The Canterbury Tales written by Geoffrey Chaucer & Medieval Narratives

Literature from the 14 th century Narratives - a type of writing that relates a series of events – often written in verse. (narrative poetry / story poetry) The narrative that overshadowed all others during this time was Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales.

Geoffrey Chaucer Known for generations as one of the greatest poets in the history of English literature. The Canterbury Tales was his best and most famous work, though it went unfinished. Wrote it in English when French was widely spoken in the educated circles. He proved English could be a respectable literary language.

Who was Geoffrey Chaucer??? 1340?-1400, most likely born in London. Family was not noble, but was an attendant for Prince Lionel (a son of King Edward III). Learned the customs of upper-class life and met influential people. His primary career was in diplomacy. During Richard II’s troubled reign, Chaucer was appointed a member of Parliament and a knight of the shire. King Henry IV overthrew Richard II and Chaucer maintained his position due to his connections. Buried in London’s Westminster Abbey – very rare for a commoner. In 1556 an admirer created a marble monument in his memory, which was the beginning of the Abbey’s Poet’s Corner. England’s most distinguished writers have since been buried here.

What you’ll find in Geoffrey Chaucer’s work. Writing style and literary devices. Specifically, The Canterbury Tales

Frame Narrative The result of inserting one or more small stories within the body of a larger story that encompasses the smaller ones. Often this term is used interchangeably with both the literary technique and the larger story itself that contains the smaller ones, which are called "framed narratives" or "embedded narratives." The most famous example is Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, in which the overarching frame narrative is the story of a band of pilgrims traveling to the shrine of Thomas a Becket in Canterbury. The band passes the time in a storytelling contest. The framed narratives are the individual stories told by the pilgrims who participate.

The Canterbury Tales Originally planned to write 124 tales Only 24 tales were completed Each character tells a tale on the pilgrimage to the cathedral at Canterbury

Imagery & Figurative Language Vivid imagery and figurative language to describe character’s physical characteristics. Example: “His face on fire, like a cherubin, / For he had caruncles.”

Irony The contrast between expectation and reality. Example (describing a doctor in The Canterbury Tales Prolouge) “Yet he was rather close as to expenses And kept the gold he won in pestilences. Gold stimulates the heart, or so we’re told. He therefore had a special love of gold.

Characterization The method used by a writer to develop a character. The method includes: (1) showing the character's appearance (2) displaying the character's actions (3) revealing the character's thoughts (4) letting the character speak (5) getting the reactions of others.

The way Chaucer characterizes the pilgrims in The Canterbury Tales… Description of character’s appearance. Examples of character’s speech, thoughts, and actions. The responses of others to a character. The narrator’s direct comments about a character.