Geoffrey ChaucerGeoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales are generally considered the crowning literary achievement of the Middle Ages. At this time, basic Anglo-Saxon had been enriched by inpourings from Latin and French until it had variety, color, and flexibility. The time was right for a great poet to put this language to use, and Chaucer filled that need.
Chaucer's earlier writing was full of French and Italian influence, but The Canterbury Tales is uniquely English. The Canterbury Tales is full of humor and also offers insight into various aspects of human nature. |
The Canterbury TalesWith this collection of stories, Chaucer's intriguing plan was to bring together characters from every class of English life. To do so, he constructed a frame story in which a group of pilgrims gather at the Tabard Inn before heading to Canterbury to visit the shrine of Thomas a Becket. The pilgrims decide to travel together and tell stories to one another as a means of passing the time. Although he does not include the very wealthy (who wouldn't need to travel in a group this way) or the very poor (who couldn't afford to travel at all), Chaucer does a great job of offering examples of many different parts of English society through this construction.
Essential Questions
Class Pilgrimage - An Introduction to The Canterbury Tales Prologue to The Canterbury Tales
The Pardoner's Tale The Nun's Priest's Tale The Wife of Bath's Tale Canterbury Tales Written Response Pinwheel Quiz Review Activity Quiz Review Guide |