A Study of The Canterbury Tales and

Exploring Canterbury

Table of ContentsThe Journey Begins . . . England in the Middle Ages Focus questionGeoffrey Chaucer The Canterbury TalesTravelers to CanterburyChaucer’s Middle Ages Population

The Journey Begins . . .

In October 1066, a daylong battle near Hastings, England, changed the course of history.

England in the Middle AgesFeudalism replaced the Nordic social system.

The primary duty of males above the serf class was to serve in the military—Knighthood.

Women had no political rights.

Chivalry and courtly love served as the system of social codes

England in the Middle AgesLower, middle, and upper-middle classes developed in the cities.

England in the Middle AgesThe Crusades extended from 1095-1270.

They brought contact with Eastern mathematics, astronomy, architecture, and crafts.

England in the Middle AgesThe Magna-Carta defeated papal central power.

England in the Middle AgesThe Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453) was the first national war waged by England.

England in the Middle AgesThe Black Death (1348-1349) brought the end of the Middle Ages.

Fleas on rats carried the bubonic plague which killed thousands of people. in Europe.

How do the writings of the Middle Ages represent the lives, loves, loyalties, and humor of humanity?

Discover the answer by reading

The Canterbury Tales

Geoffrey Chaucer1343-1400

Born into a well-to-do family

Served three kings: Edward III, Richard II, H Entry IV

Served as a soldier, government servant, and member of Parliament

First writer buried in Westminster Abbey

FATHER OF THE ENGLISH LITERATURE

Wrote in the vernacular

1368-1378Travelled a lot

became interested in Dante – Petrarca – Boccaccio

His works divided in three periods:The FrenchThe Italian The English

The French period

•The Boke of the Duchesse (ca. 1369) - elegy for all young good wives

•The Romaunt of the Rose (before1373) - introduces the reader to medieval courtly love

The Italian Period

•The Parlament of Foules (ca. 1380) - popular genres of medieval literature

•The House of Fame (ca. 1383) - dealing with the contemplation of the vanity of human whishes

•The Legende of Good Women - first attempt of couplet in English

•Troylus and Criseyde - long poem adapted from Boccaccio

The English Period

The Canterbury Tales

The Canterbury Tales

What is the book about?

What are some significant historical issues?

What are important stylistic elements?

Why is The Canterbury Tales important in the development of the English

language?

What is the book about?Spring

Thirty peopleChaucer himsel

Pilgrimage to Thomas Becket’s Shrine in Canterbury

PilgrimsDifferent social classesTabard Inn in London

What is the book about?

What is the book about?

The hostTwo stories going

Two stories coming backA prize for best story

A penalty for those who give up

All Pilgrims aggree and sett off

What is the book about?Pilgrima

ge as a frame

Structure

pilgrims are introduced24 tales rhiming coupletIambic pentameters stressed/unstressed syll.preceded by prologue / introduces the themesometime epilogue

SymbolsDeparture / Inn / wordly pleasureDestination / Canterbury / holy

Canterbury celestial city end of lifePilgrimage allegory of the

course of human life

Work unfinished The pilgrims do not

reach Canterbury

Snapshot of an AgeThe characters are a concise portrait of an entire nation.

The pilgrimage is a quest narrative that moves from images of spring and awakening to penance, death, and eternal life.

The characters tell stories that reflect “everyman” in the universal pilgrimage of life.

The Travelers to Canterbury

Working Class

Plowman Reeve Host Cook Miller

Haberdasher Dyer Carpenter Weaver Carpetmaker

The Travelers to Canterbury

Professional Class

Military Religious Secular

Knight, Squire, Yeoman

Nun, Prioress3 Priests, Friar, Parson,Pardoner, Summoner

Cleric, Serjeant at Law, Merchant,Skipper, Doctor

The Travelers to Canterbury

Upper Class

Wife of Bath Franklin

Chaucer’s Snapshot of the Middle Ages Population

Historical issues

•Recall that Thomas à Becket was murdered because he refused to appease Henry II

by petitioning Rome to get rid of the ecclesiastic courts

Historical issues•The pilgrims in Chaucer’s work are

truly a motley group. •The Canterbury Tales represents a

vast representation of people and occupations from the late Middle Ages in England.

•Historians have looked to the Prologue to discover aspects of medieval life, including what people

did and how they thought.

Historical issuesùùù

•The changes from the medieval world

to the ideology of the Renaissance are

beginning, and these are represented in the attitudes of the pilgrims in The Canterbury Tales.

Some of these changes include: •Social mobility

•Physical mobility• Ideals of love•The role of women (Many notable

ecclesiastic women)•The changes in attitude towards the

church•Changing attitudes towards the notion of

divine rights of kings and nobles, fueled by

the 100 Years’ War The House of Commons gains

considerable power during the reign of Edward

Stylistic Elements

•Chaucer uses narrative voice to its fullest potential in this work.

•The tales themselves are narrated by different characters

• A scribe (who describes himself as not too bright) writes them down

•This scribe is actually Chaucer’s alter ego

Stylistic Elements•The Canterbury Tales is written in verse, much of it in iambic pentameter, much of it in heroic couplets.

• Chaucer also employs rhymes and prose

• Chaucer also presents an example of almost every popular literary genre in this work: romance, beast fable, fabliaux, saint story, parable, dialectical discourse, and sermon.

•His ironic tone is almost perfect

Stylistic Elements

Perhaps the most notable element of The Canterbury Tales, however, is Chaucer’s superb characterization. The many voices are painted with intensely detailed lines, and each one is unique and realistic

The Canterbury Tales represents a singular moment of representing psychological reality of character, which Chaucer presents with excruciatingly meticulous accuracy. Not until Shakespeare would this be realized again in the English language

Importance to the English Language

•Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales was universally admired as soon as it appeared.*

• It supported efforts of those in England who wanted to separate once and for all from France, and the end of the 100 Years’ War would mark the final change that separated England and English culture from that of France and the rest of Europe.

Importance to the English LanguageBy 1363, the official language of

the court was changed from French to English;

English was becoming more commonly taught in schools, superseding Latin.

Chaucer’s work provided validation of language and culture that shone proudly during its time.