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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who is the speaker of Chaucer's Retraction?

2. Who offers to tell a tale after the Yeoman's Tale?

3. What is Virginius's profession?

4. What books are retracted at the end of The Canterbury Tales?

5. Who is the focus of the first part of the Yeoman's tale?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is a possible reason Chaucer writes his retraction?

2. What is Phoebus's downfall in the Manciple's Tale?

3. What is the twist at the end of the Pardoner's Tale?

4. How does the Prioress emphasize the idea that the boy in her tale is a victim?

5. What is common in the books Chaucer retracts?

6. What is the moral the Canon's Yeoman is trying to get across?

7. Why does the Host interrupt Chaucer's telling of the Tale of Sir Topas?

8. What does the Pardoner admit about himself in his Prologue?

9. How is the merchant's wife able to buy the clothes she wants?

10. What does Chaucer suggest by saying the Tale of Sir Topas includes his best rhymes?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Define mood. Choose one tale and identify its mood. How is the mood expressed in the tale? How does the mood contribute to the overall tale?

Essay Topic 2

Define fable. Explain the uses of fables in literature. Explain the use of fable in The Canterbury Tales. Why is a fable a useful tale in The Canterbury Tales?

Essay Topic 3

Explain chivalry. What pilgrims are chivalrous in The Canterbury Tales? How are they chivalrous? What role does chivalry play in the tales the pilgrims tell?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 560 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample