The Canterbury Tales Geoffrey Chaucer

Introductory Notes

Chaucer1343?-1400

• Ranks second to Shakespeare as England’s GREATEST writer• Died before finishing Tales. Chaucer wrote 24 of the proposed 124

tales.• First to be buried in Poet’s Corner of Westminster Abbey• “Father of English Poetry”• The Canterbury Tales ranks as one of the world’s finest works of

literature!! (and we GET to read it! Woo hoo!)• Chaucer was from a wealthy class (not royalty)• Worked as a page , connected to King Edward III• Served in English army and was captured and held prisoner by the

French• Began writing poetry in his 20’s (there is still hope for ya’ll)• Actually took a pilgrimage to Canterbury, starting at the Tabard Inn

in Southwark.

The Tales

• Begins with a prologue that describes all the pilgrims going to Canterbury, England

• Pilgrims are people on a pilgrimage (long religious journey)

• The prologue sets up the FRAME WORK for the tales.

• C.Tales is an example of a FRAME STORY (story(ies) within a story)

Tales

• Written in ENGLISH!! (A no, no!!)• Written in iambic pentameter couplets (5 iambs

per line, both lines rhyme)• 7 line stanzas• 24 were written of the projected 124 (Chaucer

dies before finishing)• Pilgrims are going to Canterbury, England from

Tabard Inn in Southwark, England to worship at the shrine of Thomas a’ Becket, (now St. Thomas)

The time period

• At least once in their lifetime, people made a pilgrimage (religious journey) to the shrine of St. Thomas á Becket in the city of Canterbury– Becket had been the archbishop of Canterbury– He was murdered in his own cathedral

• Chaucer uses this idea of a pilgrimage to help form his frame story.

• Each pilgrim would tell TWO tales each way

• Tales represented three segments of society- CHURCH, COURTS (government), COMMON FOLK

• Two of the tales are written in prose (not verse)

Story’s Elements

• Setting: Southwark, England-Tabard Inn- Spring• Characters:29 pilgrims+host+Chaucer=31

(another joined later=32– Chaucer himself is a character in the poem as a

short, plump, slightly foolish pilgrim who commands no great respect

• Plot: Pilgrims are going to Canterbury to Shrine of St. Thomas– Each tells a tale-2 going and 2 returning– Best tale wins dinner at Tabard– Host (Harry Bailey) will be the judge

• Main Theme-Church is not all that it appears to be. Chaucer was trying to reveal corruption within the Catholic church.

• Other Themes: each tale has its own point to make.

Physiognomy

• People of the time believed STRONGLY in physiognomy—it is a person’s physical appearance in relationship to a person’s personality/character.

• Body was made up of 4 humours-body fluids. Blood, yellow bile, black bile and phlegm.

• Sanguine- blood (red)--cheerful

• Choleric- yellow bile—angry

• Phlegmatic- phlegm—gloomy

• Melancholy- Black bile--apathy

• Red hair-quick tempered• Gapped teeth-bold, aggressive, traveler, amorous

(sexy)• Buxom-jolly• Broad forehead-intelligent, good breeding• Very thin-stingy, bad-tempered• Neat-pride• White neck-sign of evil• Wearing red-aggressive• Wearing black-melancholy (sad, depressed)• Wearing blue-constant in love• Wearing gold and black-a Saints fan!!

Characterization

• Definition-METHOD by which an author creates the appearance AND personality of characters:

• Round characters-fully developed• Flat characters-little or no development

(one dimensional)

• Dynamic-changes/grows/learns• Static-doesn’t change

Direct vs. Indirect

• Direct Method- Direct description of physical appearance and the explanation of character traits and attributes. The author TELLS the reader what sort of person the character is.

• Indirect Method- reader must infer from:– What the character:

• Says• Thinks• Does• Appearance description• Other characters’ statements/thoughts

The End