The Canterbury Tales is a collection of 24 stories that runs to over 17,000 lines written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer between 1387 and 1400. The tales (mostly written in verse, although some are in prose) are presented as part of a story-telling contest by a group of pilgrims as they travel together from London to Canterbury to visit the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral. The prize for this contest is a free meal at the Tabard Inn at Southwark on their return.
The pilgrimage is embarked on by worshipers of the Church of England in the late fourteenth century. Geoffrey Chaucer's work is a collection of twenty-four stories, representing thirty-one pilgrims. An important narrative technique that sets the stage for the tale is the framing story that makes up the prologue. In this section, the pilgrims gather at the Tabard Inn before embarking on their journey.
An interesting element of the overall story lies in Chaucer's identification as both the narrator and a pilgrim. He employs a satirical narrative voice, using humor to voice the flaws of individual characters. Each pilgrim represents a stock character, or stereotype, used to criticize different figures in society.
Chaucer is especially critical of the church. For instance, the Pardoner portrayed is hypocritical. He roams England as a traveling preacher, delivering sermons on greed as a societal vice, after which he asks for donations. Similarly, the Monk is the exact opposite of what one would generally expect for his role. For instance, according to the rules of the church, monks should not hunt or leave the monastery; instead, they should spend their time praying, doing manual labor, and studying religious texts. The Monk in Chaucer's story loves to hunt mares and ride horses, illustrating a similar hypocrisy.
USE OF LANGUAGE
Chaucer's works make up a significant part of secular literature in Middle English, the type of English used from about the mid twelfth century to the late fifteenth century. His decision to write in the vernacular language that ordinary folk could understand was significant. In the late fourteenth century, when The Canterbury Tales was written, Middle English was still coming into its own as a literary medium.
Chaucer wrote it at a time when English, French, and Latin all mingled in everyday contexts, and the language of his poem reflects the diverse modes of speech present in England's society. The choices Chaucer made about language influenced later authors, and have helped scholars and laypeople learn about how people in Chaucer's England spoke, read, and even thought.
The pilgrimage is embarked on by worshipers of the Church of England in the late fourteenth century. Geoffrey Chaucer's work is a collection of twenty-four stories, representing thirty-one pilgrims. An important narrative technique that sets the stage for the tale is the framing story that makes up the prologue. In this section, the pilgrims gather at the Tabard Inn before embarking on their journey.
An interesting element of the overall story lies in Chaucer's identification as both the narrator and a pilgrim. He employs a satirical narrative voice, using humor to voice the flaws of individual characters. Each pilgrim represents a stock character, or stereotype, used to criticize different figures in society.
Chaucer is especially critical of the church. For instance, the Pardoner portrayed is hypocritical. He roams England as a traveling preacher, delivering sermons on greed as a societal vice, after which he asks for donations. Similarly, the Monk is the exact opposite of what one would generally expect for his role. For instance, according to the rules of the church, monks should not hunt or leave the monastery; instead, they should spend their time praying, doing manual labor, and studying religious texts. The Monk in Chaucer's story loves to hunt mares and ride horses, illustrating a similar hypocrisy.
USE OF LANGUAGE
Chaucer's works make up a significant part of secular literature in Middle English, the type of English used from about the mid twelfth century to the late fifteenth century. His decision to write in the vernacular language that ordinary folk could understand was significant. In the late fourteenth century, when The Canterbury Tales was written, Middle English was still coming into its own as a literary medium.
Chaucer wrote it at a time when English, French, and Latin all mingled in everyday contexts, and the language of his poem reflects the diverse modes of speech present in England's society. The choices Chaucer made about language influenced later authors, and have helped scholars and laypeople learn about how people in Chaucer's England spoke, read, and even thought.
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