G EOFFREY C HAUCER AND T HE C ANTERBURY T ALES

G EOFFREY C HAUCER ( ) Born to a middle class family His father was a wine merchant who believed his child should have a formal education He became the page in a royal house, then a soldier, and eventually a diplomat and royal clerk Fluent in English, Italian, Latin, and French Worked as a government official under three different kings = high social status Was captured as a POW during the Hundred Years War  King paid his ransom Died of unknown causes – murder suspected Chaucer was one of the first writers to be buried in the Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey.

W RITING S TYLE Often called the father of English poetry Most scholars still wrote in Latin, poetry was generally written in French Felt English lacked sophistication and had a limited vocabulary Only local stories and ballads were written in English Chaucer wrote in the vernacular or language of the commoners (Middle English) Allegory: A story in which the character, settings, and events stand for abstract or moral concepts. Satire: witty language used to convey insult Heroic Couplets – Iambic Pentameter

T HE C ANTERBURY T ALES Although the work was never completed, The Canterbury Tales is considered one of the greatest works in the English language The narrator meets 29 pilgrims at an inn and travels with them to the shrine of St. Thomas Becket in Canterbury. They decide to have a contest: whoever can tell the best tale wins a dinner at the inn when they get back, courtesy of the other travelers. Begun: 1386 Planned: 120 tales (Each pilgrim was to tell 4 tales – 2 on the way to Canterbury and 2 on the way back) Completed: 22 tales and 2 fragments Canterbury Tales can be considered “estates satire” Three “Estates” in European feudal society -Peasants -Clergy -Nobles By Chaucer’s time we also see the rise of the Mercantile class in the cities

P ILGRIMAGES Why make a pilgrimage? 1. miracles performed at shrines of saints (to seek physical healing) 2. intercessory powers surround graves and relics (to pray for someone else) 3. penance – difficulty of trip atones for sins (to seek spiritual healing) 4. improve chances of salvation 5. to travel/see the world 6. gratitude for good fortune Pilgrims travelled in large groups for safety – the roads were dangerous

S T. T HOMAS A B ECKET Saint Thomas a Becket was the archbishop of Canterbury Martyred in 1170 : King Henry II became angry that Becket had excommunicated several bishops for supporting Henry’s position that the state should try clergy accused of committing crimes 4 of the king’s knights murdered Becket on the altar of Canterbury Cathedral Beckett was canonized shortly after The church believed that Beckett’s body and blood were sacred and had the power to heal, thus, pilgrims began to visit Becket’s shrine in hopes of receiving healing But... this pilgrimage had become too secular, basically the Carnival Cruise of the 14 th century: -improved roads and inns made it pleasurable -drunkenness -opportunity for clergy to prey on those with money enough to travel

M IDDLE E NGLISH Let’s listen to the beginning of the Prologue in Middle English: U U

T HE P ROLOGUE Spend the rest of the class block reading the prologue aloud in small groups and completing the analysis chart (10 Points) of each of the Pilgrim’s mentioned in the prologue…

HW Finish Prologue and accompanying chart ( ) and Read the “Pardoner’s Tale” ( and answer questions 1-8 on pg. 137) Due Friday, 10/17 - Wuthering Heights + Lit Circles This has been changed!!! *****Chapters 17-24: Tuesday, 10/21 and Monday, 10/20 - Wuthering Heights + Lit Circles This has been changed!!! *****Chapters 35-END: Monday, 10/27 and Tuesday, 10/28