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Geoffrey Chaucer

Geoffrey Chaucer. The Canterbury Tales. Early Life. 1342-1400 Born to a middle class family His father was a wine merchant who believed his child should have a formal education Odd jobs = page, courtier, diplomat, civil servant, scrap metal collector Traveled all over Europe.

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Geoffrey Chaucer

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  1. Geoffrey Chaucer The Canterbury Tales

  2. Early Life • 1342-1400 • Born to a middle class family • His father was a wine merchant who believed his child should have a formaleducation • Odd jobs = page, courtier, diplomat, civil servant, scrap metal collector • Traveled all over Europe

  3. Later Life • Fluent in English, Italian, Latin, and French • Worked as a government official under three different kings = high social status • Was captured as a POW during the Hundred Year’s War  King paid his ransom • Died of unknown causes – murder suspected • Chaucer was one of the first writers to be buried in the Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey.

  4. Writing Styles • Often called the father of English poetry • Most scholars still wrote in Latin • Felt English lacked sophistication and had a limited vocabulary • Only local stories and ballads written in English • He wrote in the vernacular or language of the commoners Now known as Middle English • Allegory: • A story in which the character, settings, and events stand for abstract or moral concepts. • It has a literal meaning and a symbolic meaning. • Popular in the Middle Ages. • Satire: witty language used to convey insult • Rhythmic pattern • Lack of alliteration • Best known for writing The Canterbury Tales, but also had several other works as well

  5. The Canterbury Tales • Although the work was never completed, The Canterbury Tales is considered one of the greatest works in the English language • The narrator meets 29 pilgrims at an inn and travels with them to the shrine of St. Thomas Becket in Canterbury. They decide to have a contest: whoever can tell the best tale wins a dinner at the inn when they get back, courtesy of the other travelers. • Canterbury Tales can be considered “estates satire” • Three “Estates” in European feudal society • Peasantswork (agricultural labor) • Clergy pray • Nobles fight (and rule) • Begun: 1386 • Planned: 120 tales • Completed: 22 and 2 fragments

  6. Pilgrims represent many unofficial middle classes: • Upper class (Knight, Squire, church people); • Learned professions (Physician, Man of Law); • Landed gentry (Franklin); • Medieval manor people (Miller, Reeve); • Mercantile class (Shipman, Merchant); • Guildsmen (Haberdasher, Dyer, etc.); • Laborer (Plowman).

  7. Characters • Narrator (“Chaucer”) • Host • Knight • Squire • Yeoman • Prioress • Second Nun • Three Priests • Monk • Friar • Merchant • Clerk • Man of Law • Franklin • Guildsmen • Cook • Shipman • Physician • Wife of Bath • Parson • Plowman • Manciple • Reeve • Miller • Summoner • Pardoner

  8. Mastery of Character Part of his mastery is with creating characters The characters take turns telling tales Characters are created through: • Physical descriptions (some quite graphic) • Characters interacting with each other • The tales themselves reflecting character (often specifically their personalities and motivations)

  9. The Second Nun's Tale Writing Style:Iambic Pentameter, Rime Royal Stanzas It's a seven-line stanza with the line endings forming an ABABBCC rhyme scheme. First wolde I yow the name of seinte CecilieA Expowne, as men may in hir storie see.B It is to seye in Englissh, `hevenes lilie'A For pure chaastnesse of virginitee,B Or for she whitnesse hadde of honesteeB And grene of conscience, and of good fameC The soote savour, lilie was hir name.C (85-91)

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