The Canterbury tales:
The life and times of Geoffrey Chaucer:
Turbulent Turbolento Ransom Riscatto
Diplomat Diplomatico Lady-in- Dama di
waiting corte
Negotiation Negoziato Purse Borsetta
Commerce Commercio Pension Pensione
Plague Pestilenza To march Marciare
Shortage Scarsità, To suppress Reprimere
assenza
Labourer Bracciante- Jurisprudenc Giurispruden
lavoratore e za
Peasant Contadino Alchemy Alchemia
To Accompagna
accompany re
Summary: Geoffrey Chaucer was born in London around 1340 and
died in 1400. He lived in one of the most turbolent times in the
English history, during that time the English King changed three
times, it was also the time of the Hundred Years’ War and it was the
time when the plague killed millions of people. Chaucer was a
political man who worked for the government and he knew how to
speak English, French (as England was a country of two languages),
Latin (as it was the trade language at the time) and Italian too, so
that’s the reason way he translated a lot of works and wrote a ton
of thing about astrology, alchemy and jurisprudence. He did some
diplomatic missions: he served for the wife of Prince Lionel, served
for the Hundred Years’ War, when he was captured near the Reims.
He was also sent to Genoa and Florence where he read the works of
Dante, Petrarch and Boccaccio which had a big influence for his
literary style. As Chaucer’s patron guided the new King of England,
Chaucer continued doing many missions for England and became a
member of the Parliament in 1386 after a lot of his money were
stolen because he had worked as the clerk of many monuments in
London. That was the time when in 1387 he started writing The
Canterbury Tales that was intended to be formed by 120 tales.
Although Chaucer has important jobs and many problems so that’s
the reason why he had never finished the poem. He continued until
his death in 1400 when was buried near Westminster Abbey and
then moved to the Poet’s Corner inside the Abbey with other
famous poets.
Chapter 1, The Prologue:
Pilgrimage Pelligrinaggio Austere Severo
Shrine Reliquiario Holy Sacra
Stable Stalla Monk Monaco
Honourable Onorato Pompusly Pomposamen
te
Magnanimou Magnanimo Profit Profitto
s
Wise Saggio Worthy Meritevole
To embroider Ricamare Deaf Sordo
To joust Gareggiare Pimple Brufolo
Courteous Cortese Bump Bozzo, gobba
Bow Arco Summon Convocazion
e
Manner Maniera Sinner Peccatore
Trap Trappola Amusement Divertimento
Coral Corallo Knight Cavaliere
Rosary Rosario Squire Propietario
terriero
To conquer Conquistare Flute Flauto
Chaplain Cappellano Courageous Coraggioso
Priest Prete Prelate Ecclesiastico
Cloister Monastero To twinkle Luccicare
To exchange Cambiare Clerk Ecclesiastico-
addetto
Sergeant Sergente Practitioner Professionist
a
Franklin Un uomo Summoner Convocatore
libero
Summary : The narrator opens the Prologue with a description of the
return of spring. Around this time of year, people start going on
pilgrimages. Many devout English pilgrims set off to travel to
Canterbury to visit the relics of Saint Thomas Becket in the Canterbury
Cathedral. The narrator tells us that as he prepared to go on a
pilgrimage, with a great company of many travellers, who were on
their way to Canterbury. That night, the group slept at the tavern, and
woke up early the next morning to set off on their journey. Before
continuing the tale, the narrator describes each of the members of the
group: the Knight, a courageous soldier of high class on a horse, the
squire a beautiful, young and lovable man, the yeoman, the nun a
cultured and quiet woman, the monk an active and handsome man,
the friar a member of a mendicant religious community, the merchant
a common person in commerce, a very cultured Clerk, a lawyer, the
franklin who was a country and simple gentleman, a doctor who used
astrology for curing people, a woman who had many husbands, the
Summoner and the padroner a man who gives papal indulgences.
Chapter 2, The Knight’s Tale:
Conquered Conquistato Loss Perdita
Tyrant Tiranno Fury Furia
To wound- Ferire- ferita Cowardice Codardia
wounded
Despair Disperazione Worsened Peggiorato
Weak Debole Inconsolable inconsolabile
Labourer Lavoratore Pyre Pira
By chance Per caso Mourned Piangere qlc
Weapon Arma Spear Lancia
To clatter Sferragliare- Schield Scudo
sferrare
Decreed Decretato To assemble Assemblare
Pomp Sfarzo Tactic Tattica
To roar Ruggire Despair Disperazione
Summary: The Knight’s Tale talks about Theseus the lord of
Athens. One day he was returning to Athens with his little daughter
Emily when they heard some women crying. Those women asked
for help, because their husbands were killed by Creon and were
given to dogs to eat. Theseus left Emily home and then killed Creon
and he gave the women their husbands’ bones. At the end of the
battle, Theseus found only two knights who were still alive and he
took them to prison. They were Plamon and Arcite, two noble
cousins. Years passed and one day Emily, who had grown up so
beautiful, was singing in the palace and the two cousins saw her
through the prison’s bars, and fell in love with her. They started
arguing about who had the right to love her, then, a Duke, who
knew Arcite well, asked Theseus to set Arcite free with the condition
that he never returned to Athens. Palamon, as he was jealous of his
cousins because he could see Emily in the palace, started being
melancholic and grew thin and pale. One night Mercury appeared to
him in a dream and told Arcite to come back to Athens so he could
end his despair. When he arrived there, dressed as a labourer called
Philostrate, he met Palamon, who had escaped from prison. They
argued and decided to start a duel the next day to win Emily’s love.
