The Canterbury TalesMrs. GaaEnglish IVJanuary 26, 2015

Geoffrey Chaucer

Social Class and Occupations•Merchant class•Soldier during the Hundred Year’s War•Governmental official•“Father of English Poetry”

Physical Appearance•Chaucer does not

describe himself in “The Canterbury Tales.”

•In most illustrations, Chaucer is shown with a white moustache and a small beard.

•His clothing is usually a dark tunic and head covering.

Personality•An exceptional writer known as the

“Father of English poetry”•Demonstrates a sense of humor in the

manner that he pokes fun of the characters

•Considered an important person who was awarded several times for his service to the crown

Quote

•Chaucer seldom refers to himself; however, near the start he writes,

“In Southwark, at the Tabard Inn, as I layReady to go on pilgrimage and startFor Canterbury, most devout at heart…”

This reveals that he is religious and eager to see the Shrine of St. Thomas.

Chaucer’s opinion•He considers himself intelligent because

he admires intelligence in others.•He considers himself a good Christian

because he is highly critical of corrupt clergy members.

•He enjoys joking around because he seems to like the Host whom he finds to be “jovial.”

•He is down-to-earth because he pokes fun of the Prioress who is overly concerned with manners and appearances.

Comparison •Chaucer reminds me of

Mark Twain because they are both considered outstanding authors of their time.

•Both Chaucer and Twain have a great sense of humor and enjoyed poking fun at people and things.

What I Learned from Chaucer•The Catholic church was incredibly

corrupt during the Middle Ages.•The Middle Ages was a lawless time

period when almost everyone carried a weapon (or many) and pirates were common.

•Like today, most people were self-centered and greedy and willing to take advantage of others to benefit themselves.