AS/A-Level English Literature: 'The General Prologue' & 'The Wife of Bath's Prologue & Tale' Teacher Resource Pack (+ CD)

Summary:
Extensively researched, photocopiable material that can be used as the basis of delivering lessons, for student research and preparation, for follow-up homework, or as cover work in the case of teacher absence. Includes a free CD with the text of the pack and additional resources.

• Photocopiable resources to save the busy literature teacher hours of preparation time
  

• Provide an invaluable source of thoroughly researched material
  

• Create opportunties for a more student-centered learning approach
  

• Improve and enhance student knowledge and appreciation of set texts
  

• Provide a solution to specialist staff absence
  

Table of Contents:
Contexts
Chaucer’s life
The medieval worldview
Medieval society
Medieval beliefs
Tradition and innovation
Chaucer and his contemporaries
Pilgrimage
Story collections
Chaucer’s audience and purpose
The framework of The Canterbury Tales
The multiple narrator in The Canterbury Tales
Chaucer’s verse
Chaucer’s language
Activities
The introduction to ‘The General Prologue’
Humour in ‘The General Prologue’
Satire in ‘The General Prologue’
Characterisation in ‘The General Prologue’
Secular characters
Religious characters
The final section of ‘The General Prologue’
Chaucer and Langland
The Wife of Bath in ‘The General Prologue’
The structure of ‘The Wife of Bath’s Prologue’
The structure of ‘The Wife of Bath’s Tale’
The Wife of Bath -- medieval and modern
Experience and ‘auctoritee’
The Wife of Bath and biblical exegesis
The Wife of Bath and the anti-feminist tradition
‘Maistrie’
Multiple narrators
‘The Wife of Bath’s Tale’ and its analogues
‘Gentillesse’
The ending of the Wife of Bath’s prologue and the ending of her tale
The Wife of Bath -- critical approaches
The Wife of Bath’s use of language
Humour in ‘The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale’
Useful quotations
Assessment focus
Specifications and Assessment Objectives
Exam essays
Sample essay material
Resources
The Canterbury pilgrims
The ‘marriage group’ of tales
Sources and analogues of ‘The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale’
Further study resources
Literary terms and concepts
‘Chaucer’s Two Alisons’ by Helen Barr
‘Medieval authorship and authority in The Canterbury Tales’ by Rachel Thanassoulis
‘Reading or listening to Alison?’ by Claire Newman

About the Author(s):
Richard Swan has taught A-level English for more than 30 years, and is author of The Canterbury Tales Teacher Resource pack, also published by Philip Allan Updates. He is the former Head of English and current Vice Principal at the Harvey Grammar School in Folkestone. He writes critical articles, review and poetry.