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Quiz about A Test on the Tales
Quiz about A Test on the Tales

A Test on the Tales Trivia Quiz


A quiz for those who have read the Prologue and a reasonable selection of the tales.

A multiple-choice quiz by skylarb. Estimated time: 3 mins.
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Author
skylarb
Time
3 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
116,445
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
1598
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. "The Canterbury Tales" consisted of 22 complete stories, but how many were originally planned? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. What brother of a parson is described in Chaucer's prologue to "The Canterbury Tales" as one who pays his tithes "ful faire and well"? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. This pilgrim's tale contains the characters Nicholas and Absolon. Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Which pilgrim's tale is based on one of Boccaccio's courtly romances? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. In the prologue, we are told he was "At Alisandre." Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. This pilgrim, believing that the caricature of the carpenter in the Miller's tale was aimed at him, counters with his own story that mocks the arrogance of the miller. Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Which pilgrim's tale contains a knight named Arveragus, a
lady named Dorigen, and a squire named Aurelie?
Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. His tale tells the story of a maiden whose beauty inspires a judge to attempt to attain her through a trumped-up law suit. Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. What is the name of the rooster in the Nun's Priest's tale? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. The moral of his tale was: "Avarice is the root of all evil." Hint





Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. "The Canterbury Tales" consisted of 22 complete stories, but how many were originally planned?

Answer: 120

The tales were to be told by each of 30 pilgrims, two on the way to Becket's tomb, and two on the return journey. Two additional tales were begun but never completed.
2. What brother of a parson is described in Chaucer's prologue to "The Canterbury Tales" as one who pays his tithes "ful faire and well"?

Answer: Plowman

The Plowman also lives "in pees and perfit charitee." The Plowman and his brother the Parson are two of Chaucer's most positive characters. The monk is a "manly man" with a lust for hunting. The Pardoner is a charlatan who passes off pig's bones as Saint's relics, and the Friar is something of a womanizer.
3. This pilgrim's tale contains the characters Nicholas and Absolon.

Answer: The Miller's

This is a rather off-color story involving a naïve carpenter, his wife, and her suitors.
4. Which pilgrim's tale is based on one of Boccaccio's courtly romances?

Answer: The Knight's

It is based on his "Il Teseida." Boccaccio wrote a collection of short stories called the "Decameron." Chaucer also modeled his "Troilus and Criseide" on a work by Boccaccio.
5. In the prologue, we are told he was "At Alisandre."

Answer: The Knight

The Knight is described as one who "loved Chivalrye."
6. This pilgrim, believing that the caricature of the carpenter in the Miller's tale was aimed at him, counters with his own story that mocks the arrogance of the miller.

Answer: The Reeve

The Reeve is described in the Prologue as "a sclendre, colerik man," and "they were adrad of him as of the deeth."
7. Which pilgrim's tale contains a knight named Arveragus, a lady named Dorigen, and a squire named Aurelie?

Answer: The Franklin's

The ruddy Franklin is described in Chaucer's Prologue as being "Epicurus owene sone."
8. His tale tells the story of a maiden whose beauty inspires a judge to attempt to attain her through a trumped-up law suit.

Answer: The Physician's

In the story, her father kills her to preserve her virginity. In the Prologue, it is said of the Physician, "For gold in physik is a cordial, therefore he loved gold in special."
9. What is the name of the rooster in the Nun's Priest's tale?

Answer: Chanticleer

The work is based on a beast fable "Reynard the Fox." Russell is the name of the fox in Chaucer's tale.
10. The moral of his tale was: "Avarice is the root of all evil."

Answer: The Pardoner's

The Pardoner tells of three men who pursue Death in order to kill him. An old man tells them they can find Death under a tree. Instead, they find a bag of gold. They end up killing each other over the gold, and thus do, in a sense, find Death.
Source: Author skylarb

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Bruyere before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
Related Quizzes
This quiz is part of series Literature Before 1500:

Five quizzes on literature written before 1500.

  1. Middle English Literature Tough
  2. Old English Literature Tough
  3. A Test on the Tales Tough
  4. Judith (poem translated by Mary Savelli) Average
  5. The Life of Chaucer Tough
  6. Rumi (in the words of Coleman Barks) Average

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