Na’Khiya Sanders/ 3rd hr

The Canterbury Tales Character Analysis Project

Directions for the written assignment and the poster assignment are below.
Objectives
● Character assigned
○ individual student
○ one pair consisting of 2 students maximum
● The written assignment
○ answer questions 1-7
○ submit questions 1-7 on Canvas
● The poster assignment
○ paint a picture of your character and tale
○ highlight the important events involving your character
○ communicate the character fully by emphasizing the traits of your character
○ promote a discussion of your character

STEP 1: Getting to Know Your Character and Your Character’s Tale

● Each student or pair is assigned one character.
● Use this link to read about your assigned character.
● You need to read the Character Portrait & Character’s Tale.
● What does the character’s tale tell you about them?
● What does the character portrait tell you about the character?
● The story they tell says a lot about the character’s personality, morals, ethics, what they like, who they
like, what they don’t like, who they don’t like, etc.
Na’Khiya Sanders/ 3rd hr

STEP 2: Answer Analysis Questions 1-7

● The Typed Answers
○ Answer Questions 1-7 below.
○ Typed the answers directly onto the document.
○ Submit on Canvas.
○ The answers will guide you when you are creating your poster.
Name(s) Na’Khiya Sanders , Amari Coulters

Character Chaunticleer

Answer the questions below.

1. Design Plan: 10 points

● Explain the design plan for your poster.
● Carefully choose the placement of your text and artwork.
● Be creative. Be original. Think outside the box.
● How do you plan to fill most of the white space?
● What design elements will you include?
● For example, the area where your character’s heart would be might be appropriate for
illustrating the important relationships within her/his life.
Explanation for Creativity:
The idea for the project is to create pop up characters of the rooster and the fox in order to create
emphasis. I really want Chanticleer and the fox to be the main star of the show and for the moral to be even
bigger up top on the poster board. I then want incorporate the color red as in the color of the book and the
words in the book.

2. One Color: 10 points

● What color is most associated with your character? Why?
● How can you effectively work the color into your characterization?
Answer for Color: The color which is most associated with my character is the color Red. Due to the dream
in which the main character saw a beast with red eyes, not to mention he repeats the color red in the
story. I can effectively work the color into the characterization by using it to emphasize the moral or
lesson portrayed in the story and the striking appearance of the fox.

3. Four Symbols: 40 points

● What objects can you associate with your character that illustrates her/his essence and
personality?
● Are there objects mentioned within the story itself that you could use?
● Are the symbols inferred?
● What are those inferred symbols?
List and explain 4 Symbols:
Na’Khiya Sanders/ 3rd hr
1. Fox - represents Devil - he was sent to deceive and trick the rooster which is similar to how the devil
tricks us humans.
2. Pertelote - Bad Advice - in the story Pertelote tells Chaunticleer that his dreams are not real and that
basically nothing would come to fruition. However, she was completely wrong.
3. Dream - Danger / Future / Foreshadowing - The dream on the other hand was premonition basically
saying that something bad is going to happen. We as humans often have premonitions better known
as instinct all the time.
4. Chanticleer - represents pride - During the story Chanticleer’s pride almost landed him in a
dangerous position. This also references how many people of faith are prideful and land in rough or
dangerous positions because of this.
4. Five Quotes: 50 points
● Choose the five most important quotes (either dialogue or exposition) relating to your
character.
● These must be typed accurately in MLA format.
● MLA in-text citation example:
○ “Husbands at churchè door I have had five…” (Chaucer 211).
● MLA source citation for Work Cited page:
○ Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales. Collections. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt,
2015.
List 5 Quotes with MLA in-text citation format:
1. “In which she had a hight Chanticleer, In all the land of crowing n’as his peer. His voice was merrier
than the merry organ, On masse days that in the churche gon” ( Chaucer 4040).
2. “ His comb was redder than the fine coral, And battled as it were a castle wall. His bill was black, and
jet it shone; Like azure were his legges and his tone; His nails whiter than the lily flower, And like the
burned gold was his favorite colour” ( Chaucer 4050).
3. “ Within our yard , where as I saw a beast, Was like a hound, and would have made arrest Upon my
body, and have had me dead” ( Chaucer 4090).
4. “ This night I shall be murdered , where I lie, Now help me deare brother, or I die; In alle haste come
to me ,’ he said” ( Chaucer 4195).
5. “ This Chanticleer , when he gan him espy, He would have fled, but that the fox anon Said: “ Gentle
Sir, alas! what will you don? Be you afraid of me that am your friend? Now certes , I were worse than
any fiend, If I to you would harm or villainy. I am not come your counsel for to spy But truly the
cause of my coming Was only for to hearken how you sing, For you truly you have as merry a steven”
( Chaucer 4475-4480).
5. Virtues & Vices: 20 points
● One virtue (behavior showing high moral standards).
● One vice (immoral or wicked behavior) for your character.
● Specifically, how will virtue and vice be visualized on the poster? Explain!
Virtue: Chanticleer sings very well which pleases other people.

Vice: Chanticleer tricks the fox into shouting at his pursuers, this is wicked behavior because as the fox was
deceiving the rooster , the rooster turned around and did the same thing to the fox. Which was wicked
behavior.

I will use the quotes and the drawing in order to show virtue and vice. More specifically in the drawing , so
Na’Khiya Sanders/ 3rd hr
that there is more of a visual of Chanticleer singing , and also being manipulative.

6. Descriptive Words: 10 points for

● 20 Total descriptive words each word.
○ 10 physically descriptive words
○ 10 psychologically descriptive words 200 points
● Create characterization through the use of and placement of words.
● These words should “show” the visual characterization of the person.
● Ten words should characterize the person through physical traits.
● Ten words should verbally illustrate her/his personality through psychological
expression with words.
List 10 physically descriptive words: List 10 psychologically descriptive words:
1. His bill was black 1. Campaignable
2. Comb redder than fine the coral 2.Aghast
3. Like azure were his legges 3.Vanity
4. whiter than the lily flower 4. Slaw
5. burned gold 5. Blithe
6. Fairest-hued 6. Him therewith
7. snoute small 7. Drenched sore
8. Foul 8. Ease
9. Lean 9. Affrayed
10. eyen tway 10. Doubtless
7. Job: 10 points
● Identify the character’s role, job, and/or craft.
● The job in the story as it is defined in the Middle Ages time period.
Job: Priest

Possible Points 340

Points Earned

STEP 3: Creating the Poster Assignment

● Create a poster.
● Use the specific requirements of the written assignment above to create the poster.
● Make good choices that are
○ creative
○ analytical
○ appropriate
○ accurate
● The posters are presented and displayed.
● All information (verbal and on the poster) should give a complete understanding of the character
without them reading the character’s story.
● Directions
1. Whole poster board
2. Use information from the written assignment on your character poster.
3. Bring all your own materials to class:
Na’Khiya Sanders/ 3rd hr
a. scissors
b. markers
c. glue
d. construction paper
e. cloth
f. any and all other items needed to build your character poster
g. nothing is provided in class to construct your poster
4. Assemble the character poster with your partner or alone in class.
5. If you cannot finish it in class, you will need to take it home to finish.
6. Turn in the assembled/finished poster at the end of class on Monday, Nov. 8, 2021.
7. Again- use every answer from the written assignment on your poster.
8. Every answer to questions 1-7 must be on the poster.

Printed words/pictures/objects cannot be used.

Copied pictures/objects/words cannot be used.
Anything not created by hand cannot be used.