The Canterbury Tales, frame story by Geoffrey Chaucer, written

in Middle English in 1387–1400.

Frame story, also called frame tale, overall unifying story within which one or more
tales are related.

In the single story, the opening and closing constitutes a frame. In the cyclical frame
story—that is, a story in which several tales are related—some frames are externally
imposed and only loosely bind the diversified stories. For example, in The Thousand
and One Nights, the frame consists of the story of Scheherazade, who avoids death by
telling her king-husband a story every night and leaving it incomplete. Another example
is the Jātakaṭṭhavaṇṇanā, a collection of some 550 widely popular and often illustrated
stories of former lives of the Buddha (known as Jātakas). It is cast within a framework
of Buddhist ethical teaching.

Other frames are an integral part of the tales. Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron, for
example, presents a frame story centred on 10 people fleeing the Black Death who
gather in the countryside and as an amusement relate 10 stories each; the stories are
woven together by a common theme, the way of life of the refined bourgeoisie, who
combined respect for conventions with an open-minded attitude toward personal
behaviour. In Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales (1387–1400) too, the pilgrimage
frame brings together varied tellers of tales, who emerge as vivid personalities and
develop dramatic relationships among themselves and with their tales.

Geoffrey Chaucer, (born c. 1342/43, London?, England—died October 25,

1400, London)

Although c. 1340 is customarily given as Chaucer’s birth date, 1342 or 1343 is

probably a closer guess. No information exists concerning his early education,
although doubtless he would have been as fluent in French as in the Middle
English of his time. He also became competent in Latin and Italian. His
writings show his close familiarity with many important books of his time and
of earlier times.

the outstanding English poet before Shakespeare and “the first finder of our
language.” His The Canterbury Tales ranks as one of the greatest poetic works
in English. He also contributed importantly in the second half of the 14th
century to the management of public affairs as courtier, diplomat, and civil
servant. In that career he was trusted and aided by three successive kings—
Edward III, Richard II, and Henry IV. But it is his avocation—the writing of
poetry—for which he is remembered.
Chaucer first appears in the records in 1357, as a member of the household of
Elizabeth, countess of Ulster, wife of Lionel, third son of Edward III.

Chaucer’s great literary accomplishment of the 1390s was The Canterbury

Tales. In it a group of about 30 pilgrims gather at the Tabard Inn in
Southwark, across the Thames from London, and agree to engage in a
storytelling contest as they travel on horseback to the shrine of Thomas à
Becket in Canterbury, Kent, and back.

For this crowning glory of his 30 years of literary composition, Chaucer used
his wide and deep study of medieval books of many sorts and
his acute observation of daily life at many levels. He also employed his
detailed knowledge of medieval astrology and subsidiary sciences as they were
thought to influence and dictate human behaviour.

Over the whole expanse of this intricate dramatic narrative, he presides as

Chaucer the poet, Chaucer the civil servant, and Chaucer the pilgrim:
somewhat slow-witted in his pose and always intrigued by human frailty but
always questioning the complexity of the human condition and always seeing
both the humour and the tragedy in that condition. At the end, in the
Retractation with which The Canterbury Tales closes, Chaucer as poet and
pilgrim states his conclusion that the concern for this world fades into
insignificance before the prospect for the next; in view of the admonitions in
The Parson’s Tale, he asks forgiveness for his writings that concern “worldly
vanities” and remembrance for his translation of the Consolation and his
other works of morality and religious devotion. On that note he ends his finest
work and his career as poet.

What is The Canterbury Tales about?

Chaucer's long poem follows the journey of a group of pilgrims, 31 including Chaucer
himself, from the Tabard Inn in Southwark to St Thomas à Becket's shrine at Canterbury
Cathedral. The host at the inn suggests each pilgrim tell two tales on the way out and
two on the way home to help while away their time on the road. The best storyteller is to
be rewarded with a free supper on their return.

This literary device gives Chaucer the opportunity to paint a series of vivid word portraits
of a cross-section of his society, from a knight and prioress, to a carpenter and cook; a
much-married wife of Bath, to a bawdy miller – an occupation regarded in Chaucer's
day as shifty and dishonest.

Chaucer mixes satire and realism in lively characterisations of his pilgrims. The tone of
their tales ranges from pious to comic, with humour veering between erudite wit and
good honest vulgarity. Taken together, the tales offer a fascinating insight into English
life during the late 14th century.

Chaucer's original plan was for over 100 stories, but only 24 were completed, some of
which had already been written for earlier works. Their order varies in different surviving
copies, the Hengwrt manuscript being valued most for its accuracy.

When was The Canterbury Tales written?

Tragically, The Canterbury Tales is unfinished. The pilgrims never reach

Canterbury, the return journey is not described, and not all the pilgrims who
appear in the poem's prologue end up telling a tale. The Prologue
describes a ploughman among the company, for example, whose tale is
nowhere to be found. Whereas Chaucer’s original plan presumably
envisaged over 100 stories, only 24 survive.

