written about events that occurred hundreds of years before.

11.
The Wife of Bath says she is an expert when it comes to...? 
a)
love.
b)
children.
c)
The Bible.
d)
travel.
12.
How many times has the Wife of Bath been married?
a)
Two
b)
Three
c)
Four
d)
Five
13.
In The Wife's Tale, what does the Knight do to merit punishment?
a)
rapes a girl
b)
hits an old woman
c)
doesn't keep his word
d)
loses a battle to a woman
14.
What is the Knight's original sentence by King Arthur?
a)

banishment

b)

torture

c)

sexual assault

d)

imprisonment

15.
What did the queen ask the knight to tell her?
a)
What is the thing that women most despise?
b)
What is the thing that women most desire?
c)
What is the thing that women most give?
d)
What is the thing that women most tolerate?
16.

In "The Wife of Bath's Tale," what does the knight do after hearing the queen's question and leaving her presence?

a)

He searches all over and asks every woman he finds for the answer.

b)

He leaves the kingdom and tries to find a safe place to hide.

c)

He goes to prison because he could not answer the question.

d)

He searches for the old woman to get her advice.

17.

What problem does the knight encounter during his quest?

a)

People offer only vague answers to his question.

b)

One year is not enough time to fulfill his promise.

c)

People cannot agree about what women want.

d)

His lovely young wife becomes a homely old woman.

18.

In "The Wife of Bath's Tale," while the knight is returning to the castle, he sees young maidens dancing in the woods. When he rides up, he finds only the old woman. What can you infer about the woman from these events?

a)

She is blind and did not see him coming or she would have escaped.

b)

She is an elf or fairy, and she has transformed herself into an old woman.

c)

She was too old and unable to slip away with the younger ladies.

d)

She was sent by the queen to meet him in order to help him find the answer.

19.

If the old woman can save his life, the knight promises to...

a)

marry her.

b)

do whatever she asks.

c)

spare her from his sword.

d)

bequeath his whole establishment upon her.

20.

What does the knight tell the queen that women want?

a)

power over their husbands

b)

freedom to do as they please

c)

the opportunity to meet their Heavenly King

d)

wealth and treasure, flattery and pleasure

21.
In exchange for giving the knight the correct answer & saving his life, what does the hag want?
a)
titles
b)
a child
c)
wealth
d)
marriage
22.

What question does the old woman ask the knight after they are married in "The Wife of Bath's Tale"?

a)

Do you want me to be young and poor or old and wealthy?

b)

Why do men want young, wealthy wives instead of older wives?

c)

Do you want me to be young and faithless or old and faithful?

d)

Do you want me to be young and rule our marriage or old and obedient?

23.

What was the knight choice and what was the outcome?

a)

He chose her to become young and beautiful, and the outcome was she was unfaithful.

b)

He chose nothing, and the outcome was she stayed the same

c)

He chose to let her stay old and the outcome was she was faithful.

d)

He let her chose, and the outcome was she became beauitful and stayed faithful

24.

Based on the context of "The Wife of Bath's Tale," what is the meaning of the word extort in these lines?


I will concede you this: you are to go.

A twelvemonth and a day to seek and learn.

Sufficient answer, then you shall return.

I shall take gages from you to extort.

Surrender of your body to the court.

a)

to enjoy

b)

to offer up freely

c)

to obtain by threat

d)

to prevent

25.

Based on the context of this sentence from "The Wife of Bath's Tale," what is the meaning of the word anguish?


Great was the anguish churning in his head.

When he and she were piloted to bed;

He wallowed back and forth in desperate style.

His ancient wife lay smiling all the while...

a)

pleasure

b)

nervousness

c)

eagerness

d)

torment

26.

Based on the context, what is the meaning of the word churl in this sentence from "The Wife of Bath's Tale"?


You are no gentlemen, though duke or earl.

Vice and bad manners are what make you churl.

a)

a humorless person

b)

dangerous and wicked person

c)

a rude and mean person

d)

a wealthy person

27.

The Pardoner's prologue let’s readers know his single purpose for speaking sermons and telling stories. What is his purpose? What is his purpose supposed to be as a Pardoner, a representative of the Catholic Church?

a)

His real purpose is to make money. His purpose is supposed to be saving souls.

b)

His purpose is to convert people and save their souls. He does this for the Catholic Church.

c)

His real purpose is to save souls. His purpose is supposed to be collecting money for the Catholic Church.

28.

Synonym for Avarice

a)

Greed

b)

Love

c)

Piety

29.

What does the Pardoner do for a living?

a)

sewage

b)

grants jain pardons

c)

he's a con who sells fake religious relics

d)

church singer

30.

When the tale opens, what are the rioters doing?

a)

drinking

b)

nothing

c)

dancing

d)

sleeping

31.

What passes the rioters by that catches their attention?

a)

A knight

b)

A priest

c)

A coffin

d)

A horse

32.

What kind of people are the rioters?

a)

Upstanding citizens

b)

gamblers and drunks

c)

hardworking people

d)

good people

33.

Who are the rioters looking for in the tale?

a)

the knight

b)

the king

c)

the old man

d)

death

34.

Why do the rioters go looking for death in the tale?

a)

to be paid

b)

they were commissioned by the king

c)

avenge the death of their friend

d)

earn fame and fortune

35.

Where did the old man say death was?

a)

under the tree

b)

in an old abandoned building

c)

under a bridge

d)

he wasn't in town anymore

36.

Why did the rioters want to move the coins at night?

a)

avoid suspicion

b)

seek help from the local farmer

c)

so no one will take the coins

d)

they didn't want death to see them

37.

What did the youngest rioter do while he was in town?

a)

talk to a friend

b)

go to the bar

c)

get drunk

d)

buy bread, wine and poison

38.

What happened to the rioters in the end?

a)

they lived happily ever after

b)

they met death

c)

they became rich

d)

they got sick from the food

39.

What is an exemplum?

a)

a harness for a horse

b)

a tall tale told by a knight

c)

a story with a moral point

d)

a story with no clear ending

40.

How do the rioters act towards the old man?

a)

with love

b)

with concern

c)

with hatred

d)

with disrespect

41.

What was the cause of so much death during this time period?

a)

unemployment

b)

wars

c)

starvation

d)

The Black plague