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The Canterbury Tales Study Guide

by Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales is the last of Geoffrey Chaucer's works, and he only finished 24 of an initially planned 100 tales. The Canterbury Tales study guide contains a biography of Geoffrey Chaucer, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

The Canterbury Tales begins with the introduction of each of the pilgrims making their journey to Canterbury to the shrine of Thomas a Becket. These pilgrims include a Knight, his son the Squire, the Knight's Yeoman, a Prioress, a Second Nun, a Monk, a Friar, a Merchant, a Clerk, a Man of Law, a Franklin, a Weaver, a Dyer, a Carpenter, a Tapestry-Maker, a Haberdasher, a Cook, a Shipman, a Physician, a Parson, a Miller, a Manciple, a Reeve, a Summoner, a Pardoner, the Wife of Bath, and Chaucer himself. Congregating at the Tabard Inn, the pilgrims decide to tell stories to pass their time on the way to Canterbury. The Host of the Tabard Inn sets the rules for the tales. Each of the pilgrims will tell two stories on the way to Canterbury, and…

Read the full The Canterbury Tales Summary

• The Canterbury Tales Summary
• About The Canterbury Tales
• Character List
• Glossary of Terms
• Major Themes
• Summary and Analysis of General Prologue
• Summary and Analysis of The Knight's Tale
• Summary and Analysis of The Miller's Tale
• Summary and Analysis of The Reeve's Tale
• Summary and Analysis of The Cook's Tale
• Summary and Analysis of The Man of Law's Tale
• Summary and Analysis of The Wife of Bath's Tale
• Summary and Analysis of The Friar's Tale
• Summary and Analysis of The Summoner's Tale
• Summary and Analysis of The Clerk's Tale
• Summary and Analysis of The Merchant's Tale
• Summary and Analysis of The Squire's Tale
• Summary and Analysis of The Franklin's Tale
• Summary and Analysis of The Physician's Tale
• Summary and Analysis of The Pardoner's Tale
• Summary and Analysis of The Shipman's Tale
• Summary and Analysis of The Prioress' Tale
• Summary and Analysis of Chaucer's Tale of Sir Thopas
• Summary and Analysis of Chaucer's Tale of Melibee
• Summary and Analysis of The Monk's Tale
• Summary and Analysis of The Nun's Priest's Tale
• Summary and Analysis of The Second Nun's Tale
• Summary and Analysis of The Canon's Yeoman's Tale
• Summary and Analysis of The Manciple's Tale
• Summary and Analysis of The Parson's Tale and Chaucer's Retraction
• Literature in the Middle Ages
• The Texts of the Tales
• Sources: The Roman de la rose
• Sources: The Decameron
• Sources: Fabliaux
• Related Links on The Canterbury Tales
• Suggested Essay Questions
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 1
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 2
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 3
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 4
• Author of ClassicNote and Sources

• The Canterbury Tales: Major Themes
• The Canterbury Tales: Essays
• The Canterbury Tales: E-Text
• The Canterbury Tales: Questions
• The Canterbury Tales: Purchase the Novel and Related Material
• Geoffrey Chaucer: Biography