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Introduction to Old and Middle English:
Part II
Chaucer‘s timeand life
April 21, 2006Andreas H. Jucker
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Geoffrey Chaucer’sCanterbury Tales
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Geoffrey Chaucer Early 1340s: Chaucer born 1348/49: Black death 1359: Soldier in the king’s army 1372/73: First journey to Italy 1374: Controller of customs 1378: Second journey to Italy 1385: Justice of Peace in Kent 1389-91: Clerk of the king’s word 1391: Deputy forester in Somerset 1400: Chaucer dies
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Chaucer’s London
Pearsall, Derek. 1992. The Life of Geoffrey Chaucer. Oxford: Blackwell, p. 20.
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Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales The manuscript Genre of the Tales: Collection of stories
The General Prologue Genre of the General Prologue: Estates satire Those who fight (e.g. the knight) Those who pray (e.g. the parson) Those who labour (e.g. the ploughman)
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Social hierarchy ofChaucer’s England
First estate Second estate Third estate
Clergy Aristocracy Rural commons Urban commons Landless commonsKing, Queen
Archbishop Duke, DuchessBishop Earl, CountessMajor Abbot Baron, Lady Mayor of LondonAbbot, Prior Knight, Banneret,
LadyAlderman of London,Mayor of great town,major legal officer
Archdeacon,Dean
Knight, Bachelor Other mayor or civic orlegal officer, greatmerchant
Priest, Master ofArts
Squire Lesser merchant
Monk, Friar Franklin,Yeoman
Craftsman Yeoman (servant)
Husbandman Journeyman Groom (servant)Cottar Apprentice Page, Laborer
Vagrant
Source: Jeffrey L. Singman and Will McLean. 1995. Daily Life in Chaucer’s England. Westport: Greenwood, 23.
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The Ellesmere
Chaucer
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Chaucer’s Canterbury pilgrims
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The Knight
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The Prioress
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The Friar
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Chaucer’s Canterbury pilgrims
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The Wife of Bath
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The Parson
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Reassertion of English c. 1250 first treatise on teaching French as a foreign language to children
1258 King Henry III issues first proclamation since the Norman Conquest in English
1337-1453 Hundred Years’ War: animosity towards everything French
1348-1350 Black Death 1362 Parliament opened for the first time in English
1381 Peasants’ Revolt 1340?-1400 The life of Geoffrey Chaucer
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Towards an English standard 1423 The records of parliament in English
c.1430 Town and Guild documents in English
1476 William Caxton’s printing press in Westminster
1499 Publication of English-Latin word list
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Middle English Dialects
Northern
East Midland
South EastSouth West
West Midland
Source: Burnley 1983: xvi
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Intermediate position between North and South
Large, populous and prosperous area (Oxford), Cambridge London (political and cultural centre) Chancery clerks Caxton‘s printing press (1476)
