What is the story behind the Canterbury Tales?
The Canterbury Tales, frame story by Geoffrey Chaucer, written in Middle English in 1387–1400. The framing device for the collection of stories is a pilgrimage to the shrine of Thomas Becket in Canterbury, Kent. The 30 pilgrims who undertake the journey gather at the Tabard Inn in Southwark, across the Thames from London.
What is the Order of the Canterbury Tales?
Order of The Canterbury Tales. The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories, mostly in verse, written by Geoffrey Chaucer chiefly from 1387 to 1400. They are held together in a frame story of a pilgrimage on which each member of the group is to tell two tales on the way to Canterbury, and two on the way back.
What time period was the Canterbury Tales set in?
What time period is Canterbury Tales set in? A tavern and on a pilgrimage from London to Canterbury, England in the late 14th century. Chaucer likely wrote The Canterbury Tales in the late 1380s and early 1390s, after his retirement from life as a civil servant, and this is when he sets the action. This was a time of great social upheaval in England.
When was the Canterbury Tales published by William Caxton?
The first version of The Canterbury Tales to be published in print was William Caxton 's 1476 edition. Only 10 copies of this edition are known to exist, including one held by the British Library and one held by the Folger Shakespeare Library .
Who is the publisher of The Canterbury Tales?
Simon & SchusterCanterbury Tales | Book by Geoffrey Chaucer | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster.
When was Canterbury Tales published?
1392The Canterbury Tales / Date written
How were The Canterbury Tales published?
In 1476, William Caxton introduced the printing press to England, revolutionising forever the way that books were created. Among his earliest books are two magnificent editions of the 14th-century classic, the Canterbury Tales: the first published in 1476 and the second, illustrated with woodblock prints, in 1483.
Who has written The Canterbury Tales?
Geoffrey ChaucerThe Canterbury Tales / AuthorGeoffrey Chaucer was an English poet, author, and civil servant best known for The Canterbury Tales. He has been called the "father of English literature", or, alternatively, the "father of English poetry". He was the first writer to be buried in what has since come to be called Poets' Corner, in Westminster Abbey. Wikipedia
Who was the first to print The Canterbury Tales?
William Caxton'sWilliam Caxton's first printing of The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer is the first major book printed in England.
What is the most famous Canterbury tale?
The Wife of Bath is the best-known character from The Canterbury Tales and her prologue is better known and most often cited than her tale. She has traveled all over the world, has had five husbands, and recognizes that God has given everyone something they are best at and, for her, it is sex.
What is the main theme of Canterbury Tales?
Social satire is the major theme of The Canterbury Tales. The medieval society was set on three foundations: the nobility, the church, and the peasantry. Chaucer's satire targets all segments of the medieval social issues, human immorality, and depraved heart.
Where are the original Canterbury Tales?
First printed edition of The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey ChaucerFull title:Begin. [fol. 2 recto:] wHan that Apprill with his shouris sote And the droughte of marche hath p[er]cid ye rote, etc.LocationsWestminsterCreated:1476–77Format:Printed bookLanguage:Middle English4 more rows
Why did Chaucer write The Canterbury Tales?
The tales could be described both as social realism and as estates satire. At the same time that Chaucer takes care to honestly show the perspective of each of his characters, he also aims to critique the hypocrisy of the church and the social problems posed by Medieval politics and social custom.
Who is known as the father of English poetry?
>Geoffrey Chaucer. >'The Father of English Poetry'
How many Canterbury Tales are there?
Most of the pilgrims are introduced by vivid brief sketches in the “General Prologue.” Interspersed between the 24 tales are short dramatic scenes (called links) presenting lively exchanges, usually involving the host and one or more of the pilgrims.
What kind of literature is Canterbury Tales?
frame narrativeGeoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales is a frame narrative, a tale in which a larger story contains, or frames, many other stories. In frame narratives, the frame story functions primarily to create a reason for someone to tell the other stories; the frame story doesn't usually have much plot of its own.
Who are the 31 pilgrims in Canterbury Tales?
The PilgrimsThe Narrator. The narrator makes it quite clear that he is also a character in his book. ... The Knight. The first pilgrim Chaucer describes in the General Prologue, and the teller of the first tale. ... The Wife of Bath. ... The Pardoner. ... The Miller. ... The Prioress. ... The Monk. ... The Friar.More items...
Why did Chaucer write The Canterbury Tales?
The tales could be described both as social realism and as estates satire. At the same time that Chaucer takes care to honestly show the perspective of each of his characters, he also aims to critique the hypocrisy of the church and the social problems posed by Medieval politics and social custom.
What is the message of The Canterbury Tales?
Some of the lessons are love conquers all, lust only gets you in trouble, religion and morality is virtuous, and honor and honesty is valued. Although there are some contradictory stories, Chaucer kept to this set of morals through most of his tales.
Which is the longest tale in Canterbury Tales?
The Tale of Melibee is the longest of The Canterbury Tales, and the most dense.
What are the Canterbury Tales?
