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Geoffrey Chaucer &The Canterbury Tales

Geoffrey Chaucer &The Canterbury Tales. Get Ready for a Wild Ride!. GEOFFREY CHAUCER. Born about 1342 in London Family was middleclass Worked as wine merchants Became a page in the royal household while a teenager Duties included making beds, running errands, carrying candles

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Geoffrey Chaucer &The Canterbury Tales

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  1. Geoffrey Chaucer &The Canterbury Tales Get Ready for a Wild Ride!

  2. GEOFFREY CHAUCER • Born about 1342 in London • Family was middleclass • Worked as wine merchants • Became a page in the royal household while a teenager • Duties included making beds, running errands, carrying candles • Served in a military campaign in France and saw more of the world • In his 20s he was made a court official—start to many years of public service • Traveled abroad on diplomatic missions and was exposed to French and Italian literature and culture

  3. CHAUCER CONT. • For the rest of his life he held a variety of governmental posts • Created a large body of writing • Divided into 3 periods • Early poetry • Influenced by the French medieval tradition • Middle work • Mature work • Canterbury Tales • Died in 1400 • Called the “The Father of English Poetry”

  4. CANTERBURY TALES • Considered Chaucer’s masterpiece • First writer to use English in a major literary work • Focus is on an assortment of people who are thrown together on a journey • Composed of 17,000 lines of vivid poetry

  5. CANTERBURY TALES • Uses a frame tale • Story that provides a vehicle, or frame, for telling other stories • About a pilgrimage • A trip made to a holy place for religious reasons • 29 pilgrims travel to Canterbury to visit the shrine of St. Thomas a Becket. When Chaucer’s pilgrims first meet, at an inn, their host suggests they tell stories to pass the time.

  6. CANTERBURY TALES • Pilgrims occupations reflect different aspects of 14th century society • Feudal System: Knight, Squire, Yeoman, Franklin, Plowman, Miller, Reeve • Religious Life: Nun, Monk, Friar, Cleric, Parson, Summoner, Pardoner • Trades: Merchant, Sergeant at the Law, Five Tradesmen, Cook, Skipper, Doctor, Wife of Bath, Manciple, Host

  7. CANTERBURY TALES • Language • Written in Middle English • Grammar and vocabulary is familiar to speakers of modern English • Certain pronunciations are different • Silent e • Middle English considered unsuitable for literary purposes

  8. JOURNAL • IMAGINE YOURSELF ON A LONG TRIP SURROUNDED BY STRANGERS. YOUR FELLOW TRAVELERS PROBABLY HAVE A VARIETY OF CHARACTERISITICS. WHAT CHARACTERISTICS ARE APPEALING? WHAT ARE CHARACTERISTICS ARE ANNOYING?

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