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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 6 page research paper that discusses the ordering of Chaucer's medieval masterpiece. The writer discusses what is known as the "b" group order and how it differs from the ordering of the tales in the Ellesmere manuscript. Bibliography lists 2 sources.
Page Count:
6 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_khbgr.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
Sanders of Goucher College points out that it makes sense that Chaucer would have varied the telling of his tales to fit the occasion and his audience. For example, he
probably did not relate the Millers Tale to a Prioress or the Knights Tale unless it was needed for a long evenings entertainment (Sanders). It also makes sense that he
would keep tales that work particularly well together in the same sequence. On this much, scholars agree. However, they disagree on the internal structure of The Canterbury Tales and
how to order the tales. From the various manuscripts that are still existent, there are ten fragments, some of which contains several tales and me only one (Howard 212).
The number of the fragments are derived from their order in the Ellesmere manuscript of The Canterbury Tales (Sanders). There is also the Hengwrt order (Sanders). The New College manuscript
offers another order, which is known as the "b" group (Sanders). This version of The Canterbury Tales differs from the "a" group, that is the Ellesmere manuscript in several
significant ways. Rather than placing the Wife of Baths Tale directly after that of the Man of Law, as in the "a" group, the "b" group has The Man
of Law, the Squire, the Merchant and only then the Wife of Bath. After the Summoners Tale, the "b" group again diverges and offers the Clerks Tale and then the
Franklins. The next three fragments also differ from the order in the Ellesmere manuscript. They are as follows: Fragment 8: Second Nun, Canons Yeoman; Fragment 6: Physician, Pardoner; and Fragment
7: Shipman, Prioress, Sir Thopas, Melibee, Monk, Nuns Priest (Sanders). Fragments 9 and 10 follows the Ellesmere manuscript (Sanders). As this listing shows, divergence from the Ellesmere manuscript begins
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