The Canterbury Tales Group Assignment
(you will have two weeks from the date assigned for all work to be due)
1. You and 1 or 2 partners or two will choose one tale from the Canterbury Tales
2. You will each be responsible for presenting the tale(s) to the class and providing a worksheet for the class to complete while you present. (see below for criteria).
The Worksheet, Portrait, and Modern Day parallel:
1. PORTRAIT: A colorful drawing of the pilgrim. The drawing should be large, neat, reflect Chaucer's details, and identify the pilgrim across the bottom with a line from the tale that exemplifies the character’s
personality (cite the page). (i.e.," a most worthy knight")
2. WORKSHEET: You must include at least 5 short answer questions that the class will be able to answer while you are presenting as well as fill in the blank questions. YOU MAY NOT have any true/false, yes/no, or crossword questions
Include the following on the worksheet:
* include questions about the character’s background and the tale he or she shares with the group and what that tale tells us about the character.
* Determine whether your character is a member of the Church, the Court, or the Commoners.
* Make bullet notes on the type of clothes that he/she wears and the physical description of the character.
* Summarize that character’s personality traits. Be prepared to defend your characterization.
3. MODERN DAY PARALLEL - If the pilgrim were alive today, what
might he or she be doing? Try to find an occupation that fits the pilgrim's dress and personality.
3. You will also present to the class and be graded on both of your ability to present the tale and teach the class about its meaning and the character, you must also provide me with the answers to your worksheet in your presentation.
4. You will also write two papers for this assignment (see below for criteria)
1. Character Analysis Paper (100 points)
Format: 2-3 typed pages. Follow the format for student papers and the parenthetical documentation and attach a Works Cited page.
Content and Structure: Write a character analysis for one of your pilgrims.
You should develop a careful analysis that is well supported with evidence from the text (at least 3 specific examples referencing page numbers in MLA format)
A Character Analysis:
Consider the choices the character makes, his/her major physical and mental traits (ambitious, lazy, arrogant, kind), what the character says about him/herself, what the character does, whether the character grows or remains the same. Is this important to your analysis? Perhaps you feel that the character is controlled or determined by the eyes through which s/he is perceived (other characters, narrator).
You could choose from several methods to back up your thesis:
1. Organization around a central characteristic, like a kindness, gentleness, generosity, firmness, or resoluteness of will frustrated by inopportune moments of action, resulting in despondency, doubt, and melancholy. A body containing this sort of material would demonstrate how the literary work brings out each of these qualities.
2. Organization around a development or change of character. Here you would attempt to show the character traits a character possesses at the start of the work, and then describe the changes or developments that occur. Try to determine the narrator’s view on such changes; that is, is the change genuine, or does the narrator establish hidden traits in the character which are brought out as the story progresses?
3. Organization around central incidents that reveal primary characteristics. Certain key incidents will stand out in a work, and you might create an effective body by using three or four of these as guide for your discussion, taking care to show in your topic sentence that your purpose is to illuminate the character you have selected, not the incidents. Therefore, regard the incidents only as they bring out the truths about the character. Naturally, with this arrangement, you would have to show how the incidents bring out the characteristics and also how they serve to explain other things the character might do.
2. Typed 2-page written overview of one of your Tales (different from
character analysis tale) including the following criteria
A. Title
B. Main Characters: briefly describe them and their relationship to one another.
C. Synopsis/Plot Summary
1. What happens in the story?
2. Include conflicts and resolution.
D. Theme
1. Discuss the underlying/implied meaning/moral lesson
2. Discuss the relevance of the theme to our world today.
Due Date Papers: ______
Due Date Worksheet and Image: ______
Presentation Date: ______
Expectations
1. Research and cooperative work during assigned class time is expected. I reserve the right to lower your grade in accordance with the nature of any infraction.
2. All written portions of the project are due the day of each creative performance, except for the critical analysis which is due on.
3. All groups will present. Two groups will perform each day: we will select names from a hat to determine which group will perform
N.B. Because of the cooperative nature of this project, it is extremely important that you do your best to attend class on a regular basis during the time of this project. Poor attendance will affect your individual grade and will seriously undermine the success of your group.
Creative presentation for EXTRA CREDIT
A. videotaped dramatic interpretation presented to the class
B. Use your imagination! Ideas: skit, interviews, song, talk show
C. Time – not to exceed 15-20 minutes. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO
REHEARSE.
