English 4 Major English Writers Geoffrey Chaucers The

English 4 Major English Writers Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales: The General Prologue

Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales: The General Prologue Geoffrey Chaucer (1343 -1400) • A writer of major importance • Much different from Shakespeare • We seem to be able to get “closer” to Chaucer; he seems like a real person • “Chaucer had the gift of being able to view with both sympathy and humor the behaviors, beliefs, and pretentions of the diverse people who comprised the levels of society. ”

Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales: The General Prologue Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales • Chaucer is best known for his 22 tales in The Canterbury Tales (and two incomplete tales) • Original plan called for 120 tales = 30 pilgrims, four tales each • Chaucer was a prolific writer • Chaucer presents great insights into human nature

Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales: The General Prologue Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales • Pilgrimage as a Structural Device • How does one give structure to a poem in which 30 characters from different ranks of society, some within the church and some without, tell stories to one another? • Reason for the stories is to pass the time • The framing device of the pilgrimage also adds a sense of realism to the tales

Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales: The General Prologue Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales • The distinction between Chaucer the poet and Geoffrey the Pilgrim • Geoffrey the Pilgrim often seems to be naïve • Chaucer the man and poet was not naive

Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales: The General Prologue The Sounds of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales • The Great Vowel Shift (1350 -1500) • The handout: “The Sounds of Chaucer’s Middle English”

Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales: The General Prologue Imagery and Themes of the First 18 Lines • • The GP begins with references to beginnings Many images of rebirth and renewal April itself is often presented as a time of rebirth Spring is the perfect time to start a pilgrimage

Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales: The General Prologue Lines 19 to 34 • Note change in tone and in imagery • Shift from the "High Style" in the opening stanza to a more relaxed, conversational tone in the second • This is the more familiar tone of the tales--the characters seem to come to life • Introduction of Geoffrey as a friendly, gregarious man

Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales: The General Prologue Lines 35 to 42 Shift to the description of the different pilgrim Chaucer’s innovative approach to description Social hierarchy = important idea in the Middle Ages The Great Chain of Being (hierarchy) Three general social classes of the Middle Ages portrayed in The Canterbury Tales: nobility/aristocracy, clergy, peasantry • Three idealized characters: the knight, the parson, and the plowman • • •

Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales: The General Prologue The Knight (Lines 43 to 78) • Appropriately, Geoffrey begins with the Knight, the pilgrims of highest social rank • The Description of the Knight • The Knight's character • The Knight's accomplishments and deeds • The Knight's physical description • There is no irony in Geoffrey's description of this "worthy" knight—the knight is perfect • The knight is one of the idealized characters

Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales: The General Prologue The Squire (Lines 79 -100) • • • What is the pattern of description for the Squire? Emphasis on his appearance and clothing The Squire’s motives and experience The Squire’s youth is emphasized Not a bad character, but the Squire falls short of the ideal established by his father, the Knight

Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales: The General Prologue Some Characters • The Prioress (Lines 118 to 162) • An ambiguous character. What does Geoffrey like about her? What is questionable about her? • The Pardoner (Lines 671 -716) • A terrible character. What is bad about the Pardoner? • The Parson (Lines 479 to 530) and The Plowman (Lines 531 to 543) • Two idealized characters. What is so good about each of these characters?

Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales: The General Prologue The Prioress (Lines 118 to 162) • One of the most intriguing and ambiguous of all of the characters in the CT • The Prioress as a "Perfect Lady" • The Prioress as an Imperfect Nun • What are we to make of the Prioress (Madame Eglentyne)?

Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales: The General Prologue The Pardoner (Lines 671 -716) • Emphasis on physical descriptions, with many comparisons using animals • Strong suggestions that the Pardoner may be homosexual • The Pardoner is the worst kind of fraud • What does Geoffrey think of the Pardoner?

Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales: The General Prologue The Parson (Lines 479 to 530) • One of the idealized characters • The Parson is described in terms of the work he does. • Money does not corrupt the Parson, as it does so many of the other characters • The Parson feels he should teach by example

Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales: The General Prologue The Plowman (Lines 531 to 543) • Another of the idealized characters