Geoffrey Chaucer’s The
Canterbury Tales
History of the Tales
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Geoffrey Chaucer began
writing the tales around 1387
AD
Uncompleted manuscript
published 1400AD, the year
he died
First book of poetry purposely
written in the English
language
Set a precedent and poets
from Shakespeare to Dryden
and Keats to Eliot owe him a
debt of gratitude
Artistry of Form
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As a work of art it encompasses individuality and
universality
Narrative structure allowed Chaucer the freedom to
create a variety of matter in a unified form
Many genres incorporated including;
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Fabliaux
Romance
Melodrama
Parable
And more…
Artistry of Form (cont’d.)
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Despite being unfinished, clear
indications of a plan
Each pilgrim to tell at least two
stories maybe more
Chaucer was writing and collecting
whatever occurred to him, but it was
likely to find a more firmly
constructed structure as it neared
completion.
Artistry of Language
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Chaucer wrote in English
It was becoming more solid and widespread
He used verse, which was the norm, but
varied it according to his purpose
Despite borrowing much of his material, his
use of language injects these tales with new
life
Mastery of Character
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Part of his master rests with creating
characters
The characters take turns telling tales
They have depth and verisimilitude
Characters are created through:
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Physical descriptions (some quite
graphic)
Characters interacting with each other
The tales themselves reflecting character
(often specifically their personalities and
motivations)
Merits of Meaning
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Chaucer is free to use tales to convey multiple
themes
Creates a microcosm of medieval English life
(almost a sociological exploration possible)
Paints a multifaceted picture of humanity
Parodies forms of literature
Entertains