The
Canterbury
Tales
I. Geoffrey Chaucer
Son of vinter
Held civil service positions
Well-travelled
Read English, Latin, Italian, and
French
 His work was popular
 He was praised for making English
suitable for poetry
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II. The Tales
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Begun: 1386
Planned: 120 tales
Completed: 22 and 2 fragments
Remaining: 80 manuscripts
Most highly decorated: Ellesmere Manuscript
Variety of genres: general prologue is estates satire
Pilgrimage as a framing device for tales
Conventional springtime opening
Ernest and game – instruction and entertainment
III. Pilgrimage
Very popular to go on pilgrimage
Pilgrims often want to Rome or Jerusalem
Canterbury Cathedral: shrine to Thomas a Becket
Reasons
 Hope of heavenly reward
 Penance
 Pubs
 People went in groups for safety
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IV. The Three Estates
Those who work
Those who fight
Those who pray
V. Pilgrim descriptions
 Show social rank
 Show moral and spiritual condition
 Include many of the following
 Physiognomy
 Clothes (array)
 Work
 Hobbies
 Food
 Humour
VI. Four Humours
 Black bile
 Cold and dry; earth; melancholy
 Blood
 Hot and moist; air; sanguine
 Yellow bile
 Hot and dry; fire; choleric
 Phlegm
 Cold and moist; water; phlegmatic
VII. “Gentilesse”
The firste stok, fader of gentilesse—
What man that desireth gentil for to be
Must folowe his trace, and alle his wittes dresse
Vertu to love and vyces for to flee.
For unto vertu longeth dignitee
And noght the revers, saufly dar I deme,
Al were he mytre, croune, or diademe.
Attribution