The Canterbury Tales consists of the General Prologue, The Knight’s Tale , The Miller’s Tale , The Reeve’s Tale , The Cook’s Tale , The Man of Law’s Tale , The Wife of Bath’s Tale , The Friar’s Tale , The Summoner’s Tale , The Clerk’s Tale , The Merchant’s Tale , The Squire’s Tale , The Franklin’s Tale , The Second Nun’s Tale , The Canon’s Yeoman’s Tale , The Physician’s Tale , The Pardoner’s Tale , The Shipman’s Tale , The Prioress’s Tale , The Tale of Sir Thopas , The Tale of Melibeus (in prose), The Monk’s Tale, The Nun’s Priest’s Tale, The Manciple’s Tale, and The Parson’s Tale (in prose), and ends with “Chaucer’s Retraction.” Not all the tales are complete; several contain their own prologues or epilogues.
How many syllables are in Canterbury Tales?
Probably influenced by French syllable-counting in versification, Chaucer developed for The Canterbury Tales a line of 10 syllables with alternating accent and regular end rhyme—an ancestor of the heroic couplet.
How long did Chaucer serve as a clerk?
Chaucer’s service as clerk of the king’s works lasted only from July 1389 to June 1391. During that tenure he was robbed several times and once beaten, sufficient reason for seeking a change of jobs. In June 1391 he was…
What was Chaucer's use of pilgrimage?
The use of a pilgrimage as the framing device enabled Chaucer to bring together people from many walks of life: knight, prioress, monk; merchant, man of law, franklin, scholarly clerk; miller, reeve, pardoner; wife of Bath and many others.
What was the pilgrimage in medieval times?
The pilgrimage, which in medieval practice combined a fundamentally religious purpose with the secular benefit of a spring vacation, made possible extended consideration of the relationship between the pleasures and vices of this world and the spiritual aspirations for the next. Geoffrey Chaucer: The Canterbury Tales.
Where did the pilgrims gather?
The 30 pilgrims who undertake the journey gather at the Tabard Inn in Southwark , across the Thames from London. They agree to engage in a storytelling contest as they travel, and Harry Bailly, host of the Tabard, serves as master of ceremonies for the contest.
What genres were presented in the storytelling contest?
The multiplicity of social types, as well as the device of the storytelling contest itself, allowed presentation of a highly varied collection of literary genres: religious legend, courtly romance, racy fabliau, saint’s life, allegorical tale, beast fable, medieval sermon, alchemical account, and, at times, mixtures of these genres.
What is the difference between the Canterbury Tales and the Decameron?
There are key differences between the two works, however. The Decameron describes a group of young aristocrats who are journeying through the countryside, avoiding plague-stricken Florence.
What is the Canterbury Tales?
The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories held together by a framing device (the story of the pilgrimage). In this way, two narratives are operating at the same time within the work. In the links between the tales, the pilgrims bicker and chatter in a way that brings the characters to life. When the pilgrims begin to tell their stories, ...
What is the decameron?
The Decameron describes a group of young aristocrats who are journeying through the countryside, avoiding plague-stricken Florence. They tell each other tales in an orderly fashion, and the work lacks the boisterousness and social diversity of Chaucer’s Tales.
How many manuscripts are there in Canterbury Tales?
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.
Is the Canterbury Tales unfinished?
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.
Is the Monk's Tale in rhyme royal?
There is often a shift in form: ‘The Monk’s Tale’ is written in rhyme royal ( a seven-line form), ‘The Friar’s Tale’ is in rhyming couplets and ‘The Parson’s Tale’ is in prose. This formal variation is matched by contrasts in genre and tone: racy fabliaux sit cheek by jowl with sombre descriptions of Christian martyrdom.
Why did Chaucer create honorable characters?
Since then, others have suggested that Chaucer only created honorable characters to ridicule the ideals of medieval society. They claim that The Canterbury Tales challenges the norms and doctrines of medieval society. Still others have suggested that the work is more complex and less moralistic. These scholars believe that it portrays sophisticated characters with varied motives and personalities and that Chaucer doesn't clearly identify with any character's point of view.
How long have the Canterbury Tales been in print?
It's remained in print for over 600 years, so scholars have proposed many helpful, and sometimes very different, literary criticisms that analyze it in a way that will help us understand it. Let's take a look.
What is the most famous book of the 1300s?
In the late 1300s, he produced one of the most famous works of English literature, The Canterbury Tales. This collection of stories, mostly written in verse, tells the stories of 24 pilgrims traveling to Canterbury, England, where a famous saint is buried.
What language did Chaucer use?
Early on, poets in his own time focused on Chaucer's skill and praised his mastery of the language and his stylistic innovations, including using vernacular English, meaning the language used by common people in a conversation. From about 1500 to 1700 the work was seen as an allegory in which characters and their actions represent larger ideas, and scholars interpreted how particular virtues and vices were illustrated.
Why are there fewer stories than pilgrims?
Chaucer died before finishing it , which is why there are fewer stories than pilgrims. It then tells the stories of these pilgrims, some of them commoners, some noble, and some clerical. The printing press had not yet been invented, so the stories circulated in handwritten fragments until it could be published.
What does it mean to enroll in a course?
Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams.
What degree does Damon have?
Damon has taught college English and has an MA in literature.
