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Geoffrey Chaucer
and
The Canterbury Tales
Chaucer
• 1343?-1400
• Was close to the aristocrats, but not a
nobleman
• While serving in the English Army in
France, he was captured and held prisoner
• King Edward paid the ransom
• Married a lady-in-waiting (to the queen)
• The Greatest English Poet
Early Life • Born c. 1340
• Son of a prosperous wine
merchant
• In mid teens, he was placed in
the service of the Countess of
Ulster so he could obtain
more education and be
schooled in court and society
life
• Thus, he would have learned
Latin and some Greek as well
as perhaps some French and
Italian
Early Life (cont.)
• In, 1359 he was captured by
the French at the seige of
Reims during the Hundred
Years' War while serving in
English army; ransomed by
King Edward III a year later
• Chaucer joined the royal
household and became a
trusted messenger and minor
diplomat
As a Royal Messenger
• Chaucer was frequently sent to the continent on
secret business for the King.
• Some of these trips were to Italy where he became
acquainted with the works of the great Italian
authors: Boccaccio, Dante, Petrarch.
– These 3 were the greatest Italian writers of the early
Renaissance period
Other Jobs Chaucer Held…and Learned From...
• Controller of Customs on Wools, Skins and Hides for the
Port of London
– Here he would meet many types of businessmen, sailors, travelers
city folk and common laborers
• Clerk of the King’s Works
– In charge of construction and repairs affecting the royal residences;
here he would meet many guildsmen as well as court officials
• Deputy Forester of the King’s Forests
– Away from the city, he met peasants, foresters, local clergy and
other country folk
• Representative of the Shire of Kent in Parliament
– Here he met the rich, the influential and the upper middle class as
well as the higher ranking church officials
The Canterbury Tales
Shows us the true Medieval World
14th century England
Chaucer participated in the pilgrimage to Canterbury
Pilgrimage – a long journey to a holy site or shrine taken by those who are devout
This pilgrimage is a trip to a cathedral in Canterbury upon the death of the beloved Thomas Becket (Archbishop of Canterbury) in the 1100s
The Tales
The poem is a story about stories
• Each person on the pilgrimage tells a story
• Insight into romances, comedies, etc of the
time
• Crude humor, comedies, religious mysteries
• Social commentary
• Only 24 of the projected 122 were
completed
The Prologue
• Narrator meets 29 others at the Tabard Inn,
located in a suburb of London
• Challenge by Harry Bailey, Innkeeper –
Each pilgrim must tell two stories on the
way to Canterbury and two on the return
trip
• Best Tale » entitled to a feast
• The stories suit the teller – The Knight tells
a romance, the wife tells about marriages,
etc.
Chaucer’s Plan ... • A Prologue followed by a
series of stories and linking
dialogues and commentaries
• Each character would tell 2
stories going and 2 stories
coming home
– uh… coming home from
WHERE?
• Canterbury of course. After
all, his work IS called :
The Canterbury Tales
London
But why go to Canterbury?
One Answer: Religion
• Canterbury has always been
an important religious center
in England.
• St. Augustine (seen in
stained glass from the
Canterbury Cathedral) was
sent by Pope Gregory the
Great to establish the
Catholic faith in the country
• Religion played an important
part in medieval life.
Why was religion important?
• It’s the Middle Ages
– Plague
– Warfare
– High Infant Mortality Rate
– Short Life Expectancy
– …and if you were a peasant, you lived your whole life in
harsh conditions
• About the best thing that you had to look forward to
was dying and going to heaven
England was divided among very
strict class/economic lines
Thus, heaven was often described as
a white shining castle in the sky.
Also, Canterbury was a Pilgrimage Site
People of all classes went on pilgrimages to holy sites to ask
for help with medical, financial or other problems.
The Shrine of
St. Thomas à Becket
Becket was a trusted adviser and friend of King Henry
II. Henry named Becket Archbishop of Canterbury.
Becket’s outspoken style
angered the King. One
day, Henry complained,
“Will no one rid me of
this meddlesome
priest?” Three knights
rode to Canterbury
where they found Becket
at the altar of
Canterbury Cathedral.
Becket was murdered at the altar.
The death of Becket
angered the peasants
who felt his Saxon
heritage made him
one of them.
Canterbury Cathedral became a site for pilgrims to
offer prayers to St. Thomas.
Thomas á Becket Under feudalism, the king appointed
bishops and gave them land; some held high positions in the government. People began to complain about government control of the church and church control in nonreligious matters.
•King Henry II appointed Thomas a Becket (priest) as Archbishop of Canterbury (head of RC Church in England). •Becket opposed to king’s attempts to establish royal rights over the church (especially the right of the king’s courts to punish church officials who committed crimes). •Henry once angrily exclaimed, “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?” •Four knights took him literally and murdered Becket in Canterbury Cathedral, where he was praying. •Murder shocked Christians of Europe, Becket was made a saint. •Shrine dedicated to Becket is the destination in The Canterbury Tales.
Today, a modern cross made from swords marks the
site of the martyrdom.
A close-up
of the altar.
For more, check out this film.
The fact that Chaucer
wrote in English (Middle
English), rather than
French or Latin like many
of his fellow writers,
meant that ordinary folk
could enjoy The
Canterbury Tales and
their vivid characters.
Chaucer
surrounded
by his
characters.
The late fourteenth century world was still very much
one of the spoken word. Books were copied out by hand
and were a rare luxury till the advent of the printing
press 70 years later. The educated elite could read, but
they preferred to hear texts read out loud for
entertainment. The Canterbury Tales, with their earthy
humor and and vivid dialogue, were a runaway success.
Let’s travel back to London, to the area called
Southward, and stop at the Tabard Inn.
We’ll meet the characters and hear their stories.
CT Structure
Canterbury Tales written in late 1300s
• Collection of stories told by people making a religious pilgrimage (journey) to shrine of St. Thomas a Becket in Canterbury
• Chaucer introduced iambic pentameter (each line = 10 syllables, one stressed, one unstressed); most widely used meter in English poetry
• frame story—provides a means for telling other stories within the story; frame = pilgrimage
Originally intended to include 122 stories (2 for each pilgrim on the way, 2 each on the way back). Only completed 22 stories. Pilgrims never get to Canterbury.
CT Characters
• Feudal system—
knight, squire, yeoman, franklin, plowman, miller, reeve
• Religious life— nun, monk, friar, cleric, parson, summoner, pardoner
• Trades/professions—merchant, sergeant at the law, five tradesmen, cook, skipper, doctor, wife of bath, manciple, host
29 diverse pilgrims; meet at an inn, decide to tell stories to pass the time Pilgrims represent medieval life and society (Chaucer commenting on societal conditions):
The story begins...