III Language

Look at the Middle English variant of an extract. Make a note of at least 5 Middle English words which are spelled differently but you can still tell what they mean.

Even though the language is probably unfamiliar, try to make some sense of the passage.

This gentit соk hadde in his governaunce

Sevette hennes for to doon al his plesaunce,

Whiche were his sustres and his paramours,

And wonder lyk to hym, as of colours;

Of whiche the faireste hewed on hir throte

Was cleped faire damoysele Pertelote,

Curteys she was, discreet, and debonaire,

And compaignable, and bar hyrself so faire

Syn thilke day that she was seven nyght oold,

That trewely she hath the herte in hold

Of Chauntecleer, loken in every lith;

He loved hire so that wel was hym therwith.

But swich a joye was it to here hem synge,

Whan that the brighte sonne gan to sprynge,

In sweete accord, 'My lief is faren in londe!'

For thilke tyme, as I have understonde,

Beestes and briddes koude speke and synge.

How many 'wives' does Chauntecleer have? Who was Pertelote?

How would you describe the relationship between Chauntecleer and the hens?

Which words/phrases describe Pertelote?

What impression do you get of Chauntecleer? Is he proud or self-satisfied?

How do the hens contrast with the 'povre wydwe'?

Do you get any impression of the narrator in the last two lines?

What do you think will happen? Read “Nun Priest’s Tale” up to the end. Find out the main source of this plot.

Enjoy the cartoon interpretation of “The Canterbury Tales” (3 parts)

http://mults.spb.ru/mults/?id=1451

http://mults.spb.ru/mults/?id=1452

http://mults.spb.ru/mults/?id=1453

Share your impression and opinion at practical class. Did you imagine characters in the same way as they are presented in the cartoon? What are the main differences? Whose story would you like to be also included in the cartoon version?

List of Literature and Other Sources

• А.Н. Горбунов. Чосер средневековый. Москва: Лабиринт, 2010.

• Матузова В.И. Англоязычная критика о Чосере (обзор) - 70-е годы // Современные исследования по литературе средних веков и Возрождения. М., 1994, с. 124-139.

• Казнина О.А. Поэтика и поэзия жанра в творчестве Чосера // Проблема жанра в литературе Средневековья. М.: Наследие, 1994. С. 229-259.

• Богодарова Н.А. Джеффри Чосер: штрихи к портрету // Средние века. М., 1990. Вып. 53., с. 213-225.

• Куценко А.В. Эпитет в “Кентерберийских рассказах” Дж. Чосера // Семантические и стилистические преобразования в лексике и фразеологии современного английского языка. М., 1987, с. 62-74.

• Гарднер Д. Жизнь и время Чосера. М., 1986.

• Алексеев М.П. Пушкин и Чосер // Алексеев М.П. Пушкин. Сравнительно-исторические исследования. Л., 1972.

• Грановский Т.Н. Лекции по истории позднего средневековья. М., 1971. – Лекция 6-7. с. 57-65.

• Кашкин И. Для читателя-современника. М., 1968. Чосер. С. 227-261.

• Обрамленная история // Краткая литературная энциклопедия. - Т.5. - 1968.

Сканированный подлинник «Кентерберийских рассказов» на портале Британской библиотеки - http://www.bl.uk/treasures/caxton/homepage.html

http://www.canterburytales.org This is the "official" site

http://www.godecookery.com/pilgrims/pilgrims.htm What Chaucer left out: background information, social status, income, the Tabard Inn, and a map of the journey.

http://www.librarius.com/chauchro.htm Chronology of Geoffrey Chaucer's life and times

http://www.learner.org/interactives/middleages/feudal.html What was it really like to live in the Middle Ages?

http://www.ipl.org/div/litcrit/bin/litcrit.out.pl?ti+can-92 Literary criticism sites about The Canterbury Tales

http://www.librarius.com/cantales.htm This site offers an annotated version of The Canterbury Tales

http://www.norton.com/college/english/nael/middleages/topic_1/welcome.htm Information about the Middle Ages

http://www.rhymer.com Online rhyming dictionary

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Couplet Of course there is a Wikipedia site about iambic pentameter and rhyming couplets!

http://www.uni.edu/~gotera/CraftOfPoetry/ Tons of information about writing poems

http://www.rhymezone.com/ Another rhyming site

http://csis.pace.edu/grendel/projs4a/TALES.htm Brief annotation of each pilgrim