Chaucer and The Canterbury Tales

8.3, 8.4, 8.5

II – T

HE M

IDDL

E AG

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The Middle Ages

Language

• French did not become either the official or unofficial language of England.

• William was not combining the lands of Normandy and England, and had no wish to replace language or culture.

• Latin and English were used for most documents and

formal proclamations by William, and the English legal system was renewed, not replaced.

• Nevertheless, the upper class was almost completely taken over by (French speaking) Normans, and although the system was English, many of the legal proceedings and documents were in French.

Feudalism • Law of the land• Upper nobility class maintained control over the

lower classes• Rigid structure of government consisted of kings,

nobles (barons), and the peasants (serfs)• Leaders of the church and neighboring nobles

held sway• King needed a way to maintain control over his

lands, even if indirectly• Barons were given a large portion of the king's

land, known as fiefs or manors. In turn, they had to pay "homage and fealty" to the king

• Gave their support to the king at all times, governing the land that was given them, and being ready to provide troops and fight for the king when the need arose

Feudalism

• Murdered in 1170 (assassinated by followers of the King Henry in Canterbury Cathedral)

• Canonized as both saint and martyr following his murder

• The Shrine of Saint Thomas of Beckett became a popular destination for religious pilgrimages during the Middle Ages

Saint Thomas á Becket

• 1348 – Black Plague reached England and wiped out 1/3 of the population (2.25 million to 3.75 million)

• The sudden collapse of the population sent prices skyrocketing by increasing the price of labor while decreasing the price of land

• The overall effect of the Plague was to hasten the collapse of feudalism by creating intense competition for labor and tenants

Illustration of the Black Death from the Toggenburg Bible (1411)

The Black Death

His Life & Times

Geoffrey Chaucer

Geoffrey Chaucer (1343 – 1400) Son of London vintner (winemaker) Served in the royal household (page to 2nd son of Edward III) and later held a series of administrative posts under Edward and Richard II.

Visited France and Italy on behalf of the crown during the 1360's and 1370‘s.

Chaucer's career illustrates the economic, political, and social ferment of late 14th century England (landed wealth versus moneyed wealth).

Well-travelled on diplomatic missions for the king Read English, Latin, Italian, and French

The Canterbury TalesAn Overview

Some Background•Begun: 1386•Planned: 120 tales

•Completed: 22 tales and 2 fragmentsPilgrimage was a “framing device” for tales; tales also have “thematic unity”.The pilgrims share stories to pass the time; these stories described the very different points-of-view and beliefs and practices of the people of Chaucer’s age.

Background

The Three EstatesThose Who Work (Peasants & Middle Class)Merchants, Laborers, Farmers, Government officials, etc.

Those Who Pray (Clergy)Priests, Monks, Nuns, Friars, Pardoners

Those Who Fight (Nobility)Knights, Squires, Mercenaries, Princes, Dukes, etc.

The Three Estates

Pilgrimages•Pilgrimages began as exercises in penance (attempt to earn forgiveness)

•Roads were poorly maintained. Thieves hid in wait for lone travelers, so most people traveled as “pilgrims” in a large group.

•Later on, travel improved, but getting to far-off spots (e.g. Jerusalem) was never easy or safe.

•“Professional” pilgrims returned with relics, badges, pilgrim symbols, tall tales (some of these were falsified).

Pilgrimages

Each of the characters in The Canterbury Tales tells their own story, which has a new, unique cast of characters.

The Canterbury Tales is the story of a group of pilgrims who tell stories as they travel to Canterbury; each pilgrim’s story stands alone as its own story, but fits within the overall story of the journey.

Content Knowledge: Frame Story

Content Knowledge: Irony• Irony: incongruity between what

might be expected and what actually occurs.• coincidence is not irony, though the

two are similar.• Verbal irony: the contrast between

what is said and what is actually meant.• the surface meaning and the

underlying meaning of what is said is not the same.

Content Knowledge: Irony

Content Knowledge: Satire• Chaucer provides some details that

contradict what the characters think of themselves. This is a form of satire:• witty language convey insult/scorn• ridicules its subject (for example,

individuals, organizations, or states) often as an intended means of provoking or preventing change

Content Knowledge: Satire

The Significance of The Canterbury Tales1. Accurate depiction of life in the

Middle Ages (class levels, interactions between the classes)

2. First story about lower classes (mix of classes)

3. Satire & humor for social / political / religious commentary.

4. “The Canterbury Tales” point out problems within society.

The Significance of The Canterbury Tales

How we learn about the pilgrimsSocial rank, moral & spiritual conditionInclude many of the following:physiognomy – physical features (esp. facial)clothesjobhobbiesfood choicehumortheir words

OverviewSome tales are serious, others are comical.

Each is an accurate description of a set of traits, beliefs, and faults.

Chaucer criticized the malpractice of the clergy, and poked fun at those from the 3 estates. (nobility, clergy, commoner)

Many of the tales shared similar themes; some tales are told in response to a previous tale (e.g. a story about the joy of immorality is followed by a story about the punishment for sinners)

Overview

The Canterbury TalesThe Prologue

Narrator is Chaucer, but don’t confuse “pilgrim Chaucer” with “author Chaucer”

Narrator is acting as a reporter of what others say, not adding/removing.

Pretends to be unaware of irony or satire.

The Narrator

The Wife of BathThe Wife of Bath is one of three women on the trip.

“She was a worthy woman all her life”, the narrator says, then mentions her 5 husbands. This is an example of ______.

She is a business woman with a strong sense of self-importance, her elaborate dress is a sign of her character as well as her wealth.note that she is probably in her forties and is married to a man in his twenties

The Wife of Bath

The Summoner, the Pardoner•The Summoner and the Pardoner are the most unlikeable figures; one administers the church courts, the other sells pardons (indulgences).

•The Pardoner is a church official who sells fake relics

•The Summoner is suffering from some kind of skin disease.

The Summoner and the Pardoner