Im taking a British Literature and Culture class in college and I need help. Does anyone know what the canterbury tales by Gregory Chaucer are all about? I started reading it and find myself asking are you sure this is english? Please Help
2007-01-30 13:35:35 · 5 answers · asked by kd baby 5 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
Hold on. This is just what you need.
Chaucer was writing around 1390 in Middle English. If your book has the original Middle English, I think you'd be well off reading it out loud, which is what I had to do pre-Internet.
But--
There's this great web site that has side-by-side translations of this work.
http://www.librarius.com/cantales.htm
Go to the left side "Table of Contents" and click on any of the tales' "Side-by-side translation." This is a great help. Keep clicking on choices until you find "Modern and middle english side by side." (sic)
Now you may pick whether to read in Chaucer's original Middle English (pretty cool, once you get the hang of it), or a Modern English close translation.
The thing I like best about this site is the easy glossary. Just click on a hyperlinked word, and its def. comes up at the bottom of the page.
Good luck!!!
2007-01-30 14:51:44 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
i studied english literature as well and chaucer´s work was like a pain where it hurts most...It is all about sex, about women who are unfaithful to their husbands and all that but told in a comic style. If you dont want to read the book you can try to to see the movie, it is a paolo passolini movie and it is for adults since it is a bit erotic but watching the movie you may have an idea what is the book about.
If you find yourself asking if Chaucer´s works was really English wait till you have to read the Shepherd´s Tale (and for that one there is no movie)
2007-01-30 13:43:35 · answer #2 · answered by whoknows 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's written in Middle English.
Don't let the early language form throw you; nearly every word has an "uh" ending added root becomes rotuh and April becomes Aprille ; and the "ed" ending of verbs is pronounced--as in bathed-bath-ed and pierced-pierce-ed
The tales are morally instructive and character-heavy stories told by pilgrims on the way the shrine at Canterbury. Actually, they're good fun.
2007-01-30 13:45:06 · answer #3 · answered by Robert David M 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You've been blessed with one of my witty answers. Are you ready? Ready?????
Canterbury makes the best little chicks ever....I think they're call "peeps"......yellow ones are my fav....can't wait for easter.
She-bangs.
2007-01-30 15:24:35 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
keep reading you might like it
2007-01-30 13:38:44 · answer #5 · answered by angrycroak555 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