wayground logo

Free Printable Worksheets

Font size

S
M
L
XL
Worksheets

Canterbury Tales Background

Total questions: 15

Worksheet time: 7mins

Name
Class
Date
1.
He wrote The Canterbury Tales and is known as the “Father of English Poetry.”
a)
Edward of York
b)
Geoffrey Chaucer
c)
John of Gaunt
d)
Sir Thomas Malory
2.
What historical event did The Canterbury Tales document?
a)
a pilgrimage to Canterbury to visit the site of the Holy Cross
b)
a pilgrimage to Canterbury to visit the shrine of St. Thomas Becket
c)
a pilgrimage to Canterbury to visit the shrine of St. Christopher
d)
a pilgrimage to Canterbury to visit the grave of Geoffrey Chaucer
3.
The Canterbury Tales was originally intended to have _________ stories, but it ended up having _________ stories.
a)
60; 30
b)
120; 60
c)
120; 24
d)
24; 60
4.
A larger story, inside of which are many smaller stories.
a)
Allegory
b)
Frame Tale
c)
Satire
d)
Allusion
5.
A type of writing that pokes fun at people, their weaknesses, institutions, and social conventions.
a)
Allegory
b)
Onomatopoeia
c)
Satire
d)
Frame Tale
6.

The pilgrims agree to tell tales during the journey to —

a)

preserve their stories for the future

b)

win a free meal and entertain one another

c)

reduce fighting and bickering

d)

teach the innkeeper a lesson about pride

7.

To which British Literature Period does The Canterbury Tales belong?

a)

Anglo-Saxon Period

b)

Medieval Period

c)

Renaissance Period

d)

Ancient Period

8.

Why are The Canterbury Tales considered an important historical literary work?

a)

The descriptions of the characters provides a picture of what the people were actually like at the time.

b)

The work won all the literary awards of the time period.

c)

The tales document the history of major Scottish events.

d)

It is the only literary work translated from Latin.

9.

In what month does the "Prologue" to The Canterbury Tales begin?

a)

January

b)

March

c)

April

d)

May

10.

The words "English" and "England" originate from the language of the following group which invaded Great Britain:

a)

the Norse

b)

the Norman French

c)

the Romans

d)

the Germanic tribes

11.

Middle English is a hybrid of the following languages:

a)

German, Spanish, and French

b)

French, German, and Latin

c)

French, Latin, and Italian

d)

German, Gaelic, and French

12.

What is a pilgrimage?

a)

a journey to a sacred place

b)

when people come to America

c)

traveling for vacation

13.

What time period best fits when Chaucer was alive?

a)

1300s

b)

1400s

c)

900s

d)

1600s

14.

The stories from The Canterbury Tales were originally written in -

a)

Old English

b)

French

c)

Middle English

d)

Elizabethan English

15.

The pilgrims ' names refer to their

a)

personality

b)

profession or role

c)

clothes

d)

appearance