Geoffrey Chaucer Trivia

1. What was the profession of Perkin Reveler in "The Cook's Tale"?

From Quiz Cliffy's Tales of Canterbury

Answer: Apprentice cook

Perkin Reveler was an apprentice cook who was fired for bad conduct. Perkin joined forces with another man of bad conduct and they were bad together. FYI, Roger, the cook, who was telling the tale never finished it. Some believe Chaucer stopped the tale because it wasn't going to be merry.

From Quiz Let's Get General With Geoffrey

Answer: The Church

Geoffrey Chaucer's "General Prologue" presents a highly realistic representation of society during the 14th century. The change that was taking place in values, and the behaviour of the people is vividly depicted, leading to genuine concern for the state of society as a whole. Based loosely on the form of estates satire, which was traditionally used by medieval satirists in their criticism of society, Chaucer's "General Prologue" conveys the manifestation of deceit, corruption, and the growing tendency to sin. During a time when the Church was the institution with the greatest influence over the people, the question of morality is certainly brought to the forefront. Society is continually compared against the strict ideals of the Church, which results in criticism of those who ignore its moral superiority. However such criticism is also aimed at many of the Church's own representatives, which complicates the matter.

From Quiz The Merchant's Tale

Answer: The Canterbury Tales

Written by Chaucer in the 14th Century, "The Canterbury Tales" is a collection of stories contained inside a frame tale and told by various pilgrims on a pilgrimage from Southwark to Canterbury.

From Quiz The Canterbury Pilgrims

Answer: The Tabard

"Befell that, in that season, on a day In Southwark, at the Tabard, as I lay Ready to start upon my pilgrimage" This is where it all began...

From Quiz A Test on the Tales

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.

From Quiz "The Canterbury Tales" Trivia

Answer: 30

There are nine and twenty pilgrims, plus the Host (who doesn't tell any tales).

From Quiz The Canterbury Tales-The Basics

Answer: Geoffrey Chaucer

Chaucer was born c. 1340 and died in 1400.

From Quiz The Canterbury Tales

Answer: Romance

"The Knight's Tale" tells of the tragic love story between the two knights, Arcite and Palamon, and their yearnings for the beautiful Emily, princess of Athens.

From Quiz Cliffy's Tales of Canterbury

Answer: The knight killed his daughter

The knight decapitated his fourteen year old daughter to keep her away from the lying blackguard Claudius. The town judge imprisoned the knight for murder, but the town citizens knew of the lie that forced the knight to kill his daughter and forced the judge into prison. The knight was released and had Claudius exiled. FYI, 'The Physician's Tale' told in "The Canterbury Tales" resembles Jean de Meun's 'Roman de la Rose'.

From Quiz Thisbe - One of Chaucer's "Good" Women

Answer: Neither of their fathers would allow it

Chaucer starts by telling the tale of two young lovers; the "yonge man was called Piramus/ Tysbe hight the maide", and she was "the fayreste/ That estward" dwelled, and he was of "al that lond oon of the lustyeste". Both "in love ylyke sore they brente" and there "myghte have ben bytwixe hem maryage", only "that here fadres nolde it nat assente". Indeed it is their fathers who prevent the lovers from marrying, and thus sets their tragic tale in motion. For passion has an important role in Chaucer's legend of "Thisbe". Privately "som tyme yit they mette/ By sleyghte" to speak "of here desyr". For as "wry the glede and hotter is the fyr/ Forbede a love, and it is ten so wod". Thus at odds with the orders of her parents and companions, (for "non of alle hyre frendes myght it lette"), Thisbe continued to meet with Pyramus in secret.

From Quiz The Merchant's Tale

Answer: 60

He is described as a 60-year-old knight from the town of Pavie, in Lombardy.

From Quiz A Test on the Tales

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.

From Quiz "The Canterbury Tales" Trivia

Answer: 4 & four

They are each going to tell two tales there and two tales on the way back. Whoever tells the best tale wins dinner, paid for by the rest of the group.

From Quiz The Canterbury Tales-The Basics

Answer: Thomas a Becket, Canterbury

They set off from the Tabbard Inn, in Southwark, 29 in all. The pilgrims would listen to each other tell tales along the trip there and back. The best tale teller earns a free dinner.

From Quiz Let's Get General With Geoffrey

Answer: The Parson

Despite the immorality that is apparent amongst the clergy, hope manifests itself in the form of the Parson, who is presented as an almost Christ-like figure. Although materially poor, he is spiritually empowered, for "riche he was" of both "hooly thoght and werk". Moreover "Wyd was his parish, and houses far asonder", and yet "he lafte not for reyne or thonder/ In siknesse and in meschief to visíte" the "ferthest in his parisshe, smal and great". His impatience with "any persone obstinat" seems to be his only flaw, for "Cristes love, and his apostles twelve" he taught, but "ferst he folwed it himselve". Yet for every trap that Chaucer's Parson has avoided, there are thousands that have fallen into them, and in light of this, the goodness of Chaucer's Parson only serves to heighten the unruliness that is present in everybody else. For in the "General Prologue" he is the only individual that completely measures up to the strict Christian ideal, which is something even the Church itself does not.

