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Canterbury Tales Review

Total questions: 36

Worksheet time: 18mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which of the following quotes describes The Pardoner's physical appearance?

a)

“Garlic he loved, and onions too, and leeks, / And drinking strong red wine till all was hazy.”

b)

“He was a learned man, a clerk, / Who truly knew Christ’s gospel and would preach it / Devoutly to parishioners, and teach it.”

c)

“This Pilgrim has hair as yellow as wax, / Hanging down smoothly like a hank of flax.”

d)

“Yet he was rather close as to expenses / And kept the gold he won in pestilences.”

2.

Why are the three young rioters looking for Death?

a)

To avenge the death of their friend

b)

To challenge Death

c)

To find gold under an old oak tree

d)

To escape their fate

3.

Where does the Old Man tell them to look to find Death?

a)

At the crossroads between the lake and the village

b)

At the local apothecarist's shop in the village

c)

Under a large oak tree

d)

In the graveyard where his parents are buried

4.

How do the rioters treat the Old Man?

a)

They make fun of him

b)

They ignore him and act like they don't care

c)

They are suspicious of him

d)

The rioters respect him because he is their elder

5.

What does the youngest rioter purchase from the apothecary in town?

a)

An elixir to become immortal

b)

A dagger to slay Death

c)

A rope to hide his gold treasure in a high tree

d)

Poison to kill the other two rioters

6.

What do the other two rioters plan to do to the third when he returns from town?

a)

Make him run away to the neighboring town

b)

Take him to the graveyard where their friend is buried and abandon him

c)

Share the treasure with him, because his family is poor

d)

Kill him by stabbing him with a dagger

7.

The three rioters find Death.

a)

True

b)

False

8.

What aspect of medieval society is Chaucer satirizing in "The Pardoner's Tale"?

a)

Religion

b)

Social class

c)

Greed

d)

Chivalry

9.

Who does the Pardoner say is responsible for putting greedy thoughts into the minds of the men?

a)

The Devil

b)

Themselves

c)

God

d)

The Old Man

10.

What is the moral of 'The Pardoner's Tale'?

a)

Love conquers all

b)

Death is inevitable

c)

Wisdom comes with age

d)

Greed leads to destruction

11.

The Pardoner is aware of his own hypocrisy.

a)

True

b)

False

12.

Which of the following is an example of dramatic irony from 'The Pardoner’s Tale'?

a)

The three rioters hear a funeral procession outside the tavern.

b)

The three rioters curse Death while sitting in the tavern.

c)

The youngest rioter draws the lot that sends him to town for bread and wine.

d)

The two rioters drink the poisoned wine believing they have safely killed the youngest rioter.

13.

The old man tells the rioters that Death can be found under a tree. They find a pile of gold coins there. By the end of the story, we realize the old man:

a)

Sent them to their deaths.

b)

Had a bad memory due to his age.

c)

Did not mislead them.

d)

Stole the coins.

14.

What effect does personifying Death as a character have on the story?

a)

It makes Death seem more of a realistic threat.

b)

It shows the naivete of the rioters in that they think they can kill Death.

c)

It emphasizes the irony that Death represents greed.

d)

All of the above.

15.

The primary satirical device used in 'The Pardoner’s Tale' is:

a)

Hyperbole

b)

Situational irony

c)

Parody

d)

Sarcasm

16.

Which of the following quotations reveals how the three rioters perceive the Old Man?

a)

'Not even Death will take my life…'

b)

'And so my age is mine and must be still / Upon me, for such time as God may will.'

c)

'What, old fool? Give place! / Why are you all wrapped up except your face? / Why live so long? Isn’t it time to die?'

d)

'But it dishonored you when you began / To speak so roughly, sir, to an old man…'

17.

Why does the storyteller comment on the outcome of the tale by stating: “Why make a sermon of it? Why waste breath? / Exactly in the way they’d planned his death / They fell on him and slew him, two to one”?

a)

To show that the moral of the tale is obvious.

b)

To understate the importance of listening to elders.

c)

To emphasize the obvious outcome of duplicity that costs all three men their lives.

d)

Both A & B.

e)

Both A & C.

