Geoffrey Chaucer is one of the most famous writers in English Literature and his books, including The Canterbury Tales, are still read, studied and discussed in schools, universities and other locations throughout the world. But what would it have been like to live in the time of Geoffrey Chaucer? How much do the characters, settings and description of every-day life reflect the truth of life in Medieval times? During this course I will briefly introduce the different characters and their stories, but I will also look at how far these characters were true representations of people in the world at the time. Together, we will look at Medieval Society and how the different people who existed at the time lived their lives. Join me as we uncover the truth about life in Medieval England and see whether the stories created by Chaucer really reflect the world in which he lived.
Course aim
to recognise the people and places that existed in the world of Geoffrey Chaucer and to examine how this world affected the characters and settings Chaucer used in The Canterbury Tales.
Do I need any particular skills or experience?
- This course is for beginners and improvers
By the end of the course I should be able to:
- recall the characters from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and remember the stories associated with each of them.
- recognise similarities between the fictitious characters in Chaucer's stories and with people who really existed at the time of Chaucer.
- investigate how real life in Chaucer's England was different from the images created from reading The Canterbury Tales and recognise where those differences are seen.
- look at evidence about life in Medieval Times from a range of sources and compare the picture of Medieval Life that is shown with the picture created by Chaucer's stories.
- draw my own conclusions about how well Chaucer's description of the characters in The Canterbury Tales matched the evidence about people's lives taken from other sources.
What else do I need to know?
As this is an online course, you will need a computer of similar device with a suitable internet connection and access to a webcam or appropriate digital camera.
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