From Quiz Thisbe - One of Chaucer's "Good" Women

Answer: A wall

The wall which divides the two lovers is highly significant: This wal, which that bitwixe hem bothe stod, Was clove a-two, ryght from the cop adoun, Of olde tyme of his fundacioun; Chaucer uses the stone wall as a symbol of division, which causes the lovers to curse it for refusing to "cleve or fallen al a-two". For the "wikkede wal" itself is flawed in its structure. As a result, its "clyfte", although "narw and lyte", enables passion to penetrate obstructions. Although the wall is a cause of separation, it is also simultaneously a source for union. Thus the "colde wal they wolden kysse of ston,/ And take here leve and forth they wolden gon". To add to this, it also provides a channel for speech, enabling the "swote soun of other to receyve". This is how the relationship is sustained, for over a "longe tyme they wroughte in this manere". The wall is highly significant. It unites them through separation, for as an obstruction the wall only serves to increase their passion, which is also allowed to transfer itself onto the other side of the stone.

From Quiz The Merchant's Tale

Answer: Placebo

January asks Justinus and Placebo for their advice on marriage. The two brothers have differing views - Placebo encourages January to get married whereas Justinus suggests that he does not marry. January decides to take Placebo's advice.

From Quiz The Canterbury Pilgrims

Answer: The Squire

"With him there was his son, a youthful squire, A lover and a lusty bachelor, With locks well curled, as if they'd laid in press." Seems quite different from his father.

From Quiz Which Pilgrim from "The Canterbury Tales" am I?

Answer: The pardoner

Left until nearly the end of 'The General Prologue', the pardoner is one of the least appealing portraits: a greasy haired, high-voiced con-artist who was totally unscrupulous.

From Quiz A Test on the Tales

Answer: The Miller's

This is a rather off-color story involving a naïve carpenter, his wife, and her suitors.

From Quiz "The Canterbury Tales" Trivia

Answer: beast fable

A beast fable is an animal fable that has a moral. An exemplum displays some kind of moral, a miraculum displays some kind of miracle, and Romantic tales generally involve knights and chivalry.

From Quiz The Canterbury Tales-The Basics

Answer: Bagpipes

Ironically, the Reeve, the anthithesis of the Miller, was the last in the line.

From Quiz Cliffy's Tales of Canterbury

Answer: Phoebus had the crow's voicebox removed and feathers replaced

Chaucer remarked that the moral to "The Manciple's Tale" is that repeating scandal is a dangerous business. Chaucer took "The Manciple's Tale" from Ovid's "Metamorphosis".

From Quiz Thisbe - One of Chaucer's "Good" Women

Answer: At Ninus' tomb

Pyramus and Thisbe agree "to mete in o place at o tyde"; they "sette mark" where "kyng Nynus was grave under a tre". Incidentally Ninus (the male founder of Babylon), is Semiramis' (the current ruler of Babylon) husband. Therefore the lovers actually fail in their attempts to escape the civic structures of their home town, for Ninus' tomb is a clear reminder of its constraint.

From Quiz The Merchant's Tale

Answer: Pluto

Pluto and Proserpina argue - Pluto condemns women's morality and decides that he will grant January his sight back. In defence of women, Proserpina grants May the ability to talk her way out of the situation.

From Quiz The Canterbury Pilgrims

Answer: The Prioress

"There was also a nun, a prioress, Who, in her smiling, modest was and coy; Her greatest oath was but "By Saint Eloy!" And she was known as Madam Eglantine." Interestingly enough, the Prioress is not known as 'the nun,' even though she is one. There is a separate nun.

From Quiz A Test on the Tales

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.

From Quiz The Canterbury Tales-The Basics

Answer: The Knight

He told a tale of ideal, chivalrous love. The perfect 14th century romantic story that audiences loved, today we call them 'chick flicks'.

From Quiz Cliffy's Tales of Canterbury

Answer: Bottom

Absalan fell in love with Alison, but she didn't return his feelings. One night, Absalan went to Alison's home to get a kiss from her. Alison was with another man in her room. When Absalan called out to her for a kiss, Alison thought it would be funny to stick her bottom out the window. Absalan kissed her bottom and then recoiled in disgust and shame. That same night, Absalan returned with a hot poker to get revenge on Alison. Absalan again called out to Alison for a kiss. This time Alison's lover, Nicolas, stuck his bottom out the window for Absalan to kiss. Instead of a kiss, Absalan pressed the hot poker against Nicolas' bottom and branded him. FYI, The miller was drunk at the time he told this story and it became Chaucer's most disliked tale.

From Quiz Thisbe - One of Chaucer's "Good" Women

Answer: A lioness

While Thisbe is waiting for Pyramus, she sees a "wilde leonesse" come "out of the wode", "with blody mouthe, of strangling of a beste/ To drinken of the welle, ther as she sat". Fearing for her life, "in a cave with dredful foot she sterte", and "her wimpel leet she falle". Once the "leonesse hath dronke her fille", "right anoon the wimpel gan she finde" and "with her blody mouth hit al to-rente", before disappearing back "to the wode her wey than hath she nome".

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Last Updated Feb 21 2026 5:46 AM

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