The Canterbury Tales By Geoffrey Chaucer Introductory Notes

The Canterbury Tales By: Geoffrey Chaucer Introductory Notes

England during the 1300 s… • England had a population of approximately 2 ½ million people • London, the capital, was about one square mile • Countryside was scattered with small towns, most of which had less than 150 people • England was at a crossroads • Medieval behavior was on the way out, but the Renaissance had not yet fully blossomed • Endless rebellions by the middle-class chipped away at the feudal system

Geoffrey Chaucer (1340? -1400) • Chaucer was born around 1340 (anywhere from 1340 to 1343) • Father was successful (wine and leather making), mother was a member of the court • Chaucer was well-educated and placed in as an attendant in the house of Prince Lionel (one of King Edward III’s sons)

Teenage years… • Joined the English Army as a teenager • In 1359, went to France on an invasion excursion and was taken prisoner • Successfully ransomed in 1360 • Little is known about him until his marriage in 1366 • During those years, his father died and his mother remarried

His adult life… • • • He married Phillipa de Roet in 1366 (she was a lady in waiting to the queen) He began to write in the mid-1360 s In 1367, he became a servant of the court and traveled for the King to all parts of Europe His travels exposed him to French and Italian literature Became Comptroller of Customs in 1374

• • • The later years… In 1386, he became a Knight of Shire and also a member of Parliament In 1387 -ish, he began writing The Canterbury Tales The work was still unfinished at the time of his death in 1400 He was buried in Westminster Abbey (a rare honor for a commoner) In 1566, a marble tomb was built in his honor (this began the famous “Poets’ Corner” in Westminster Abbey where many other great English authors are buried)

Background on The Canterbury Tales • • Written about a pilgrimage to Canterbury, England Pilgrimage is to the shrine of Saint Thomas a’ Becket was appointed archbishop of Canterbury by King Henry II in 1162 However, the two quarreled bitterly over the rights of the church

• Four of King Henry’s loyal knights murdered the archbishop in his own cathedral in 1170 • King Henry II did not mean for the knights to kill Becket, just to scare him • Becket was declared a saint in 1173 • People went on yearly pilgrimages to honor the fallen saint

THE CANTERBURY TALES • Work was not finished at the time of Chaucer’s death in 1400 • Scholars pieced together the stories in the order that seemed to make most sense • Was not published during Chaucer’s lifetime, there were five different dialects in England at the time. Many English people would not have understood it anyway because of the specific language

The Prologue • One spring day in Southwark at the Tabard Inn, the narrator (Chaucer) awaits the pilgrimage that is to occur the next day • That evening, a company of 29 persons arrive at the Inn, all of whom are Canterbury pilgrims • Chaucer is admitted to their company. • It is at this point that Chaucer begins to describe his companions

The Prologue • The Prologue gives an admirable description of the uncomplicated life in England during the Middle Ages • Here are portraits of all levels of English life. In this group, Chaucer brings together all of the foibles and virtues of man and the manners and morals of his time with remarkable clarity • Throughout the Prologue, Chaucer alternately praises or chides the travelers with his word portraits which provide insights into the life of his time

The Knight • The perfect and genteel man who loves truth, freedom, chivalry, and honor • He is truly a distinguished man • He had ridden into battle in both Christian and heathen lands and in every instance, served his king well • Despite his valorous deeds, the Knight never boasts of his actions nor bores his listeners with his feats

• The Knight is the most socially prominent person on this journey, and certain praises are given to him throughout the journey • He tells the first story and many pilgrims offer him compliments • One fact that Chaucer’s audience would have been aware of is that of all the battles the Knight fought in, none were in the King’s secular wars, they were all religious wars of some nature

The Squire • The Squire would be a candidate for Knighthood. • When not in battle, he thinks of himself as quite a lady’s man • He takes meticulous care of his curly locks and is somewhat proud of his appearance • He could also sing lusty songs, compose melodies, write poetry, and ride a horse with distinction

The Yeoman • The Yeoman is a servant to the Knight and the Squire • He is dressed in all green and is known as an expert woodsman • He is an excellent shot with the bow and arrow

The Nun (Prioress) • The Nun’s name is Madam Eglantine • A gentle lady whose greatest oath is “by St. Loy” • Rather well-educated, even though her French is not the “accepted” Parisian French • She is very coy and delicate

