Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales

History of the Tales Geoffrey Chaucer began writing

the tales around 1387 AD Uncompleted manuscript

published 1400AD, the year he died

First book of poetry purposely written in the English language

Set a precedent and poets from Shakespeare to Dryden and Keats to Eliot owe him a debt of gratitude

Artistry of Form As a work of art it encompasses individuality and

universality Narrative structure allowed Chaucer the freedom to

create a variety of matter in a unified form Many genres incorporated including;

Fabliaux Romance Melodrama Parable And more…

Artistry of Form (cont’d.) Despite being unfinished, clear

indications of a plan Each pilgrim to tell at least two

stories maybe more Chaucer was writing and collecting

whatever occurred to him, but it was likely to find a more firmly constructed structure as it neared completion.

Artistry of Language Chaucer wrote in English It was becoming more solid and widespread He used verse, which was the norm, but

varied it according to his purpose Despite borrowing much of his material, his

use of language injects these tales with new life

Mastery of Character Part of his master rests with creating

characters The characters take turns telling tales They have depth and verisimilitude 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)

Merits of Meaning Chaucer is free to use tales to convey multiple

themes Creates a microcosm of medieval English life

(almost a sociological exploration possible) Paints a multifaceted picture of humanity Parodies forms of literature Entertains