THE
CANTERBURY TALES
QUIZ
ANSWERS
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1. Only two of Chaucer's tales are written in prose, the Tale of Melibeus and The . . .
a. Reeve's Tale
b. Merchant's Tale
c. Parson's Tale
d. Man of Law's Tale
2. According to Albert Baugh's labeling, which one of Chaucer's tales could be called a “Breton Lay”? The Franklin's Tale
3. The consonants in Chaucer's Middle English are . . .
a. the same as those in Modern English
b. essentially the same but softer in tone
c. essentially the same but with more emphasis
d. wholly different from the Modern
4. A povre widwe, somdel stape in age,
Was whylom dwelling in a narwe cotage,
Bisyde a grove, stonding in a dale.
This widwe, of which I telle yow my tale,
Sin thilke day that she was last a wyf,
In pacience ladde a ful symple lyf
5. Absalon pined for the Alison, who kindly let him kiss her . . .
a. toe
b. wrist
c. nose
d. rear end
6. The Miller's Tale was enjoyed by every pilgrim except the . . .
a. Reeve
b. Cook
c. Parson
d. Prioress
7. This female is caught by her husband fornicating in a tree, but her quick tongue saves the day . . .
a. Dorigen
b. Griselda
c. May
d. Emelye
8. The knight in The Wife of Bath's Tale must seek the answer to what women most desire, which is . . .
a. sovereignty over their husbands
b. wealth and treasure
c. jollity and pleasure
d. love and adoration from all men
9. This pilgrim rattles on about the seven deadly sins . . .
a. Friar
b. Parson
c. Nun's Priest
d. Squire
10. Who has the last laugh, Chaunticleer or the fox? Chaunticleer
11. The Knight tells which other pilgrim that his stories are so boring he almost fell asleep . .
a. the Merchant
b. the Sergeant of Law
c. the Shipman
d. the Monk
12. Which tale is preceded by an even longer prologue? The Wife of Bath's Tale
13. After hearing the Friar's Tale, this pilgrim was so angry that “lyk an aspen leef he quook for yre.”
a. the Summoner
b. the Pardoner
c. the Cook
d. the Manciple
14. In this tale, the knight Virginius was so honorable that he . . .
a. cut off his daughter's head
b. bedded her
c. starved her to death
d. cut out her tongue
15. In The Reeve's Tale, a young man unknowingly ends up in bed with the miller and confesses that he . . .
a. had had oral sex with the miller's wife
b. had screwed the miller's daughter three times
c. had paid the miller's mother for sexual favours
d. had fornicated all three women
16. In this tale, a Friar is promised a special gift which can be shared by all the Friars; the gift is . . .
a. a lady
b. a torture rack
c. a bucket of blood
d. a fart
17. Three drunken men decide to seek out Death and slay him, but Death catches them by poison and a . . .
a. hanging
b. stabbing
c. drowning
d. plague
18. In Pasolini's film adaptation of The Canterbury Tales, the director appears in the film in the guise of . . .
a. the Host
b. a modern-day director
c. Chaucer
d. an unnamed pilgrim
19. In the 2001 British TV series adapting Chaucer's tales to a modern setting, the Wife of Bath personality is played by . . .
a. Julie Waters
b. Judi Dench
c. Dawn French
d. Sue Johnston
20. In the animated film version of The Canterbury Tales, Sean Bean does the voice-over for the . . .
a. Physician
b. Nun's Priest
c. Knight
d. Host