• Chaucer’s description of the Prioress is filled with gentle and subtle irony • Here is a picture of a lady who happens to be a nun, but she never forgets that she is a lady first. Her oath “by St. Loy” implies that she has chosen the most fashionable and handsome saint who was also famous for his great courtesy • Her emphasis on her appearance and her possessions (including her three dogs) suggest that she secretly longs for a more worldly life

• Even the inscription on her brooch is a phrase that was used in both religion and in the many courtly romances • The brooch itself is a lovely piece of jewelry • In general, she would be the ideal head of a girl’s finishing school in nineteenth century America

The Nun’s Associates • The Nun (Prioress) had another Nun with her (to serve as her secretary) • She also had three priests with her as well • Two of the three priests will relate tales, and one of these tales will prove to be one of the most popular of all the tales

The Monk • An outrider for his monastery (that is, he is in charge of the outlying property) • He owns several horses, furnished with the finest saddles and bridles • He loves hunting and good food (lots of it) • He owns several good hunting dogs of which he was very proud • He dresses in fine clothes, some are even trimmed in fur

• His favorite food is roasted swan • In general, he favors an outdoor life to that of a closed, indoor existence • Chaucer’s art here is demonstrated through his use of irony • While Chaucer never makes a comment about his characters, he arranges and selects his material so that the reader can come to a conclusion about each one

• When the Monk says that he doesn’t approve of the solitary prayerful existence in a monastery, Chaucer pretends to be convinced that the Monk’s argument is right • But we see that it is right only because this particular Monk tries to justify his non-monastic activities and for this monk, it is the right existence • Everything that the Monk does is a violation of his monastic orders • His love of worldly goods, food, pleasures, and his dislike of the quiet monastery contradict his religious vows

The Friar • The Friar was a merry man, named Hubert, who helped many girls get married, after he got them in trouble • He worked under the principle that penance is best executed by money, rather than by prayers (the person contributing the most money received the quickest and best pardon) • He knew the taverns and inns better than he knew the leper houses and alms houses • The Friar used every vicious and immoral method to get money from parishioners Chaucer uses sarcasm to describe him as the “best” in his profession. That is, if we judge a Friar on how well he extorted money from people, then he is the “best” • Essentially, this Friar is evil and cunning, he is not a man of God

The Merchant • The Merchant is a member of the rich and powerful rising middle class • He is shrewd and knows a good bargain • He talks and looks so solemn and impressive that many people did not realize that he truly was in debt

The Oxford Cleric • The Cleric (or Clerk), who is a student at Oxford, is extremely thin, rides a very thin horse, and his clothes are all threadbare because he prefers to buy books rather than clothes and food • He does not talk often, but when he does, it is with great dignity and moral virtue • The Clerk is probably working on some advanced degree with the idea of attaining some sort of high position. Next to the Knight, he is one of the most admired people on the pilgrimage

The Sergeant at the Law • The Sergeant of the Law is an able attorney who can recall every word and comma of every court case, a feat which earned him high distinction and handsome fees • However, he makes people think he is busier than he really is. • There is an implication that he has perhaps used his position to attain more wealth without ever actually violating the letter of the law

The Franklin • The Franklin is a large landowner, with a certain amount of wealth, but he is not of noble birth • He spends his money freely, enjoying good food, wine, and company • His house is always open and he devotes his energies to fine living and is generally liked by the other pilgrims

The Haberdasher, The Dyer, The Carpenter, the Weaver, the Carpetmaker • These are men who belong to a guild, an organization similar to a fraternity and/or labor union • Each is luxuriously dressed in the manner of his calling (job) and each is impressed with his membership in the guild to which he belongs • The guildsmen have a cook who is one of the best

The Cook • The cook is a master of his trade. He knows how to boil, bake, roast, and fry. • Chaucer implies that it is a shame that he has a running sore on his leg, because his best dish is a creamed chicken pie whose white sauce might be the same color as the liquid running from the sore

The Skipper • The Shipman (Skipper/Sailor) is a huge, somewhat uncouth man • He is a master shipman and knows all of the ports from the Mediterranean to the Baltic • He can read the stars and knows how to fight well, but he does not ride a horse well • He looks like a “fish out of water” as he sits on his horse

The Doctor • The Doctor (Medic) is a highly intelligent man, he knows about astronomy and nature along with medicine • However, everyone thinks he is in cohorts with the druggist • Not a very religious man • He apparently made a lot of money during the past plague, but hadn’t spent much of it • He sometimes prescribes gold as a cure for illness

