GEOFFREY CHAUCER. HIS LIFE AND WORK. ‘THE CANTERBURY TALES’ Lecture 4 Трякина Светлана Анатольевна, учитель английского языка ГОУ СОШ №1232 г. Москва

Geoffrey Chaucer is often called “the father of English literature”. He was born in London about 1340 into the family of a successful wine importer. His father had connections with the royal court and he was able to place his son as a page in the household of one of King Edward III’s gentlemen.

As Geoffrey grew in his household, he learnt Latin, French and Italian. His knowledge of these languages fitted him for civil service and diplomatic positions, and also prepared him to translate literary works in all these three languages.

Chaucer’s position as a page gave him the opportunity of getting into contact with the royal family and their distinguished guests. He soon became a court favourite, and got acquainted with contemporary authors.

During the reigns of Edward III, Richard II and Henry IV he served his country as a soldier, courtier, diplomat, civil administrator and translator of books into English. He also helped to create the English language.

During the Hundred Years’ War Geoffrey Chaucer went with the English army to France and participated in the siege of Reims.

He was taken prisoner, but his friends helped to ransom him. Later Chaucer made several trips to France and to Italy on governmental missions. He was inspired by French poets, in his earliest poems he imitated French romances. He translated from French “The Romance of the Rose” written by de Lorris.

The second period of Chaucer’s creative activity was marked by Italian literary and cultural influence, mainly by three great Italian poets: Dante, Petrarch and Boccaccio.

It It became evident in the works that Chaucer wrote after his last visit to Italy in 1378: “The House of Fame”, ” The Parliament of Fowls”, “Troilus and Criseyde”

When Chaucer came back to England after his journeys abroad, he was appointed Controller of Customs for the Port of London.

Later he was a representative of Kent in Parliament.

However, these duties were tiresome to the poet, he longed for leisure to write. Finally he retired and devoted his time to his literary work. In 1387 he started writing his masterpiece, “The Canterbury Tales”. The work was not finished because of the poet’s death in 1400.

Geoffrey Chaucer was buried in the Poet’s Corner of Westminster Abbey.

“The Canterbury Tales” is the first collection of short stories in English literature. The story-tellers are pilgrims who travel together from London to Canterbury to the shrine of Archbishop Thomas Becket who was murdered by the order of Henry II.

In those days it was the custom throughout Europe to travel to religious shrines. People hoped to be cured or to gain remission of their sins or just travelled for pleasure. The pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral was the most popular travel in England. Spring was the best season for that purpose.

In “the Canterbury Tales” thirty men and women from different ranks of society are on their way to Canterbury, they travel side by side, share food and shelter, hardships and enjoyment.

As the pilgrimage takes several days, the inn-keeper suggests that each of them should tell his/her story, and the one whose tale is the best, will earn a festive supper at his inn.

Chaucer’s characters represent English medieval society and include three important groups of people: - feudal (related to the land): the Knight, the Squire, the Yeoman

-ecclesiastical ( belonging to the church) : the Parson, the Monk, the Prioress

- urban ( people who live in town): the Cook, the Shipman, the Clothmaker, the Inn- keeper

“The Canterbury Tales “represent all types of stories that existed in the Middle Ages: a romance ( told by the Knight, the Wife of Bath); a fable ( told by the Nun’s priest); a fabliau( told by the Miller and the Sumner) a story of a saint ( told by the second Nun).

Chaucer managed to show all ranks of society, all types of people, and through these people he gives us a true picture of life of the 14th century.

Источники: 1. Волосова Т.Д., Геккер “English Literature” , Ч.1,М., «Просвещение», 1977г. 2. Кукурян И.Л. “An Outline of English Literature” M., изд-во МГУ, 1997. Иллюстрации: http;//www. ablongman. com http://www.maisonstclaire.org/timeline/ 1356 html http;//www.intergate.con/ canu http;//www. goldenls.com/wawa php q=petrarch-painting http;//www.myartprints.com/a/ http://www/artchive.com/web gallery http://www.bellona.org./articles/.htm http:www.primrosecottageholiday.co.uk/page102. htm/ http:// www.schwarzaufweiss.de/england/canterbury.htm http://www.search.com/reference/chaperon