The next day, when the duel was about to begin, Theseus arrived
and was ready to kill them both but Emily came and had mercy on
them. Theseus told them to come back a year later with a big army
and fight in duel for Emily. The night before the battle Emily went to
Diana’s temple and prayed for the knights, Arcite went to pray Mars
for victory and Palamon prayed Venus. The next day the battle was
fought until afternoon when a sword struck Palamon and Arcite was
decreed as the winner but a funeral fury, sent by Pluto, burst out
the ground and wounded Arcite so much, that no doctor could cure
him. As he said his last words Palamon and Emily dressed in black
for many days, then, they got married and lived happily ever after
with Arcite in their hearts too.
Chapter 3:
Coarse Rude Gluttony Gola
Sermon Omelia Dung Letame
Holy Santo To gamble Giocare
d’azzardo
Sin Peccato To hang Appendere
Betrayed Tradito To wrestle Lottare
Avarice Avarizia Apothecary Farmacia
Brothel Bordello Wickedness Cattiveria
Courteous Cortese, gentile Greed Avidità
Summary: The Padroner’s Tale talks about three young people who
made a lot of sins: they used to drink, eat and swear a lot. One
night, while they were drinking in a tavern, they heard funeral bells
and asked whose body was that. A man told them that it was a
friend of theirs who was killed by a men called Death. The three
men decided to leave the tavern and search for Death, as they
heard that he was the most famous killer in the village. When they
left the tavern, they met an ugly, poor and old man who greeted
them and told the guys that he was so old and ugly because not
even Death wants him so he is still alive. When the men heard the
old man talking about Death they thought he was a spy of his, so
they asked him where to find Death, them, following the man’s
instructions, they went through a path up a hill. When they arrived,
they found eight bags of gold and they made a plan to take them
home. One of the three boys went back to town and bought wine
and bread to celebrate with his friends, he went to an apothecary
for buying potions and put it in the bottle of wine to kill the other
men, so he could keep the gold all for himself. In the other hand,
the other two men, who were looking after the gold, planned to
murder the third, so they did. After that, they cheer and drank the
poisoned wine and died too. After telling the tale, the Pardoner told
the pilgrims to make offers to the holy relics, which were given by
the Pope, for having his absolution but everyone got very angry
because they knew those weren’t real relics.
Chaucer, the Church and Pilgrimages:
Monk Monaco Parson Parroco
Christianity Cristianità Relic Reliquia
Shrine Santuario- Tavern-keeper Proprietario
reliquiario della taverna
Pilgrimage Pellegrinaggio Depicted Raffigurato
Chancellor Cancelliere Accommodatio Alloggio
n
To rid Liberare da Satirize Fare satira su
Papacy Papato Damanging Dannosa
Priest Prete
Summary: Geoffrey Chaucer’s pilgrims are travelling to Canterbury
for visiting the tomb of Thomas Beckett in the Cathedral that was
built in 597 when the Pope sent Saint Augustine to revive
Christianity in England. In 1170 the King Henry II assassinated
Thomas Beckett in the Cathedral because Thomas had fought very
hard for Church’s rights against the King. Two centuries later during
Geoffrey Chaucer’s time the Catholic Church was in great difficulty.
The French Popo Gregory XI decided to move the papacy from
Avignon to Rome after 70 years, because the Church had a
reputation of corruption at that time. After Gregory’s death the
Italian Pope Urban VI was elected, but, as he soon became
unpopular, many cardinals elected an antipope, Clement VII, who
returned to Avignon. This situation only ended in 1414 after
Chaucer’s death. Even if Chaucer has never criticized the Church’s
corruption, The Canterbury Tales shows the Church’s state of
decline with characters like the Monk, the Nun, the Priest with their
interests in wine, having fun, and by selling false holy relics. Many
studied thinks that the tavern keeper represents Christ as he is the
only character who isn’t described, he offers people food, appears
many times in the poem with his kindness. At Geoffrey Chaucer’s
time pilgrimages were common, especially the one to Canterbury.
Even if there are many pilgrimages in Boulogne, Rome and Santiago
the oldest and most famous one is the Via Francigena from Rome to
Canterbury (across France and Switzerland). Via Francigena is 2,000
km long and it takes 1 month to complete.
Chapter 4:
Widow Vedova To groan Gemere
Fence Recinto Coward Codardo
Cock-a- Chicchirichi Perch Posatoio
doodle-doo per uccelli
Reliable Affidabile Bile Ira
Jet Pietra Worm Verme
Dawn Alba To seize Agguantare
Courteous Cortese Flattery Compliment
o
Discreet Discreto Hive sciame
Hen Gallina Breeches Pantaloni
To cluck Chiocciare To bark Latrare
Geese Oca Negligent Disattento,
negligente
Summary: The nun’s tale talks about a widow who lived in a
modest farm and had a rooster called Chanticleer who had the best
cock-a-doodle-doo of the entire village. The hen had seven hens,
including wives and sisters, but his favourite was Mademoiselle
Pertelote. One day, Chanticleer sat near Mademoiselle Pertelote and
told her that he was very scared because he had dreamt of a
terrible creature kidnapping him. The hen was a bit disappointed
and told him to go away because she didn’t want to love a coward
who’s afraid of dreams, so Chanticleer, after talking about the fact
that many times dreams come true, flew back to the yard. Suddenly
a fox hidden in the bushes came out, frighten the hens, and told
Chanticleer to sing loud because he had heard that he had the best
cock-a-doodle-doo of the village. But, when Chantileer was about to