So who is this Chaucer guy?
 c. 1343-1400
 Considered the father of English poetry
 Wrote in the vernacular of the time
 Served as a soldier, government servant, and a member
of Parliament
 Introduced Iambic Pentameter
 First writer buried in Westminster Abbey
Why is Chaucer called the Father of
English Poetry?

Chaucer is called the father of English poetry because
he made the English language respectable.
 Most people during this time period spoke Middle
English, although educated people wrote in Latin and
French. English was not a language that was taken
seriously.
 By writing poetry in English, Chaucer gave respect to
the everyday language spoken by the common people.
The town of Canterbury
 Canterbury is a town famous for a murder.
 In 1170, Thomas a Becket was the archbishop of
Canterbury, meaning he was the highest Catholic
church official.
 King Henry II didn’t like Thomas a Becket because
Becket criticized the king.
 The King’s knights murdered Becket on the alter of the
Canterbury church.
Picture taken and postprocessed by Hans
Musil.
Who tells the story?
 The story is told by an unnamed narrator who is
probably Chaucer.
What is the story about?
 Several individuals are on their way to Canterbury, on a
pilgrimage, to pay respects to Thomas a Becket.
Everyone is headed to Canterbury Cathedral.
 On their way, the inn host offers a prize to the person
who can tell the best story.
 The story is a frame tale or a tale within a tale.
 Chaucer never actually finishes writing all of the tales.
The Challenge
 Tell two stories on the way to Canterbury and two
stories on the back.
 The purpose was to make the trip go by faster.
 The prize was a dinner paid for by the other pilgrims.
What is a pilgrimage?
 In religion and spirituality, a pilgrimage is a long
journey or search of great moral significance.
Sometimes, it is a journey to a shrine of importance to
a person's beliefs and faith. Members of many major
religions participate in pilgrimages. A person who
makes such a journey is called a pilgrim.
Who is on this pilgrimage?
 The Travelers to Canterbury
 The working class: Plowman, cook, miller, reeve, host,
haberdasher, dyer, carpenter, weaver, carpetmaker.
 The Professional class:
 Military: Knight, Squire, Yeoman
 Religious: nun, 3 priests, friar, parson, pardoner,
summoner
 Secular: cleric/student, sergeant at law, merchant,
skipper, doctor
Upper Class:
 The Wife of Bath
 The Franklin
Why is this important to me?
 Chaucer gives an accurate portrayal of the time period.
 He shows real characters of the time.
 The story includes history of our language.