The Canterbury TalesThe Canterbury Tales

Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,

And bathed every veyne in swich licour Of which vertu engendred is the flour,

Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth Inspired hath in every holt and heeth

The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne Hath in the Ram his halve cours yronne,

And smale foweles maken melodye, That slepen al the nyght with open ye (so priketh hem Nature in hir corages),

Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages, And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,

To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes; And specially from every shires ende

Of Engelond to Caunterbury they wende, The hooly blisful martir for to seke,

That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke.

When April with his showers sweet with fruit The drought of March has pierced unto the root And bathed each vein with liquor that has power

To generate therein and sire the flower; When Zephyr also has, with his sweet breath,

Quickened again, in every holt and heath, The tender shoots and buds, and the young sun

Into the Ram one half his course has run, And many little birds make melody

That sleep through all the night with open eye (So Nature pricks them on to ramp and rage)-

Then do folk long to go on pilgrimage, And palmers to go seeking out strange strands, To distant shrines well known in sundry lands.

And specially from every shire's end Of England they to Canterbury wend, The holy blessed martyr there to seek

Who helped them when they lay so ill and weak

Befell that, in that season, on a day In Southwark, at the Tabard, as I lay Ready to start upon my pilgrimage

To Canterbury, full of devout homage, There came at nightfall to that hostelry

Some nine and twenty in a company Of sundry persons who had chanced to fall

In fellowship, and pilgrims were they all That toward Canterbury town would ride.

The rooms and stables spacious were and wide, And well we there were eased, and of the best.

And briefly, when the sun had gone to rest, So had I spoken with them, every one,

That I was of their fellowship anon, And made agreement that we'd early rise

To take the road, as you I will apprise.  

But none the less, whilst I have time and space, Before yet farther in this tale I pace,

It seems to me accordant with reason To inform you of the state of every one Of all of these, as it appeared to me,

And who they were, and what was their degree, And even how arrayed there at the inn; And with a knight thus will I first begin.

When did Chaucer write the “Tales”?

Chaucer began writing Chaucer began writing Canterbury TalesCanterbury Tales between 1385 and between 1385 and 1389, during one of the darkest periods of his life. His wife 1389, during one of the darkest periods of his life. His wife and several close friends and patrons were dead, he was and several close friends and patrons were dead, he was suffering financial troubles, King Richard's court was in suffering financial troubles, King Richard's court was in

turmoil, and Chaucer was living in Kent, missing his turmoil, and Chaucer was living in Kent, missing his former home in London. At first the writing was simply an former home in London. At first the writing was simply an escape from outward and inward pressures, but then he escape from outward and inward pressures, but then he

found amusement in it. In found amusement in it. In Canterbury TalesCanterbury Tales he could think he could think about and laugh at the society that seemed to be falling in about and laugh at the society that seemed to be falling in pieces around him. By the time his life did get better, the pieces around him. By the time his life did get better, the

book was a realitybook was a reality

Who did he write for?

The audience for The audience for Canterbury TalesCanterbury Tales was not was not intended to be the members of the courts intended to be the members of the courts

and upper classes that his past poems were and upper classes that his past poems were for, but instead he had a new audience in for, but instead he had a new audience in

mind, a national one that would understand mind, a national one that would understand the social framework of his pilgrims and the social framework of his pilgrims and

would notice that it did not include royals would notice that it did not include royals and upper nobility, nor serfs, nor (except and upper nobility, nor serfs, nor (except for the Ploughman, who is an idealized for the Ploughman, who is an idealized

character) common agricultural workers. character) common agricultural workers.

The pilgrims

The pilgrims of the highest rank are the The pilgrims of the highest rank are the Knight (a member of the lesser Knight (a member of the lesser

nobility, or gentry), his son the Squire, nobility, or gentry), his son the Squire, and the Monk and the Prioress, who and the Monk and the Prioress, who held monastic offices and came from held monastic offices and came from

upper-class families.upper-class families.

The pilgrims

Those of the lowest rank are the Those of the lowest rank are the Manciple, the Cook, the Reeve, the Manciple, the Cook, the Reeve, the

Miller, and the PloughmanMiller, and the Ploughman

The new men

The pilgrims that best reflect Chaucer's The pilgrims that best reflect Chaucer's actual audience were those that have actual audience were those that have been called "the new men," those who been called "the new men," those who

came from emerging sectors of came from emerging sectors of society, who had literary skills and society, who had literary skills and

interests and whose tales drew upon interests and whose tales drew upon the new European literary cultures.the new European literary cultures.

