Test Questions

Question 1

Which ‘social classes’ are represented in the Canterbury Tales? Provide one example from the GP for each of them.

Answer 1

1. Nobility (the Knight)
2. Clergy (The Prioress)
3. Middle class (The Wife of Bath)
4. Working class (Ploughman)

Question 2

How many voices are speaking in the Canterbury Tales?

Answer 2

24 voices

Question 3

Which medieval literary genre influences the description of the pilgrims in the GP? Give an example on the Friar.

Answer 3

Estates Satire. This genre categorises society into different “estates” or social classes and satirises their characteristics and behaviours.

An example is the Friar, who, despite his religious role , is depicted as corrupt and materialistic, which is a satirical commentary on the clergy of that time.

Question 4

Explain the difference between regular and secular clergy.

Answer 4

Regular clergy refers to members of religious orders who live in monasteries and follow a strict rule (St. Benedict vows). Both monks and friars maintained houses at universities, but friars more so.

Secular clergy had actual jobs in the church, such as popes, bishops, parishes and priests. They were allowed to go outside of church, went out to spread religion (live off charity = begging orders).

Question 5

Which are the four bodily humours and the corresponding ‘complexions’. Give an example.

Answer 5

1. Blood (Sanguine): cheerful, sociable
2. Phlegm (Phlegmatic): calm, unemotional
3. Yellow Bile (Choleric): energetic, irritable
4. Black Bile (Melancholic): depressed, introverted

The description of the Wife of Bath as having a “gap-toothed” smile and a red face reflects Sanguine. This humour is associated with a lively and outgoing personality.

Question 6

Why does the tale order differ in various manuscripts?

Answer 6

Chaucer’s work wasn’t published in a standardised form during his lifetime. Scribes and editors made their own decisions about the arrangement of the tales.

Question 7

What is the difference between exemplum and allegory in medieval literature?

Answer 7

An exemplum is a short narrative used to illustrate a moral or religious lesson.

An allegory is a more extended narrative in which characters and events represent abstract qualities or ideas. Unlike exempla, allegories require more interrogation to uncover symbolic meanings.

Question 8

What is meant by ‘Scholasticism’? In which tale are scholastic methods applied by the speaker and for what purpose?

Answer 8

Scholasticism was a medieval philosophical system to reconcile faith and reason. It helps understand religious and philosophical ideas.

The character of the Parson used scholastic methods in his teachings, applying this to religious teachers to guide his congregation.

Question 9

Iambic pentameter

Answer 9

10 syllables
End-rhyme
One stressed, one not

Question 10

Why does Chaucer address an apology to the reader in the General Prologue? And what are some examples?

Answer 10

Because he needs to tell things how they actually happened, despite that this might be unpleasant or inappropriate.

Examples of this are
1. Direct language and obscene scene
2. Untraditional representation of characters symbolising the estates

Question 11

Explain linguistics ‘variation’ in Chaucer’s time

Answer 11

Refers to coexistence of different spellings in the London variant of Chaucer’s time. The London dialect was influenced by speech patterns, morphology and phonology from other dialects (because of massive immigration).
- Aperill and Aprill
- Wyf and wyfe

Question 12

Which qualifies should courtly love show in literature?

Answer 12

1. Disciplined
2. Its power should elevate to worship
3. Formative, educational for society
4. From male perspective

Question 13

Which 3 parts does the soul have according to Anglicus?

Answer 13

1. Reason (rational)
2. Sensible (sensible soul; react to things)
3. Passion (vegetable soul; nutrition, growth, appetite)

Question 14

Which words from England came from French?

Answer 14

1. Pork
2. Beef
3. Venison

Question 15

Yellow Bile (temperament; element; characterises, example)

Answer 15

Temperament: choleric
Element: fire (hot and dry)
Characteristics: lean, tall, good memory, nervous, easily angered, vindictive, lecherous.

Example: Absolon
- Lecherous
- Good memory
- Easily angered and vindictive
- Imitates people

Question 16

Blood (temperament; element; characterises, example)

Answer 16

Temperament: sanguine
Element: air (hot and moist)
Characteristics: red-cheeked, plump, merry, sociable, easily angered but easily forgives, hopeful, good sleeper, sexually active.

Example: Alisoun
- Easily angered
- Sexually active
- Merry as a weasel

Question 17

Black bile (temperament; element; characterises, example)

Answer 17

Temperament: melancholic
Element: earth (cold and dry)
Characteristics: lean, big eater, bad sleeper, anxious, long angered, fearful dreams, sentimental, bookish.

Example: Nicholas
- Scholar
- Bookish
- Fearful dreams, bad sleeper

Question 18

Phlegm (temperament; element; characterises, example)

Answer 18

Temperament: phlegmatic
Element: water
Characteristics: while and pale, excessive sleeper, slow, dull in learning, cowardly, not interested in sex.

Example: John
- Dull in learning (did not know Cato)
- Excessive sleeper (during the flood)
- Old

Question 19

Medieval biology books were classified into;

Answer 19

Herbals (plants)
Lapidaries (on gems)
Bestiaries (animals)

Question 20

Each description in bestiaries consists of;

Answer 20

1. Illustration
2. Nature of the animal
3. Significanto (allegorical meaning)

Question 21

In which tense do weak and strong verbs differ? And what are the inflexions?

Answer 21

In the past tense.

Weak verbs: -ed or -t
Strong verbs: vowel change

This is similar to regular and irregular verbs in PDE.