MIDDLE

ENGLISH
PERIOD
(1066-1485)
Geoffrey Chaucer ( 1340?-1400)
https://youtu.be/alk8KD57N6k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=EJy8W78lGAw
• Often called “ the Father of
English Literature”
• The first great English humorist
and realist.
• Born into a well-to-do wine
merchant of London
• served his country as soldier,
courtier, diplomat, civil
administrator, translator of books
into the English language
• Also a diligent scholar: collected
about 60 volumes before the days
of printing
• The first writer to be buried in
the Poet’s Corner of
Westminster Abbey.
His most famous work: The
Canterbury Tales

* A series of separate stories told

by pilgrims en route to the shrine
of St. Thomas a Becket
* The most original and the most
realistic narrative of the whole
middle English period.
• The original plan for the work: 120
stories but Chaucer completed
only 24.
• The stories are told by persons of
all ranks and conditions
• 30 pilgrims from all layers of society
gathered one April evening at the
Tabard Inn outside London on their
way to the Cathedral of Saint Thomas a
Becket.
• After supper, the inn- keeper proposes
a plan to reduce the tedium of the long
journey; each pilgrim would tell 2
stories to the way to Canterbury and 2
more the way back.
* The best story-teller would be
offered a free supper at the Tabard
Inn. The owner of the inn would be
the judge.
• Characters: representatives of the
middle classes of the time
• Very different types of tales with
their personalities showing through
their choices of tales and the way
they tell them
• Thomas a Becket’s murder at
Canterbury Cathedral (1170)  a
place of pilgrimage for Christians
worldwide provided the theme of
The Canterbury Tales
SOME STORIES in THE CANTERBURY TALES
1. The Knight's Tale: This story is a romantic epic
about two knights, Palamon and Arcite, who fall in
love with the same woman, Emily. Their rivalry
leads to a series of conflicts, tournaments, and
divine interventions.
2. The Miller's Tale: A comedic story of trickery and
infidelity involving a carpenter, his young wife,
and a lustful student. The tale is filled with
slapstick humor, mistaken identities, and bawdy
jokes.
SOME STORIES in THE CANTERBURY TALES
3. The Wife of Bath's Tale: The Wife of Bath, a strong-willed
and experienced woman, tells a story about a knight who must
answer a question to save his life. The tale explores themes of
gender, power, and marriage, with a focus on female
sovereignty.
4. The Pardoner's Tale: A moral allegory about greed and
betrayal, where three riotous young men set out to find and
kill Death. Along the way, they encounter an old man who
directs them to a pile of gold, leading to their tragic downfall.
5. The Nun's Priest's Tale: A lively fable featuring animals as
characters, particularly Chanticleer the rooster and the cunning
fox. The tale teaches lessons about pride, flattery, and the
unpredictability of fate.