The Canterbury Tales is traditionally dated to 1387 (although some tales

appear to have been written before then). The poem survives in 92
manuscripts, but no manuscript of the work dates from Chaucer’s lifetime.
The poem as we know it is the product of 15th-century scribes. The number
of pilgrims' tales and their ordering differs between the copies, and debate
continues to rage about what Chaucer intended.

What language is The Canterbury Tales written in?

The Canterbury Tales is written in Middle English, an early form of
Modern English. Used from the Norman Conquest (1066) through the
late 1400s, Middle English grew out of Old English, Germanic, and
French languages. While we can recognize many Middle English words
because of their similarities to Modern English, other words are
uncommon or out of use. Some words are not part of Modern English at
all, such as “ferne halwes,” which is usually translated as “distant
shrines.”
How does Chaucer use satire?
Chaucer uses satire to poke fun at the three estates of Medieval society:
the clergy, the nobility, and the layfolk. Most of his satire of the nobility
and the layfolk involves a gently humorous use of archetypes, such as a
youthful squire who is a flirtatious troubadour or a miller telling a
bawdy tale. His harshest satire extends to the church hierarchy, exposing
corruption and greed. He also uses satire to explore the newly emerging
middle class and social mobility in his society, as in his portraits of the
greedy Reeve and Physician.

Why are the Canterbury Tales unfinished?

No one knows the real reason why Chaucer never finished The
Canterbury Tales or if he intended to complete the collection. The scope
of the project as envisioned was vast, involving thirty-one pilgrims each
telling four tales. It may be that Chaucer simply realized the manuscript
was too ambitious. Some scholars point to Chaucer’s Retraction for an
explanation. Here—if the Retraction is not interpreted as satire—
Chaucer repents of his lifetime of writing in a way similar to the
Parson’s religious criticism of storytelling, and specifically highlights
the Tales as a work he regrets. It’s possible Chaucer’s changing religious
priorities caused him to abandon the project.

Summary
This chapter explores the varying meanings and importance of form in
the Canterbury Tales. Overall, the focus is on Chaucer’s understanding of form as
integral to interpretation. The opening section contextualizes Chaucer’s
approach to form within later medieval poetics, contrasting ideas of formal
perfection and imperfection in the work of Dante and the Pearl-poet with
Chaucer’s responsive and unpredictable forms. The Canterbury Tales is
compared with tale-collections by Gower and Boccaccio, and with Chaucer’s
other tale-collections – the ‘Monk’s Tale’ and the Legend of Good Women. The
chapter explores the interplay and juxtaposition of forms both across the Tales,
and within an individual tale (The Nun’s Priest’s Tale). Moving to a micro-level, it
analyses one specific form – rhyme royal – by close-reading several stanzas
from The Man of Law’s Tale. Finally it argues that Chaucer problematizes the
conventional allegorical idea of seeing through form to reach meaning,
suggesting instead that form and content cannot be divided. Meaning is inherent
in Chaucer’s complex, kinetic, and, above all, multiple forms.

Writing Style
Poetry – rhyming couplets in iambic pentameter
The style of The Canterbury Tales is characterized by rhyming
couplets. That means that every two lines rhyme with each other.
It's also in iambic pentameter (the same style as Shakespeare),
meaning that in each line there are ten syllables, and a heavily
emphasized (stressed) syllable follows a less emphasized
(unstressed) syllable: [dah DAH] [dah DAH] [da DAH] [da DAH]
[da DAH]. Each [da DAH] is an iamb, and there are five of them
per line.

The style of The Canterbury Tales is characterized by its use of

iambic pentameter and rhyming couplets. Iambic pentameter is a
poetic meter that consists of five pairs of syllables, with each pair
consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed
syllable. Rhyming couplets are a rhyme scheme in which every
two lines rhyme with each other.

Here is an example of a couplet in iambic pentameter from the

General Prologue of The Canterbury Tales:
Whan that Aprill, with his shoures soote The droghte of March
hath perced to the roote

Each line in this couplet has five pairs of syllables, with each pair
consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed
syllable. The two lines also rhyme with each other, with the words
"soote" and "roote" rhyming.

Chaucer's use of iambic pentameter and rhyming couplets gives

The Canterbury Tales a regular and flowing rhythm. This rhythm
is well-suited to the poem's narrative style, and it helps to create a
sense of unity and coherence throughout the work.

In addition to its use of iambic pentameter and rhyming couplets,

The Canterbury Tales is also known for its use of vivid imagery
and humorous language. Chaucer's descriptions of the pilgrims
and their stories are often full of rich detail and humor. This
makes the poem both engaging and memorable for readers.

Overall, the style of The Canterbury Tales is characterized by its

use of iambic pentameter, rhyming couplets, vivid imagery, and
humorous language. These stylistic elements combine to create a
poem that is both beautiful and accessible to readers.

