Lecture 2

Geoffrey Chaucer
and
The Canterbury Tales
The age of Chaucer: (1340-1400)
Geoffrey Chaucer
• He is acclaimed not only as “the father of
English poetry” but also the father of
English fiction.
– In short:
• He is considered the father of English literature.
• Chaucer’s name stands second only to that
of Shakespeare.
His use of English in his poetry helped to
establish Middle English vernacular as the
mainstream language of the day, replacing
Latin and French and in doing so, paving the
way for other literary greats such as
Shakespeare.
In this and other works Chaucer established
the southern English dialect as England’s
literary language, and he is regarded as the
first great English poet.
Early Life
• Born c. 1340
• Son of a prosperous wine
merchant (middle class)
• In mid teens, he was placed in
the service of the Countess of
Ulster so he could obtain more
education and be schooled in
court and society life
• Learned Latin, French and
Italian equipping him for
diplomatic and civil service as
well as enabled him to translate
literary works in all three
languages
Early Life (cont.)
• In 1359 he was captured by the
French at the siege of Reims
during the Hundred Years' War
while serving in English army;
he was ransomed by King
Edward III a year later showing
he was a court favorite.
• Chaucer joined the royal
household and became a trusted
messenger and minor diplomat
As a Royal Messenger
• Chaucer was frequently sent to the continent on
secret business for the King.
• Some of these trips were to Italy where he became
acquainted with the works of the greatest Italian
authors of the early Renaissance period: Dante,
Petrarch
• Odd jobs = page, courtier, diplomat, civil servant,
scrap metal collector
• Travelled all over Europe
Other Jobs Chaucer Held…and Learned From...
• Controller of Customs on Wools, Skins and Hides for the Port of

London
– Here he met many types of businessmen, sailors, travelers city folk and
common laborers.
• Clerk of the King’s Works
– While in charge of construction and repairs affecting the royal residences,
he met many guildsmen as well as court officials.
• Deputy Forester of the King’s Forests
– Away from the city, he met peasants, foresters, local clergy and other
country folk
• Representative of the Shire of Kent in Parliament
– He met the rich, the influential and the upper middle class as well as the
higher ranking church officials.
Goeffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury
Tales is a collection of 24 stories which
follow a group of pilgrims on a journey.
Since it was written in Middle English c.
1400, it is widely used as a reference for
understanding the time period. Middle
English was the period between Old
English (Beowulf) and Modern English
(Shakespeare). Understanding Middle
English provides a better understanding
of the evolution of language and
concepts. The Canterbury Tales also
serve as a way to understand 14th
century Medieval England as it provides
a description of people from all walks of
life.
The Canterbury Tales gathers a group of strangers from
different walks of life. The collection acts as social satire,
portraying a comedic and exaggerated depiction of
medieval society, mainly the roles of the Church, the
nobility, and the peasantry. This also allows for a way to
understand 14th century Medieval England.
Three facts about The Canterbury Tales

1. The Canterbury Tales is believed to be incomplete.
Published at the time of Chaucer's death, it still presents a
detailed look at 14th century Medieval England.
2. Chaucer uses a frame narrative to tell multiple stories
within one story. This allows for a greater understanding of
characters.
3. The Canterbury Tales acts as social satire as it
reinforces the medieval stereotypes of each class, while
unveiling the characters in new light to challenge these
stereotypes.
In The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer
wrote about the people he had met
along the way. He wrote a prologue
that described the people followed by a
group of short stories “told” by them.
• People made pilgrimages to Canterbury to
honor Saint Thomas’s memory
• The Canterbury Tales are a fictional
collection of stories from a group of people
making this pilgrimage to Canterbury. The
separate tales are linked with their
prologues, and with dialogues and scraps of
narrative.
Summary
Although the work was never completed, The Canterbury
Tales is considered one of the greatest works in the English
language
The narrator meets 29 pilgrims at the Tabard Inn in London
and travels with them to the shrine of St.Thomas Becket in
Canterbury. The host of the inn suggests that each pilgrim
should tell two stories while going to Canterbury and two
on the way back: whoever can tell the best tale wins a
dinner at the inn when they get back, courtesy of the other
travelers.
The twenty-nine are carefully chosen types, of
both sexes, and of all ranks, from a knight to a
humble ploughman; their occupations and
personal peculiarities are many and diverse;
and, as they are depicted in the masterly
Prologue to the main work, they are
interesting, alive, and thoroughly human.
They could be described by:
• Their job
• The type and color of their clothing
• Their “accessories” (jewelry, pets, other portables)
• The way they act
• Their income
• Their “secrets”
• Their status in society as a whole
• The way they speak / their slang or accent
• Their mode of transportation
England’s Norman rulers had introduced the French
language to England, and it had displaced English for
literary purposes, especially in the upper class. French
was spoken in court circles and by the aristocracy.
Latin was the language of the church. It was used in the

monasteries and the centers of learning.
Therefore, French and Latin were the

languages of the educated.
The fact that Chaucer chose to write in

English (Middle English), rather/not than
French or Latin like many of his fellow
writers, meant that ordinary folk could
enjoy The Canterbury Tales and their
vivid characters, adding tremendously
to the prestige of the English language.
Features of his Poetry.
(a)-The first thing that strikes the eye is the unique position that Chaucer's work
occupies in the literature of the age.
(b) His Observation.
Among Chaucer's literary virtues his acute faculty of observation is very prominent.
He was a man of the world, mixing freely with all types of mankind. He had the
seeing eye, memory that shapes his descriptions.
(C) His Descriptions.
Success in descriptive passages depends on vivacity and skill in presentation, as
well as on the judgment shown the selection of details
(d) His Humour and Pathos
For example : the Wife of Bath
(e) His Narrative Power.
As a story-teller Chaucer employs somewhat tortuous methods
Summary.
We may summarize Chaucer's achievement by saying that he is the
earliest of the great moderns.
The Canterbury Tales is important for several reasons.

It is a great resource for learning about Middle English;
it paved the way for later writers like William Shakespeare;
and it provides a lot of insight into life in medieval England

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Geoffrey Chaucer

• Controller of Customs on Wools, Skins and Hides for the Port of

Three facts about The Canterbury Tales

Latin was the language of the church. It was used in the

Therefore, French and Latin were the

The fact that Chaucer chose to write in

The Canterbury Tales is important for several reasons.

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