Geoffrey Chaucer and The Canterbury Tales

English 12

I. The Father of English poetryHe made English

“_Respectable_”.

People usually wrote major works in _Latin_ and _French_.

Composed in the vernacular or _in everyday spoken language in London.

Was a well-known government official.

II. Early life

Born into a middle class family in the 1340s

Big reader and had legal training

He was a soldier during the 100 Years War. Was captured in _France__. Was important enough to have King Edward pay his ransom.

III. Writing_His government

job____ took precedence over his writing.

Wrote about those that had power over him, but his writing was more than an attempt at political advancement or a passing fancy.

IV. Italian ConnectionWas influenced by _Dante_, _Petrarch_,

and Boccaccio_.Used a framing device within which _the

characters tell their tales, and both include tales based on similar old plots__.

Chaucer’s frame tale is a religious pilgrimage in which each traveler is to tell _4 stories_. _2_ going out and _2__ returning.

Never finished the Canterbury Tales.

V. Writing form & structureUsed Iambic Pentameter- meter is based 10

syllables, with an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. /u

Example: And bathed every veyne in swich licour

No more alliterationWrote in couplets

VI. The Canterbury TalesThe story begins with all walks of life from

the Middle Ages carrying out a pilgrimage to the shrine of _Thomas a Becket__.

The pilgrimage takes place during _spring_. This symbolizes _new life and awakening.

The poet-pilgrim narrator starts out at Tabard Inn where he meets _29_ other pilgrims.

VI. The Canterbury Tales cont’d.The host of the Tabard suggests to the

pilgrims that they _tell tales to pass the time_.

This sets up Chaucer’s frame story format.

As a pilgrimage story, it is one of the world’s many _quest narratives_.

The pilgrims are in search of _renewal_. Because they come from all walks of life,

they cannot help but represent the “_everyman_”.

Literary TermsFrame Story: a story that contains any

number of different stories.Characterization: creates/reveals the

personality of a character. 5 ways to do this:

Narrator’s descriptionPhysical descriptionWords/actions of characterThoughts and feelings of characterHow others respond to them

Character Chart

Physical description

How others respond

Thoughts & actions

Narrator’s description