Canterbury Tales DVD Series, The

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DVD

FEATURES & DETAILS:


Price: $95.88
  
Grades: 9 to Adults
  
Titles In Series: 3
  
Item #: V6895
  
Availability: In Stock!
  
Format: DVD
  
Also Available In:
Digital Rights
  
Closed-Captioning: Yes


PRODUCT SUMMARY


For sale in U.S. and Canada only-- Students will experience the action and adventure of Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales through these creative adaptations that feature stunning animation that depicts medieval life in Europe. These programs remain true to the original symbolism and imagery, and they will generate student interest in the original texts. The programs will also serve as visual aids that clarify difficult passages. The voices are provided by the Royal Shakespeare Company. True to the style of Chaucer’s original work, these programs depict scenarios that some educators may find inappropriate for classroom use.
Programs include Teacher's Guides.
(Also see the World Literary Classic Series for additional animated literature programs.) (1999-2001)


EDITORIAL REVIEWS


"...this Emmy award-winning modern adaptation...serves as a solid introduction to England's most celebrated medieval poet, retaining Chaucer's bawdiness within the larger scope of his acute, and often amusing, insights into the human condition. Highly recommended." - Video Librarian

"These presentations will serve as an excellent means to introduce or conclude a unit on Chaucer's Canterbury Tales." - School Library Journal



FULL REVIEWS

Video Librarian (March 2000)

""

Having thoroughly enjoyed Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (in the original Middle English, mind you) during my halcyon academic days, I was a little nervous as to how faithful this two-part HBO-aired animated series would be to the 14th century classic of storytelling wayfarers embarked on a holy pilgrimage to Canterbury. However, the nicely pitched tenor fart that ripped through my speakers three minutes in, followed by a prodigious belch (which lifted my subwoofer six inches off the carpet) barely two minutes later, convinced me that my fears were groundless. Combining rich model animation together with traditional sketch work, this Emmy award-winning modern adaptation presents six of the twenty-four tales (three on each video), ranging from the Nun Priest's Tale of Chauntecleer the rooster and his misadventures with a sly fox, to the Merchant's Tale of the elder cuckold January's vain attempts to corral his young wife (including, I believe, literature's first recorded instance of sex in a pear tree). Spanning a wide range of themes--including avarice, betrayal, lust, love, and pride--Canterbury Tales I & II serves as a solid introduction to England's most celebrated medieval poet, retaining Chaucer's bawdiness (though omitting lusty gems such as "The Miller's Tale") within the larger scope of his acute, and often amusing, insights into the human condition. Highly recommended. [Due to the mature nature of the material, though tastefully and artfully presented, we recommend this for high school and up.] Also available from the same producers: Beowulf, Don Quixote and Moby Dick.


School Library Journal (April 2000)

Gr 9 & Up - These animated videos introduce Chaucer's classic literary work. Claymation-type characters depict the travelers to Canterbury. As various travelers tell their tales, they are shown with traditionally animated sequences. Artwork for both the tales and the travelers is superb. Like Jim Henson's muppets, these claymation figures physically describe each characters' personality. Actors from the Royal Shakespeare company provide the voices. The bawdy times of merry old England are truthfully, yet tastefully, portrayed. The first video presents "The Nun's Priest's Tale," "The Knight's Tale," and "The Wife of Bath's Tale." Volume II includes "The Merchant's Tale," "The Pardoner's Tale," and "The Franklin's Tale." These presentations will serve as an excellent means to introduce or conclude a unit on Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.

Copyright 2000 School Library Journal. Used with permission.

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