THE CONTEMPORARY TALES

 

It was in such a time (1387-1400) that Geoffrey Chaucer, an English diplomat, created a collection of stories called The Canterbury Tales. The good thing about the collection was that there were quite a number of tales to choose from to suit the moment. The Canterbury Tales were created in the time of oral tradition when stories often depended on story tellers to come to life. Unless, of course, the author was present and was able to read from his own work. When the printing press arrived in England in 1476, over 75 years after Chaucer first created his stories, the collection called The Canterbury Tales was the very first book to be printed in England. To get an idea of the magnitude of this milestone achievement, think of the first motion picture to be shown in the cinema or of the very first computer game to see the light. 

 

 

The first part of this web quest will help you become acquainted with this masterpiece from the Middle Ages. The second part will guide you in writing your own Tale, one of six Contemporary Tales. At the end of this school day you will perform your play 'on stage' in the classroom in front of an audience of your classmates. You yourself will form the audience for the plays the other five groups will put on. The teacher will take student feedback into account when deciding on a mark.