It was for this new and quickly It was for this new and quickly growing population of gentry, growing population of gentry,

freemen, merchants, and people freemen, merchants, and people from the new "middle" classes from the new "middle" classes

that that Canterbury TalesCanterbury Tales were were written for, and are about.written for, and are about.

When Chaucer introduced the pilgrims, When Chaucer introduced the pilgrims, he arranged them so that readers he arranged them so that readers

could better see their social could better see their social relationships.relationships.

The Knight rode with his son and The Knight rode with his son and a retainer, the Prioress with a retainer, the Prioress with

another nun and three priests, another nun and three priests, the London Guildsmen with their the London Guildsmen with their

wives and hired cook, and the wives and hired cook, and the crooked Pardoner with his crooked Pardoner with his cohort the Summoner. The cohort the Summoner. The Sergeant of Law and the Sergeant of Law and the

Franklin, both purchasers of Franklin, both purchasers of land, rode together.land, rode together.

Others were mentioned as if they Others were mentioned as if they rode together: the Miller and the rode together: the Miller and the Merchant, and the Shipman, the Merchant, and the Shipman, the Physician, and the Wife of Bath. Physician, and the Wife of Bath.

Chaucer also arranged the Chaucer also arranged the groups of pilgrims in a similar groups of pilgrims in a similar

manner.manner.

How does the poem start?

First came the Knight and his small First came the Knight and his small retinue, the Prioress and hers, and the retinue, the Prioress and hers, and the Monk and the Friar; then followed the Monk and the Friar; then followed the Merchant, the other members of the Merchant, the other members of the

merchants class, and those pilgrims of merchants class, and those pilgrims of "middle" rank; and in last came the "middle" rank; and in last came the

commoners, the "churls," those freemen commoners, the "churls," those freemen of the lowest rank, the same category in of the lowest rank, the same category in which Chaucer would include himself.which Chaucer would include himself.

The The KnightKnight

As the leader of this group's As the leader of this group's social structure, the Knight was social structure, the Knight was

the highest of rank and was the highest of rank and was probably the wealthiest of the probably the wealthiest of the

pilgrims. He would have earned pilgrims. He would have earned in battle about 2 shillings a day, in battle about 2 shillings a day, the same price as a pair of good the same price as a pair of good leather boots, or 1 pound in ten leather boots, or 1 pound in ten

days.days.

There is little doubt that he was also a There is little doubt that he was also a landowner, for he tells us, landowner, for he tells us, "I have, "I have,

God woot, a large feeld to ere,"God woot, a large feeld to ere," and and he would have received at least 4 he would have received at least 4 pounds per annum rent for every pounds per annum rent for every

twenty acres that he owned. twenty acres that he owned. 

Compare this to the poorest of the Compare this to the poorest of the pilgrims, the Ploughman, who pilgrims, the Ploughman, who

probably only earned about 2 or 3 probably only earned about 2 or 3 pounds per year, 1 pound of which pounds per year, 1 pound of which was spent on bread for his family. was spent on bread for his family. As wages, he would have earned As wages, he would have earned

sixpence for an acre of land that he sixpence for an acre of land that he had ploughed three times, a penny had ploughed three times, a penny

an acre for hoeing, and fivepence an an acre for hoeing, and fivepence an acre for reaping.acre for reaping.

The Prioress and the Squire

The rest of the pilgrims had The rest of the pilgrims had incomes that fell incomes that fell

somewhere between the somewhere between the two, and they were all two, and they were all probably fairly well off.probably fairly well off.

The regular clergy, which The regular clergy, which was the Prioress and her was the Prioress and her company, the Monk, and company, the Monk, and the Friar, all would have the Friar, all would have

received a generous salary received a generous salary from the church.from the church.

The Wife of Bath owned a The Wife of Bath owned a clothmaking establishment; the clothmaking establishment; the

Merchant, Shipman, and Merchant, Shipman, and Guildsmen all owned Guildsmen all owned

businesses; the Franklin was a businesses; the Franklin was a country land-owner; and the country land-owner; and the

Man of Law was a high-ranking Man of Law was a high-ranking legal officer.legal officer.