GEOFFREY CHAUCER The Canterbury Tales

Born to a middle class family EARLY LIFE 1342-1400 Born to a middle class family His father was a wine merchant who believed his child should have a formal education Odd jobs = page, courtier, diplomat, civil servant, scrap metal collector Travelled all over Europe

LATER LIFE Fluent in English, Italian, Latin, and French Worked as a government official under three different kings = high social status Was captured as a POW during the Hundred Year’s War  King paid his ransom Died of unknown causes – murder suspected Chaucer was one of the first writers to be buried in the Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey.

WRITING STYLES Often called the father of English poetry Most scholars still wrote in Latin Felt English lacked sophistication and had a limited vocabulary Only local stories and ballads written in English He wrote in the vernacular or language of the commoners Now known as Middle English Allegory: A story win which the character, settings, and events stand for abstract or moral concepts. It has a literal meaning and a symbolic meaning. Popular in the Middle Ages. Satire: witty language used to convey insult Rhythmic pattern Lack of alliteration Best known for writing The Canterbury Tales, but also had several other works as well

THE CANTERBURY TALES 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 an inn and travels with them to the shrine of St. Thomas Becket in Canterbury. They decide to have a contest: whoever can tell the best tale wins a dinner at the inn when they get back, courtesy of the other travelers. Canterbury Tales can be considered “estates satire” Three “Estates” in European feudal society Peasants work (agricultural labor) Clergy pray Nobles fight (and rule) Begun: 1386 Planned: 120 tales Completed: 22 and 2 fragments

The Story Twenty nine people that represent all aspects of Medieval society go on a pilgrimage to the cathedral at Canterbury in southeast England.

The cathedral at Canterbury is the main cathedral of the Church of England. The shrine to the martyr Saint Thomas a Becket is located at this cathedral.

Saint Thomas a Becket was the archbishop of Canterbury, and in 1170 he was martyred by some knights of the king of England, Henry II, who was overheard complaining about Becket’s loyalty to the church at Rome over his loyalty to his king.

Some of the characters The host of the tavern or innkeeper is the man who suggests that the pilgrims each tell a story on the way to entertain the group. Chaucer intended for each to tell 2 stories, but he only got to write one apiece.

        Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote                   When April with its sweet-smelling showers 2         The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,                  Has pierced the drought of March to the root, 3         And bathed every veyne in swich licour                  And bathed every vein (of the plants) in such liquid 4         Of which vertu engendred is the flour;                  By which power the flower is created; 5         Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth                  When the West Wind also with its sweet breath, 6         Inspired hath in every holt and heeth                  In every wood and field has breathed life into 7         The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne                  The tender new leaves, and the young sun 8         Hath in the Ram his half cours yronne,                  Has run half its course in Aries, 9         And smale foweles maken melodye,                  And small fowls make melody, 10         That slepen al the nyght with open ye                  Those that sleep all the night with open eyes 11         (So priketh hem Nature in hir corages),                  (So Nature incites them in their hearts), 12         Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,                  Then folk long to go on pilgrimages, 13         And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,                  And professional pilgrims to seek foreign shores, 14         To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;                  To distant shrines, known in various lands; 15         And specially from every shires ende                  And specially from every shire's end 16         Of Engelond to Caunterbury they wende,                  Of England to Canterbury they travel, 17         The hooly blisful martir for to seke,                  To seek the holy blessed martyr, 18         That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke.                  Who helped them when they were sick.

CHARACTERS Narrator (“Chaucer”) Host Knight Squire Yeoman Prioress Second Nun The Nun’s Priest Monk Friar Merchant Clerk Man of Law Franklin Guildsmen Cook Shipman Physician Wife of Bath Parson Plowman Manciple Reeve Miller Summoner Pardoner

Things to consider What estate is your character from? How is your character described in the General Prologue? What is his or her occupation? What happens in his or her tale? What is important about the tale (think satire)?