Curated set · answers marked
Which of the following best describes the narrative framework of The Canterbury Tales?
AA band of knights sets off on a quest and shares their adventures around a campfire.
BA group of pilgrims on their way to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral agree to tell stories to pass the time, with a prize for the best tale.✓
CA poet dreams he is taken to a heavenly court where renowned figures each share a story.
DA collection of merchants stuck at sea entertain one another with tales of love and betrayal.
Rationale
In the General Prologue, the Host of the Tabard Inn suggests that the pilgrims—traveling to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket in Canterbury—tell two tales on the way there and two on the way back, with the best storyteller earning a free supper.
Who wrote The Canterbury Tales, a series of stories narrated by pilgrims on their way to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket in Canterbury?
AJohn Gower
BWilliam Langland
CGeoffrey Chaucer✓
DJohn Lydgate
Which of the following best describes the narrative frame of The Canterbury Tales?
AA group of knights sets off on a quest and shares stories to pass the time during battle.
BA group of pilgrims heading to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket in Canterbury decide to tell stories to entertain each other along the way.✓
CA poet shares a series of dreams where famous figures from history recount their life stories.
DA monk collects tales from various classical sources and compiles them into a single manuscript for a royal patron.
Rationale
In Chaucer's framing device, a group of pilgrims meets at the Tabard Inn in Southwark and agrees to participate in a storytelling contest suggested by the Host, Harry Bailly, while they travel to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral.