"The Knight's Tale" Activities
"The Knight's Tale" was written by Geoffrey Chaucer between 1387 and 1400. Written in Middle English, it is the first of Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales" and was based on "The Teseida" by Italian author Giovanni Boccaccio. Set in ancient Athens, it tells the story of two cousins, Arcite and Palamon, who fall in love with the same woman, Emily, and become enemies in their efforts to woo her. After Theseus, ruler of Athens, arranges a duel for Emily's hand, Arcite is fatally wounded and the cousins are reconciled, with Arcite's recommendation that Emily marries Palamon, which is later honored.
-
Middle English
-
As most students will study a modern translation of "The Knight's Tale," exposing them to Middle English can be an interesting and fun study activity. Use Resources 2 and 3 to hear Middle English audio and be sure to print off a translation for students to follow along. Practice pronunciation of individual phonemes (or sounds) of words. Ask students to compare Middle and Modern English in terms of similarities and differences and what words, if any, have survived intact.
Newspaper Article
-
This activity from Penguin Readers is useful for helping students to become better acquainted with the characters and plot line of "The Knight's Tale." Divide the class into two groups and have students work on either of these two headlines: "Strange Man Becomes Duke Theseus and Lady Emily's Favorite" or "Palamon Breaks Free from Prison." Students should then construct a newspaper article based on their headline. Encourage them to use supporting quotations from the poem.
-
Medieval Roles
-
In this activity students complete an independent research project on medieval social roles. To research the main characters of "The Knight's Tale," they can choose to examine the role of a king (to represent Theseus), a knight (to represent Arcite and Palamon) or a lady (to represent Emily). Using books and the Internet, students must then begin researching their chosen role. They should aim to understand the responsibilities and way of life for their chosen role and present their findings to the class in a five-minute presentation.
A Modern Tale
-
In this creative writing activity, students can bring a modern twist to "The Knight's Tale" by creating their own version. Students must adhere to the plot but can incorporate any setting and characters--fictional or real--into their modern version. Have students word process their work and compile them into a class book. Alternatively, teachers can choose the best one and have students perform it as a play during a school assembly.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