You may use the following websites for additional help or to read the Tales online:
http://www.courses.fas.harvard.edu/~chaucer/
http://special.lib.gla.ac.uk/exhibns/month/may2004.html (has images)
http://www.librarius.com/cantlink/links.htm
http://www.kankedort.net/
http://wsu.edu/~delahoyd/chaucer/index.html
Powerpoint Grading Criteria:
___ All group members present for presentation (5 points)
___ Appearance: Dress up for this presentation (5 points)
___ Presentation time frame: 3-5 minutes (5 points)
___ Introduction: basically a topic sentence to introduce the presentation (5 points)
___ Powerpoint slide show (mostly images and visuals) (5 points)
___ Slides: Title slide, content slides, review (conclusion) slide, credits slide (5 points)
___ Oral summary of the tale that corresponds to the slide show (5 points)
___ Visual channel: eye contact, facial expression, gestures (5 points)
___ Vocal channel: clarity, variations in volume and rate, vocal animation (5 points)
___ Conclusion: basically a clincher sentence to summarize the presentation (5 points)
Pilgrim Group Presentation Rubric
Student Names: ______
______
Category / 20 / 16 / 12 / 8Knowledge/ Personality Profile / All students showed
excellent knowledge
of content, needing
no cues and showing
no hesitation in
talking or answering
questions. / All students showed excellent knowledge of content, but needed note cards once to talk or answer questions. / Students showed excellent knowledge of content, but 1-2
students needed note
cards often to talk or
answer questions. / Most students
needed note cards to talk and to answer questions.
Presentation / Provided excellent
context and in-depth analysis of assigned pilgrim and presented the subject matter in a dynamic and engaging manner. / Provided excellent context and analysis with minor omissions and presented in an engaging manner. / Provided good context and analysis with one or two major omissions and presented in a somewhat creative manner. / Little to no analysis and material not presented in a creative or interesting manner.
Modern-day Parallel / Pilgrim is excellently and correctly analogized to a modern day character and the connection is clearly drawn. / Pilgrim is excellently and correctly analogized to a modern character with the connection only moderately clear. / Pilgrim is correctly analogized to a modern character but the connection is unclear or incorrect. / The parallel is not clearly or correctly drawn and the analogy lacks clarity or definition.
Length of
presentation / Presentation was at least five minutes in length and all components were thoroughly addressed. / Presentation was at least five minutes in length and all components were addressed, with some stronger than others. / Presentation was shorter than five minutes in length and only 2-3 components were addressed. / Presentation did not address the majority of required components and was well short of five minutes.
Interpretation / Students accurately show Chaucer’s attitude toward the subject through tone. / Students mostly correctly show Chaucer’s attitude toward the subject. / Students somewhat correctly show Chaucer’s attitude toward the subject. / Students mostly fail to correctly show Chaucer’s attitude toward the subject.
Portrait / The colorful portrait reflects the description of the Pilgrim from the tale and is well explained. / The colorful portrait mostly reflects the description of the Pilgrim from the tale and is well explained. / The colorful portrait somewhat reflects the description of the Pilgrim from the tale and is well explained. / The colorful portrait does not reflect the description of the Pilgrim from the tale and is well explained.
Worksheet / The worksheet includes all required criteria / The worksheet includes most of the required criteria / The worksheet includes some of the required criteria / The worksheet includes very little required information
TOTAL POINTS ______/140
Give examples and explain Chaucer’s use of symbolism in “The Pardoner’s Tale.”
Compare and contrast the Knight’s view of women, as expressed in his tale, with the Wife of
Bath’s view of women, as expressed in her tale.
Explain how the Miller’s character is revealed in his tale.
Explain Chaucer’s use of irony in “The Pardoner’s Tale.” Cite several examples.
How is “The Nun’s Priest’s Tale” an example of a mock heroic epic?
“The Knight’s Tale”
Short Writing Assignment
In the “Knight’s Tale” Chaucer poses a question to the reader. In a paragraph (10-12 lines) you are to answer Chaucer’s question.
You lovers, here’s a question I would offer,
Arcita or Palamon, which had most to suffer?
The one can see his lady day by day,
But he must dwell in prison, locked away
The other’s free, the world lies all before,
But never shall see his lady more.
Judge as you please between them, you that can,
For I’ll tell on my tale as I began.
Grading Criteria:
Proper heading & page numbering format
Typed and double spaced
A specific topic sentence: state what you are going to prove
10-12 sentences
2 quotes to support your point of view (one that addresses Palamon and one that addresses Arcita)