The Nun's Priest's Tale

Poetry | Geoffrey Chaucer
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Brief Question in “The Nun’s Priest’s Tale”

Brief Question in “The Nun’s Priest’s Tale”

  • What is The Nun’s Priest’s Tale?
Ans: The Nun’s Priest’s Tale is a story in verse from The Canterbury Tales written by Geoffrey Chaucer.
  • Who told the Nun’s Priest to tell a story?
Ans: The Host, Harry Bailey, asked the Nun’s Priest, whom he called Sir John, to tell a story.
  • Where did the widow live?
Ans: The widow lived in a small cottage beside a grove of trees in a valley.
  • What type of life did the widow lead?
Ans: The widow lived a simple, patient, and humble life with very little property or income.
  • What was the name of the widow’s sheep?
Ans: The name of the widow’s sheep was Malle.
  • Name the cock kept by the widow.
Ans: The widow kept a beautiful cock named Chaunticleer.
  • How was Chaunticleer’s bill?
Ans: Chaunticleer’s bill was black and shone like jet.
  • What did the Nun’s Priest say about the cock’s comb?
Ans: The cock’s comb was redder than coral and shaped like the battlement of a castle wall.
  • How was the cock’s colour?
Ans: The cock’s colour was bright and shining like burnished gold.
  • Who was Madame Pertelote?
Ans: Madame Pertelote was Chaunticleer’s favourite hen, whom he loved deeply.
  • Who was Cato?
Ans: Cato was a Roman statesman and philosopher named Marcus Porcius Cato.
  • What is “fevere terciane”?
Ans: “Fevere terciane” means a fever that returns every third day, caused by excess choler.
  • Who was Saint Kenlem?
Ans: Saint Kenlem was the King of Mercia who was murdered by his aunt Quenedreda.
  • Who was Macrobius?
Ans: Macrobius was a Roman writer who lived in the early fifth century.
  • What, according to Chaunticleer, is Macrobius’ idea of dreams?
Ans: According to Chaunticleer, Macrobius believed that dreams warn men about future events.
  • Who was Croesus?
Ans: Croesus was the King of Lydia who dreamt of his own death by hanging.
  • What did Andromache dream?
Ans: Andromache dreamt that her husband Hector would die if he went to battle that day.
  • What is a colfox?
Ans: A colfox is a fox with black fur, often used to mean a sly and treacherous fox.
  • Who is “Scariot”?
Ans: Scariot refers to Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus Christ with a kiss.
  • Who was Sinon?
Ans: Sinon was the Greek who tricked the Trojans into bringing the wooden horse into Troy.
  • Who was Genylon?
Ans: Genylon was a treacherous officer who betrayed King Charlemagne, causing his defeat.
  • Who is Doctor Augustine?
Ans: Doctor Augustine refers to Saint Augustine, one of the great teachers of the Church.
  • What do you know about Boethius?
Ans: Boethius was a Roman philosopher best known for his book The Consolation of Philosophy.
  • Who was Bradwardine?
Ans: Thomas Bradwardine was the Archbishop of Canterbury and a learned theologian.
  • What is Physiologus?
Ans: Physiologus is a medieval book about animals that teaches moral lessons.
  • When did Sir Russell seize Chaunticleer?
Ans: Sir Russell seized Chaunticleer when the cock closed his eyes and began to crow.
  • Who was Priam?
Ans: Priam was the King of Troy who was killed by Pyrrhus when Troy was destroyed.
  • Who was Hasdrubal?
Ans: Hasdrubal was a Carthaginian leader who was killed when the Romans burned Carthage.
  • What moral lesson does Chaunticleer utter?
Ans: Chaunticleer teaches that one who keeps his eyes closed when he should be alert will suffer.
  • What moral lesson does Sir Russell utter?
Ans: Sir Russell says that people who speak foolishly instead of keeping silent bring misfortune on themselves.
  • What do you know about Reynard the Fox?
Ans: Reynard the Fox is a popular trickster in medieval fables who represents cunning and deceit.
  • What is a mock-heroic poem?
Ans: A mock-heroic poem treats a small or comic subject in the grand style of an epic.
  • What did Pertelote advise Chaunticleer to take?
Ans: Pertelote advised Chaunticleer to take worms and herbs to cure his illness.
  • Who was Andromache?
Ans: Andromache was the wife of Hector who dreamt of his death before the Trojan battle.
  • Which incident is The Nun’s Priest’s Tale based on?
Ans: The Nun’s Priest’s Tale is based on a story from the Reynard the Fox cycle.
  • What is the extraordinary talent of Chaunticleer?
Ans: Chaunticleer’s greatest talent is his beautiful and accurate crowing.
  • What is the job of a Pardoner?
Ans: A Pardoner sold indulgences or pardons from the Pope to forgive people’s sins.
  • What is a tale?
Ans: A tale is a short narrative or story, either true or imaginative.
  • Why did Chaunticleer pray to God?
Ans: Chaunticleer prayed that his dream would bring good fortune and that he would remain safe.
  • Who was Nero?
Ans: Nero was a cruel Roman emperor who ruled when Rome was destroyed by fire.
  • What is the moral of The Nun’s Priest’s Tale?
Ans: The moral of the tale is that one should never trust a flatterer.
  • What is a beast fable?
Ans: A beast fable is a story where animals talk and act like humans to teach a moral lesson.
  • How many pet animals did the widow have?
Ans: The widow had three pigs, three cows, and one sheep.
  • What remedy does Pertelote offer to cure Chaunticleer’s nightmare?
Ans: Pertelote advised Chaunticleer to take a laxative to clear his body of choler and bad humours.
  • How many wives does Chaunticleer have?
Ans: Chaunticleer had seven wives, and his favorite was Pertelote.
  • What is Pertelote’s theory of dreams?
Ans: Pertelote believed that dreams come from overeating and physical disorders, not from fate.
  • What kind of poem is The Nun’s Priest’s Tale?
Ans: The Nun’s Priest’s Tale is a beast fable written in a mock-heroic style.
  • Who is the Nun’s Priest?
Ans: The Nun’s Priest is one of the three priests who accompany the Prioress.
  • What did Chaunticleer dream?
Ans: Chaunticleer dreamt that a red, beastly fox tried to kill him.
  • Why did Chaunticleer love Pertelote most?
Ans: Chaunticleer loved Pertelote most because she was beautiful, wise, and graceful.
  • What was the name of the Colfox?
Ans: The name of the Colfox was Sir Russell.

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Geoffrey Chaucer
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