The Canterbury tales

The Canterbury tales is written by Geoffrey Chaucer. It is written in poetry, while two tales are in
prose: the Tale of Melibee and the Parson’s Tale. Speaking of genre, it belongs to various ones- narrative
collection of poems; character portraits; parody; estates satire; romance; fabliau.

Chaucer was familiar with and was accepted by the lower classes as well as by the higher classes;
thus, throughout his life, he was able to observe both the highest and the lowest situations, and made the
best of these opportunities. He knew the world from many aspects and emphasised all its sides in his
stories, making it difficult not to like characters like The Wife of Bath, with all her bawdiness, or the Miller
with his vulgarity that amuses rather than offends some readers. Chaucer presents the world as he sees it,
understanding basic human nature

In the begginning, the narrator speaks in the first person, describing each of the characters as they
appeared to him. Though narrated by different pilgrims, each of the tales is told from an omniscient point
of view, offering the reader the thoughts as well as the actions of the characters.

The primary narrator is an anonymous, member of the pilgrimage, who is not described. The other
pilgrims narrate most of the tales in the writing. Each individual tale has protagonists, but Chaucer’s plan is
to make none of his storytellers superior to others; it is an equal company. In the Knight’s Tale, the
protagonists are Palamon and Arcite; in the Miller’s Tale, Nicholas and Alisoun; in the Wife of Bath’s Tale,
the errant knight and the loathsome hag; and so on.

When speaking of the main conflict, it can be summarised by the struggles between characters,
manifested in the links between tales, mostly involve clashes between social classes, differing tastes, and
competing professions. There are also clashes between genders, and there is resistance to the Host’s
somewhat tyrannical and tough leadership. The action rises when the narrator encounters a group of other
pilgrims and joins them as he sets off on a pilgrimage journey to CAnterbury. That night, the Host of the
tavern where the pilgrims are staying suggest that they should have a storytelling challenge and appoints
himself judge of the competition and leader of the company.

The action ends with the following- after twenty-three tales have been told, the Parson delivers a
long sermon. Chaucer then makes a request, asking to be forgiven for his sins, including having written The
Canterbury Tales.

I believe that the proeminent, major theme is the impoortnace of companionship, along with some
subthemes- the corruption of the church, corutly love etc. As motifs, we may identify- romance, tales,
pilgrimage journeys etc. The symbols found can be mentioned as springtime, clothing.

To sum up, The Canterbury Tales incorporates an impressive range of attitudes toward life and
literature. The tales are sometimes satirical, elevated, pious, earthy, bawdy, and comical. The reader should
not accept the naïve narrator’s point of view as Chaucer’s.