The Prologue - The Canterbury Tales

Comprehension: Based on the description of the Squire, we can conclude that he is—

• a spiritual and learned man

• fearful and reluctant to fight

• married and happy with his family

• a warrior and a romantic

Vocabulary Development: kind; gracious

• eminent

• benign

• guile

• obstinate

• frugal

Vocabulary Skill: Synonym or Antonym? frugal : wasteful

• Synonym

• Antonym

Literary Focus: Which type of detail is least directly connected to characterization?

• Appearance

• Behavior

• Dress

• Age

Reading Focus: Which of the following quotations from “The Prologue” is the best example of using key details to make a character stand out?

• “Just home from service, he had joined our ranks.”

• “He wore a fustian tunic stained and dark / With smudges where his armor had left mark”

• “The rooms and stables of the inn were wide.”

• “No other servant; so he chose to ride.”

Vocabulary Skill: Synonym or Antonym - guile : openness

• Antonym

• Synonym

Vocabulary Development: great; high-standing

• eminent

• benign

• guile

• obstinate

• frugal

Comprehension: You know the Cook’s dishes may not be quite as appetizing as might be hoped when Chaucer mentions that the Cook—

• adds too much salt to his cake

• burns everything he makes

• has a festering sore on his knee

• refuses to consult recipe books

Comprehension: In his Prologue, Chaucer’s main objective is to—

• introduce his cast of characters

• describe a typical pilgrimage

• reveal the narrator’s thoughts

• analyze religious customs

Vocabulary Development: sly dealings; skill in deceiving

• eminent

• benign

• guile

• obstinate

• frugal