Canterbury Tales and Chaucer

So who is this Chaucer guy?c. 1343-1400Considered the father of English poetryWrote in the vernacular of the timeServed as a soldier, government servant, and

a member of ParliamentIntroduced Iambic PentameterFirst 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 CanterburyCanterbury 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 ChallengeTell 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, YeomanReligious: nun, 3 priests, friar, parson,

pardoner, summonerSecular: cleric/student, sergeant at law,

merchant, skipper, doctor

Upper Class:The Wife of BathThe 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.