Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales

1. Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales

2. History of the Tales • Geoffrey Chaucer began writing the tales around 1387 AD • Uncompleted manuscript published 1400AD, 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

3. Artistry of Form • 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; • Fabliaux • Romance • Melodrama • Parable • And more…

4. Artistry of Form (cont’d.) • Despite being unfinished, clear indications 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.

5. Artistry of Language • 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

6. Mastery of Character • Part of his master rests with creating characters • The characters take turns telling tales • They have depth and verisimilitude • Characters are created through: • Physical descriptions (some quite graphic) • Characters interacting with each other • The tales themselves reflecting character (often specifically their personalities and motivations)

7. Merits of Meaning • 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