18.

Chaucer most likely includes the Pardoner and his tale to MOST strongly criticize…

a)

Everyone on the pilgrimage because they are all greedy

b)

The corruption of The Church during his time

c)

Gullible people who give their money away to frauds

d)

Capitalists who want to make money

19.

In “The Wife of Bath’s Tale”, who takes the young lady's "maidenhead"?

a)

A peasant

b)

A squire

c)

A knight

d)

A king

20.

What question does the Queen want the knight to find the answer for?

a)

What do women most desire?

b)

What is the role of a knight?

c)

What is the meaning of love?

d)

What is true beauty?

21.

What problem does the Knight encounter on his quest to answer the Queen's question?

a)

People are vague in their answers to the question.

b)

A year is not enough time to fulfill his promise.

c)

No one can agree about what women want.

d)

The queen expects the knight to fail.

22.

What does the old hag ask the Knight for in return for helping him?

a)

A promise to do whatever she asks

b)

Marriage

c)

A favor

d)

Gold

23.

According to the old hag, what is it that women want most?

a)

Eternal beauty

b)

Sovereignty over their lives

c)

Wealth and power

d)

True love

24.

When the old hag speaks about the importance of noble birth, she says that ...

a)

only dukes and earls are gentlemen

b)

true gentility comes only from God

c)

nobility is more important than looks

d)

nobility is a matter of wealth and worth

25.

The old hag turns into a beautiful woman.

a)

False

b)

True

26.

The Knight is able to have the old hag as young, pretty and faithful because ...

a)

He chooses old and faithful, so she rewards him with both

b)

He allows the old woman to decide—therefore giving her the power

c)

He allows the old woman to decide and chooses both because she has fallen in love with him

d)

He chooses young and pretty and only thinks she will remain faithful

27.

On what subject does the Wife of Bath consider herself an expert?

a)

Marriage

b)

Politics

c)

Wealth

d)

Religion

28.

Why does the Wife of Bath include the story about Midas?

a)

To entertain the audience

b)

To criticize men

c)

To show that women can't keep secrets

d)

To praise the Queen

29.

A theme found in The Wife of Bath’s tale is …

a)

A woman’s power should be acknowledged and protected

b)

Women need men to make their life complete

c)

Women are weak unless they are rich

d)

A woman’s worth is shown by how well she marries

30.

Chaucer uses The Wife of Bath to …

a)

Represent why women can’t be trusted

b)

Represent a traditional view of “a woman’s place in the world”

c)

Represent a progressive view of “a woman’s place in the world”

d)

Represent the dangers of a woman’s wit

31.

The Wife of Bath and The Pardoner are alike in that they ...

a)

Tell stories related to lessons they have learned in life

b)

Tell stories related to their character traits

c)

Tell stories based on events in their lives

d)

Tell stories based on the past

32.

Chaucer is considered the “Father of English Literature” because:

a)

He wrote in English at a time when most literature was in Latin or French.

b)

He was the first English king.

c)

He invented the printing press.

d)

He translated the Bible into English.

33.

The Wife of Bath could be considered a “controversial” character because:

a)

she challenges traditional gender roles and openly discusses her views on marriage and sexuality.

b)

she is a minor character with little influence on the story.

c)

she always agrees with the church and follows all societal norms.

d)

she never expresses her opinions or personal experiences.

34.

The significance of the springtime setting in the Prologue is that it represents:

a)

renewal and new beginnings

b)

the end of a journey

c)

the harshness of winter

d)

the decline of nature

35.

The significance of Christianity in “The Canterbury Tales” is demonstrated by:

a)

Its influence on the characters, themes, and moral lessons throughout the tales.

b)

The complete absence of religious references in the stories.

c)

The focus solely on pagan rituals and beliefs.

d)

The rejection of all forms of religious authority.

36.

The irony in the Pardoner's statement, '...I will grant pardon and relieve you of sin, for that is best. I won’t deceive you,' is that:

a)

he is actually a dishonest man who deceives people for money.

b)

he is truly sincere in his offer to pardon sins.

c)

he is unaware of the meaning of his own words.

d)

he is a respected religious leader.