Geoffrey Chaucer (1343 – 1400)
“The Father of English Poetry”
Claim to Fame
First English poet (writer) to compose in the
English language (Middle English), not in French
or Latin
English
Thought to be a “common” language, French
was the language of nobility and Latin was the
language of the church
Occupations
page (in noble household), soldier
Served in key government positions (had time
to write)
Poet’s Corner
First poet to be buried in “Poet’s Corner” in
Westminster Abbey in London
Best known work
The Canterbury Tales
Influences
Giovanni Boccacio’s Decameron (10 NOBLE
travelers X 10 stories each = 100 stories)
Frame Story
a story (or stories) within a story
Pilgrims on a journey to the shrine of St.
Thomas Beckett in Canterbury (approximately
70 miles southeast of London)
32 Pilgrims
one is the narrator, twenty-nine meet at the
Tabard Inn in Southwark, one is the host of the
Tabard Inn who decides to join them, one joins
them along the way
The Contest
Each pilgrim was to tell 2 tales on the way to
Canterbury and 2 tales on the way back.
Chaucer planned 128 tales (beats 100 in the
Decameron), but he only finished 22. 2 tales
were left incomplete.
The Judge
The Host of the Tabard Inn comes up with the
storytelling contest and judges based on the
following criteria—
Sentence
Solaas
to teach a lesson
to be entertaining
Prize
Dinner at the Tabard Inn paid for by ALL the
pilgrims.
Structure
The majority of the work is written in either
rhymed couplets of iambic pentameter or
stanzas of 7 lines
Importance
1. The Canterbury Tales is a concise portrait of
an entire nation.
2. Chaucer’s precision and use of poetic
language.
3. Chaucer’s use of English as an acceptable
language for great literature.
Microcosm
a small representation of a greater whole
14th Century Society:
Urban Estate
the common man—open, emerging section—a
new section of society, not noble, not peasant.
Able to make a living outside the feudal estate
or the church
Feudal Estate
the court—lords, ladies, serfs—fading class
system
Ecclesiastical Estate
the Roman Catholic Church—powerful, wealthy,
hierarchical
The Canterbury Tales
“The General Prologue” introduces the pilgrims.
Shorter prologues introduce each pilgrim prior
to the telling of his/her tale and showcase
interaction between the pilgrims
The prologues and tales leave us character
sketches of real people living in the 14th
century.
Satire/Social Commentary
Chaucer’s satirical portraits leave biting social
commentary on 14th century society and the
vices of man