The Canterbury Tales

Geoffrey Chaucer §  The father of English

poetry §  First to use English in a

major literary work where before literature was composed in French or Latin

§  Was a man of the world who knew how a variety of people spoke and acted

Background on The Canterbury Tales §  Chaucer died before its completion (only 22 of

the 120 planned tales were completed) §  Provides a remarkable picture of life in the later

Middle Ages and of the 3 estates of society: nobility, clergy, and laity.

§  Told during a pilgrimage journey from London to the shrine of St. Thomas a Becket at the Canterbury Cathedral (about 70 miles)

§  The tales begin with a General Prologue which informs the reader of 2 things: each pilgrim’s 1. profession (degree in society) 2. appearance (physical and/or how they appear to others)

Background continued. . .

n Starts out at the Tabard Inn where Chaucer, who is the poet and a pilgrim, meets 28 other pilgrims also bound for Canterbury (on the way, they will be joined by another pilgrim which will raise the total to 30.)

n The host of the inn suggests that each pilgrim tell 2 stories on the way to Canterbury and 2 stories on the way back to pass the time and entertain the company.

n Takes place during the spring; time of rebirth and awakening.

Chaucer’s Style

§  Uses a frame tale: a story that provides a vehicle or frame for telling other stories.

§  The frame is a pilgrimage which is a trip made to a holy place for religious reasons or just for fun and adventure.

§  Uses the heroic couplet: two lines of rhymed verse that work together as a unit to express an idea or make a point.