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The Canterbury Tales

The Canterbury Tales. Biography. Geoffrey Chaucer born in London in the early 1340s Father was merchant, but came into money and was able to send Geoffrey to a more affluent school Chaucer served as soldier and diplomat during One Hundred Years War

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The Canterbury Tales

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  1. The Canterbury Tales

  2. Biography • Geoffrey Chaucer born in London in the early 1340s • Father was merchant, but came into money and was able to send Geoffrey to a more affluent school • Chaucer served as soldier and diplomat during One Hundred Years War • In 1374, the king appointed Chaucer Controller of the Customs of Hides, Skins and Wools in the port of London, meaning he was a government official who worked with cloth importers • Married Philippa Roet, who served Edward III’s queen • Influenced by Florentine poets: Boccaccio, Petrach, & Dante

  3. Social Context • A very tense time in history • Black Death wiped out somewhere from 30-50% of the population • The labor force gained power and was able to bargain for better wages • Upper class resented increased power of lower class

  4. The Text • Chaucer wanted to write in the vernacular and make the written word more accessible to the people • Written in Middle English • Intended order of tales is unknown • The work is unfinished • Characters are divided into three distinct classes: "those who pray" (the clergy), "those who fight" (the nobility), and "those who work" (the commoners and peasantry)

  5. Themes • Religion & Corruption of the Church • Social Class • Lies & Deceit • Friendship • Literature & Writing • Competition • Time

  6. Terms to Know Fabliaux were comical and often grotesque stories in which the characters most often succeed by means of their sharp wits. Frequently, the plot turns or climaxes around the most grotesque feature in the story, usually a bodily noise or function. Physiognomy was a science that judged a person’s temperament and character based on his or her anatomy.

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