Canterbury Tales Essay Options
Respond to one of the following essay prompts, following the requirements of "The AP Essay."
1. Select a character whom Chaucer seems to be satirizing, and explain the satire using direct references to the story.
2. As Beowulf reveals something about the culture in which it was written, so too “The Canterbury Tales” reveals
information about the culture of its origin. What can be deduced about society in Chaucer’s England from the stories,
prologues, and narration contained within the text?
3. Discuss in detail a theme, motif, image pattern, etc., common to several of the tales and explain how it
functions within those tales.
4. Chaucer is well-known and much admired for his sense of humour. Write an essay analyzing Chaucer's
strategies and techniques for generating laughter in the tales.
5. Is the Wife of Bath meant to contradict the misogynistic ideas of her time, or to uphold them?
Use specific examples to back up your argument.
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