Chaucer's poetic style can be a little bit difficult because, a lot of

the time, he twists his sentences around. As English-speakers,
we're used to hearing the subject come first in the sentence,
followed by the verb. But Chaucer will often do the opposite. Take
the line "Than longen folk to goon on pilgrimages" (General
Prologue 12). The subject, "folk," comes after the verb, "longen."
Chaucer does this a lot, meaning that sometimes you have to wait
until you get to the end of a line before you can really understand
what's happening in the sentence. The reason for it is to help him
keep his couplets rhyming, but darn does it make the Tales hard
to read sometimes!

Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory

Symbol: Springtime

And the beginning of things is exactly what the poem emphasizes in its
description of springtime, talking about how the wind spreads the seeds
that peek their heads above the soil as they begin to grow into crops, and
how birds begin their mating season.

In its masterful opening, the poem links springtime and sex in the way that
they both cause new life to begin.

. See, the idea of a pilgrimage is that you start on a journey of repentance,

beginning a new life, one free from sin. In the beginning of the poem, then,
the springtime is a symbol of the new beginnings and the creation of new
lives the pilgrims are about to undertake.

Symbol: Physical Features

. For this reason, various physical features in the pilgrim's portraits
are symbols of certain character traits. The Wife of Bath's gap
teeth are a symbol of sexuality, as are the Miller's red beard and
hair. The Pardoner's beady eyes and long, limp hair are symbols
of duplicity or deceitfulness. Broad, earthy features like the
Miller's symbolize lower-class status. Since these symbols were a
part of their culture, a medieval person would likely immediately
have recognized the significance of the physical traits in the
pilgrims' portraits.

Symbol: Clothing and Hairstyles

. The Wife of Bath's red stockings probably symbolize her lustful

nature, and her large hat represents her love of fashion and
luxury. Some characters, like the Merchant or the Pardoner,
reveal their concern with the latest fashions in the way they dress
and style their hair. Most often, pilgrims' clothing symbolizes their
possession or lack of money in how fancy or simple it is.

Allegory: Pilgrimage from London to Canterbury

It's probable that the pilgrims' journey from London to Canterbury
represents another journey that was very important to a medieval
person: the journey from Earth to Heaven. As the journey begins,
we have a sinful group of pilgrims, many of whom are hiding
various vices and dirty secrets. Their pilgrimage is meant to be a
journey of repentance, so that by the time they reach Canterbury,
they will be fully cleansed of these sins. Thus, in this allegory, the
tavern represents the sinful life on Earth, while Canterbury
represents the sin-free life in heaven all people are trying to
reach.

The Canterbury Tales explores a wide range of themes, including:

• Social class: Chaucer uses the different social classes of the pilgrims to satirize
the society of his time. He shows that people from all walks of life have their own
flaws and virtues, and that social status does not necessarily guarantee
happiness or morality.
 • Religion: Chaucer also uses the Canterbury Tales to explore the religious beliefs
and practices of his time. He criticizes the corruption of the Church, but he also
shows that true faith can be found in people of all social classes.
• Human nature: The Canterbury Tales is a deeply human work that explores the
full range of human emotions, from love and compassion to greed and deceit.
Chaucer shows that people are complex creatures who are capable of both good
and evil.

Other themes that are explored in The Canterbury Tales include:

• Courtly love: The Knight's Tale and other tales in The

Canterbury Tales explore the medieval concept of courtly
love, which is a form of love that is based on chivalry and
idealism.
• Gender roles: Chaucer also explores gender roles in The
Canterbury Tales. He shows that women were often
expected to be subservient to men in medieval society, but
he also shows that women could be intelligent, resourceful,
and independent.
• The power of storytelling: The Canterbury Tales itself is a
testament to the power of storytelling. Chaucer shows that
stories can entertain, educate, and even inspire people.

The Canterbury Tales is a rich and complex work that explores

many different themes. It is a work that can be enjoyed and
appreciated on many different levels.

The message of The Canterbury Tales is complex and

multifaceted, but it can be summed up as a celebration of human
nature and the power of storytelling.

Chaucer shows that people are complex creatures who are

capable of both good and evil. He also shows that people from all
walks of life have their own unique strengths and weaknesses.
Chaucer's message is one of tolerance and compassion, and he
encourages us to see the good in everyone, even those who are
different from us.

Chaucer also celebrates the power of storytelling. He shows that

stories can entertain, educate, and even inspire people. The
Canterbury Tales itself is a testament to the power of storytelling,
and it continues to be enjoyed and appreciated by people all over
the world.

In addition to its message of tolerance and compassion, The

Canterbury Tales also has a number of other important
messages, such as:

• The importance of social justice: Chaucer criticizes the

corruption of the Church and the inequality of medieval
society. He suggests that everyone deserves to be treated
with respect, regardless of their social class.
• The importance of education: Chaucer shows that education
can help people to become better people. He also shows
that education is not just for the wealthy and privileged.
• The importance of forgiveness: Chaucer shows that
forgiveness is essential for healing and moving on from the
past. He also shows that forgiveness is not the same as
forgetting.

The Canterbury Tales is a rich and complex work that offers a

variety of important messages. It is a work that can be enjoyed
and appreciated on many different levels.