Geoffrey Chaucers The Canterbury Tales Geoffrey Chaucer Father
Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales
Geoffrey Chaucer Father of English Literature o o Born between 1340 and 1345 Father, John, was a wealthy man Lived in Vintry District of London Went to St. Paul’s Almonery School n Learned Latin, rhetoric, religion, philosophy, science, and French
Life continued o o o Married Philippa Payne de Roet in 1366 Went into service for Duke of Clarence-king’s son Went into military service in 1359 In 1367, King Edward granted him an annuity for life. Served John of Gaunt also and was granted another annuity for life in 1374.
Life continued…again o o 1 st book, The Book of the Duchess, consoled John on the death of his wife. In 1372, he was sent on his first diplomatic mission to Italy. In 1374, returned to England was named Controller of Customs for the Port of London. Served till 1386.
Historical Background o o Set in 14 th century London Ruled by King and nobles who had all the political power and the Catholic Church had all authority in spiritual matters. Rise in middle class because of trade and commerce. Most of the population was agrarian, poor peasants.
Historical context continued o o Clergy became landowners. Abuse and corruption began in the church. The Plague wiped out 1/3 of the population. 1381: Peasants’ Rebellion
History of the Tales o o Geoffrey Chaucer began writing the tales around 1387 AD Uncompleted manuscript published 1400 AD, the year he died First book of poetry purposely written in the English language Set a precedent and poets from Shakespeare to Dryden and Keats to Eliot owe him a debt of gratitude
What it is… o o o Collection of short stories Framed by a journey and told by travelers Written in Middle English, not French or Latin. Well-received 24 of the projected 120 takes were finished
Why go to Canterbury?
Religion o o St. Augustine (seen in stained glass from the Canterbury Cathedral) was sent by Pope Gregory the Great to establish the Catholic faith in the country Canterbury has always been an important religious center in England.
Becket was a trusted adviser and friend of King Henry II. Henry named Becket Archbishop of Canterbury
o Becket’s outspoken style angered the King. One day, Henry complained, “Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest? ” Three knights rode to Canterbury where they found Becket at the altar of Canterbury Cathedral
Becket was murdered at the altar.
Artistry of Form o o o As a work of art it encompasses individuality and universality Narrative structure allowed Chaucer the freedom to create a variety of matter in a unified form Many genres incorporated including; n n n Fabliau Romance Myth Parable And more…
What it is…continued o o o Pilgrimage Very popular to go on pilgrimage Pilgrims often want to Rome or Jerusalem Canterbury Cathedral: shrine to Thomas a Becket Reasons n n n o o Hope of heavenly reward Penance Pubs People went in groups for safety He could see the road from his window
Types of medieval literature o o o Romance: a narrative in metrical verse; tales of love, adventure, knightly combat, and ceremony. Fabliau: (fab-lee-o) short, cynical stories based on trickery and deception; often involves adultery. Myth: a story originating in classical literature.
More types… o o o fairy tale-- set in Brittany province of France; contains fairies, elves, folk wisdom, and folktales. Beast Fable: animals personify human qualities and act out human situations; usually teaches a lesson. Sermon: a Christian lesson
Even more types… o o o Exemplum: a story which teaches a wellknown lesson Allegory: a tale in which a person represent abstract qualities (death, virtue, love) Mock Romance: parodies, or makes fun, of the usual subjects of a romance.
Artistry of Form (cont’d. ) o o o Despite being unfinished, there is a clear indication of a plan Each pilgrim to tell at least two stories-- maybe more Chaucer was writing and collecting whatever occurred to him, but it was likely to find a more firmly constructed structure as it neared completion.
Artistry of Language o o Chaucer wrote in English It was becoming more solid and widespread He used verse, which was the norm, but varied it according to his purpose Despite borrowing much of his material, his use of language injects these tales with new life
Mastery of Character o o Part of his master rests with creating characters The characters take turns telling tales They have depth and verisimilitude Characters are created through: n n n Physical descriptions (some quite graphic) Characters interacting with each other The tales themselves reflecting character (often specifically their personalities and motivations)
Merits of Meaning o o o Chaucer is free to use tales to convey multiple themes Creates a microcosm of medieval English life (almost a sociological exploration possible) Paints a multifaceted picture of humanity Parodies forms of literature Entertains
Pop Quiz How many stories did Chaucer actually write? How many stories were planned? o The characters are going to Canterbury. Why is this particular town the destination of their pilgrimage? o Detail one story that you were exposed to in the movie. o Explain the contest in Canterbury Tales. o
Extra Credit o Chanticleer is what type of short story?
Quiz 2 o o What types of groups of people were represented among the characters? Prayers, military, workers Where did Chaucer get his idea for the story and for the characters? Story—looking out window; characters—all the people he had met before Why were they going to Canterbury? Pilgrimage Name 3 types of short stories that are included in CT.
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