The Wife of Bath • The Wife of Bath is slightly deaf, but is an excellent weaver and seamstress • She makes a point of being first at the altar at church • She wears many kerchiefs and red stockings • She was married five times and had gone on previous pilgrimages (Jerusalem, Rome, Bologna, Galice, and Cologne) • She has gap-teeth and knows how to ride a horse “daintily”. • She has a good sense of humor and loves to talk to people (sometimes to a fault)

The Parson • The Parson is very poor, but is rich in holy thoughts and works • He would rather give his own scarce money to his poor parishioners than to demand tithes from them • His motto is to live the perfect life first, and then to teach it • He “walked the walk and talked the talk” when it came to religion (compare to other religious pilgrims)

The Plowman • The Plowman was a small farmer who lived perfect peace and charity • He loved God with all of his heart • He was always honest with his neighbors and promptly paid his tithes to the church

The Miller • The Miller is a big, brawny man who can outwrestle any man • His red beard and a wart on his nose from which bristly red hairs protruded make him look fearful • He plays the bagpipes as the pilgrims leave the town

The Manciple • The Manciple is a steward for a law school (or dormitory for lawyers) in London and is in charge of purchasing the food • He is not as learned as the lawyers, but is so shrewd in buying that he has been able to put aside a little sum for himself

The Reeve • The Reeve is the manager of a large estate. He is a skinny man with a bad temper. His close cut beard and his short haircut accentuate his thinness and long legs • He is an able, efficient, and shrewd man who has reaped rich rewards from his master. The serfs fear him because of his unrelenting perseverance. Like the Manciple, he accumulated large sums of money by being shrewd • He was once a carpenter and rode last in the group of pilgrims • It is not of extreme importance now that the Reeve was once a carpenter, but Chaucer anticipated a Reeve’s Tale later on. The Miller will tell a dirty story about a carpenter, and since the Reeve was once a carpenter, he feels the need for revenge by telling a dirty story about a miller

The Summoner • The Summoner (a man paid to summon sinners for a trial before a church court) has a fire-red complexion, pimples, and boils, a scaly infection around his eyebrows, and a moth-eaten beard • Children are afraid of him because of his looks. To make matters worse, he loves to eat garlic, onions, and leeks. He also drinks strong wine • He can quote a few lines of Latin, which he uses to impress people. He often drank instead of doing his job, letting people continue to live in sin. The Summoner is also acquainted with “ladies of questionable reputation” • The physical appearance of the Summoner matches his profession. He is so ugly and so gruesome looking that a summons from him is, in itself, a horrible experience. Again, Chaucer uses irony here when describing him as a “good fellow”

The Pardoner • The Pardoner is a church official who has authority from Rome to sell pardons and indulgences to those charged with sins • He had just returned from Rome with a bagful of pardons, which he plans to sell to the ignorant at a great profit to himself • He has a loud, high-pitched voice, yellow flowing hair, and was beardless • He knows how to sing and preach so as to frighten everyone into buying his pardons at a great price • The Pardoner seems to be one of the most corrupt of the churchmen. From the Prologue to his tale, he confesses his hypocrisy. And furthermore, Chaucer implies that he is not really a man, that is, that he is perverted or distorted in some way

The Host • The Host is a merry man who liked good company and good stories. He was a large jovial person and was well-liked by the pilgrims

Overview of the Pilgrims and the Pilgrimage • These, then, are the main members of the party about to leave for Canterbury. That evening, the Host at the Tabard Inn, serves the company an excellent dinner after which he suggests that, in order to make the trip pass more pleasantly, each member of the party should tell two tales on the way to Canterbury and two tales on the way home • The person who tells his story best is to be given a sumptuous dinner by the other members of the party • The Host adds that, in order to keep the journey bright and merry, that he will accompany them to Canterbury and serve as the judge of the stories. All of the pilgrims agree to this idea

• Early the next morning, the party leaves for Canterbury • Two miles away, at St. Thomas-a-Watering, the Host silences the travelers and announces that they will draw straws to see in what order the stories will be told • The Knight draws the shortest straw. He agrees to tell the first tale, and here ends the Prologue and begins the first tale • If Chaucer had completed his original plans, that each of the pilgrims would tell two tales each way, there would have been approximately 120 tales

Tales told by… • Not surprisingly, Chaucer never completed all of the 120 tales told by the pilgrims • There are tales told by the: Knight, Miller, Reeve, Cook, Sergeant at the Law, Wife of Bath, Friar, Summoner, Clerk (Cleric), Merchant, Squire, Franklin, Physician, Pardoner, Shipman, Prioress (Nun), Monk, Nun’s Priest, Second Nun, Yeoman, Manciple, and the Parson