The Canterbury Tales

Background Information on Chaucer

Miss Bogner

Geoffrey Chaucer

• HUGE influence on language and literature of England.

• French was widely spoken amongst the educated people

• His work is considered a cornerstone of English literature.

Early Life

• Born sometime between 1340-1343, most likely in London.

• Middle Ages were coming to a close• Family was not noble, but well off. They made $

in the wine and leather trades.• Chaucer = French for shoemaker• Parents sent him to Edward III’s son house, able

to learn upper-class life & meet important people

Teenage Chaucer

• At age 14, he joined the king’s army to fight the French in 100 Years War

• Captured by the French• Later he served as a royal messenger• Given more important diplomatic missions.• Met his wife Philippa, married in 1374

Early Inspirations

• He traveled to France and Italy so he was exposed to the latest in literature

• His first work with literature was his translation of a part of The Romance of a Rose, a Medieval poem.

• Shortly after he wrote his first original work, The Book of the Duchess was a long poem.

• Then wrote The House of Fame

Turbulent Times

• He was in to writing, but primary career was diplomatic affairs.

• Earned royal favor• Richard II was king (a boy when he became

king)• Chaucer writes The Parliament of Fowls in 1382• 1386- appointed to a knight, became a member

of Parliament

Continued…

• 1390s- enjoyed royal appointments• Richard II reign was marked by conflict. He

had to go off and tend to the peasants’ revolt• Richard’s cousin becomes King Henry IV

Fruitful Years

• The Canterbury Tales- a collection of verse & prose tales of many kinds.

• Chaucer decided to pretend that the tales are told by members of a group of travelers journeying to London to Canterbury.

• Began working on these in 1387

Death of Chaucer

• When Chaucer died in 1400 he had written nearly 20,000 lines

• Many more were

planned

Uncommon Honor

Rare honor for a common man to be buried in Westminster Abbey

• 1566- admirer builds a marble tomb for his remains. This is the beginning of the famous “Poet’s Corner” at Westminster Abbey

Poet’s Corner

St. Thomas à Becket

• Characters in The Canterbury Tales gather to go to Canterbury to see the shrine of St. Thomas à Becket.

• Homework: Find out who St. Thomas à Becket is!

Video Time!

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxqAwT5IpL8