1.Select one or more of the villains and discuss how they reflect the text’s and, by extension, the culture’s views on what it means to be a villain.
2.In the midst of Beowulf’s individual battles, we get a picture of what drives these nations to war. Describe how the text shows the beginnings of the various battles between the nations and where the narrative expects them to go. What are the central reasons for why these nations fight? Connect these reasons to a larger cultural idea shared between the nations.
3.Explain how Sir Gawain describes the character of the Green Knight. Is he like the villains we’ve previously discussed? Why or why not? What does a different type of villain say about the distinctions between good and evil?
4.For this assignment, you have several options to choose from. I would like for you to select two of of the characters from the prologue and compare how Chaucer describes them. You will want to find a specific connection point for your comparison. For example, compare two characters where Chaucer discusses their wealth . Or, you can choose two characters where Chaucer discusses their clothing or even their actions.
The point of this assignment is to engage with the text and analyze this comparison. Avoid merely describing the way Chaucer describes these characters. Show how he might be creating a social commentary through these descriptions.
5.Chaucer gives a much different depiction of love and virtue than we might think of in romance. Discuss how Chaucer represents the character’s feelings toward one another and how the Miller uses these feelings to create the narrative. Then, discuss what this tale might say about Chaucer’s view of romantic love.
