Geoffrey Chaucer

The Father of English Literature

Part 1:

His Life

Geoffrey Chaucer

Geoffrey Chaucer

Portrait of Chaucer from the 17th century

Born 1343 A.DLondon, England

Died 25 October 1400 (aged 56–57)

Resting place Westminster Abbey, London

Occupation Author, poet, philosopher, diplomat

Spouse(s) Philippa Roet

Children Elizabeth ChaucerThomas Chaucer

Parents John Chaucer

His father seems to have been pretty well off; he sold wine to bars and

taverns

she inherited twenty-four shops in London from her uncle

The plague struck England when Chaucer was about five years old

In 1343(14 years old) became a page in the house of the Countess of

Urlster

in 1359 he was captured by the French at the

siege of Reims during the the Hundred Years’

War while serving in English army; ransomed

King Edward III a year later.

As a royal messenger Chaucer was frequently

sent to the continent on secret business for

the King.

he became acquainted with the works of the

great Italian authors: Boccaccio, Dante, Petrarch

Other Jobs Chaucer Held…and Learned From...

Controller of Customs on Wools, Skins and Hides for the Port of London

Here he would meet many types of businessmen, sailors, travelers city folk and common laborers

Clerk of the King’s WorksIn charge of construction and repairs affecting the royal residences; here he would meet many guildsmen as well as court officials

Deputy Forester of the King’s ForestsAway from the city, he met peasants, foresters, local clergy and other country folk

Representative of the Shire of Kent in ParliamentHere he met the rich, the influential and the upper middle class as well as the higher ranking church officials

Chaucer was one of the first writers to be buried in the Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey.

Part 2 :

His works

• Before Chaucer English was not fashionable.

• He wrote in the vernacular or everyday language.

• Since most literature and science was still written in Latin, Chaucer wrote his stories in Middle English (now Modern English).

• The popularity of Chaucer's works written in the London dialect of Middle English gave rise to this dialect

Why he is a father of English literature?

Chaucer's first major work:

The Book of Duchess

Elegy for “blanche of Lancaster”

Died in 1369

She was the wife of “john Gaunt” (son of Edward lll of England)

Dream Vision

In octosyllabic couplets(A stanza in which each of the two lines contains eight syllables.)

The Canterbury Tales, his famous work

But why go to Canterbury?

One Answer: Religion

Canterbury has always been an important religious center in England.

Religion played an important part in medieval life.

Also, Canterbury was a Pilgrimage Site

Describe them by:

Their jobThe type and color of their clothingTheir “accessories” (jewelry, pets, other portables)The way they actTheir incomeTheir “secrets”Their status in society as a wholeThe way they speak / their slang or accentTheir mode of transportation

Canterbury Tales

• General Prologue,

• The Knight's Tale,

• The Miller's Tale,

• The Reeve's Tale,

• The Cook's Tale

• The Man of Law's Tale

• The Shipman's Tale,

• The Prioress's Tale,

• Sir Thopas' Tale,

• The Tale of Melibee,

• The Monk's Tale,

• The Nun's Priest's Tale

• The Physician's Tale,

• The Pardoner's Tale

• The Wife of Bath's Tale,

• The Friar's Tale,

• The Summoner's Tale

• The Clerk's Tale,

• The Merchant's Tale

• The Squire's Tale,

• The Franklin's Tale

• The Second Nun's Tale,

• The Canon's Yeoman's Tale

• The Manciple's Tale

• The Parson's Tale

The knight’s Tale

The Tale of Melibee

The house of fame

Written in octosyllabic coupletsIt is a dialogue between an

eagle and Chaucer Eagle is a medieval symbol of

contemplationThe manuscript abruptly end

Troilus and Criseyde

It is one of the masterpieces of world literatureChaucer’s greatest sustained narrative and his only

complete long poemBoccaccio’s Il Filostrato is probably Chaucer’s sourceIt is a love story set against the background of the

Trojan warTroilus falls in love with Criseyda, a lovely widowShe became of mistress of Diomede

The Legend of Good Women

A series of narratives about faithful women deceived by men

Such women include Dido, Lucretia, Cleopatre, and MedeaHigh-spirited prologue

The Parliament of Fowls

700 lines Dream visionWritten in rhyme Royal(a

Stanza of seven 10-syllable lines,rhyming ABABBCC, popularized by chucer

It’s the first refrence to St.Valentine’s Day

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Chaucer

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Canterbury_Tales

http://www.litencyc.com/glossaryMZ.php

http://spiritoftheages.com/Warwick_Goble_-_''The_Complete_Poetical_Works_of_Geoffrey_Chaucer''_(1912).htm#

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxqAwT5IpL8&hd=1

http://www.famousauthors.org/geoffrey-chaucer

Sources: