Geoffrey Chaucer is the first great writer in the English language whose name we know. He died in the year 1400 A.D. (so that we could more easily remember)

Geoffrey Chaucer

Canterbury Tales Pilgrims traveling in England in the late 1300s take turns telling stories. The outer “frame tale” describes the pilgrims before they tell their stories, and they frequently talk and argue in between the tales they tell.

The pilgrims are traveling to Canterbury, the center of the Church (Catholic Church then, Anglican Church now) Like all of Nature, people want to get up and do things in the spring

The famous beginning of Canterbury Tales describes the energies of spring all through Nature, including human beings: “Whan that aprill with his shoures soote The droghte of march hath perced to the roote, And bathed every veyne in swich licour Of which vertu engendred is the flour… Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages.”

Chaucer is most famous for his descriptions of a wide variety of characters

Each of the pilgrims is described in affectionate detail. All together, Chaucer’s descriptions give us a sweeping portrait of the range of humanity in England in the Middle Ages.

William Blake’s famous painting from the 1800s captures the energy and variety of the pilgrims.

The first character, traveling with his squire and yeoman, is a knight who represents the nobility: “He was a very parfit, gentle knight.”

The leader of the religious group is a Prioress, who speaks French well and has perfect table manners.

She wears a brooch in the shape of the letter “A,” which stands for Amor vincit omnia.

The favorite of English teachers is the “clerk,” or student, who spends all his little bit of money on books instead of food. “And gladly wolde he lerne and gladly teche.”

The most vigorous character is the larger-than-life Wife of Bath

The Wife of Bath energetically refutes religious men’s attempts to control and condemn her. She thoroughly enjoys her life, including five husbands. She has no regrets about enjoying life to the full: “But, lord crist! whan that it remembreth me Upon my yowthe, and on my jolitee, It tikleth me aboute myn herte roote.”

The crudest character is the Miller

The millere was a stout carl for the nones; Ful byg he was of brawn, and eek of bones. That proved wel, for over al ther he cam, At wrastlynge he wolde have alwey the ram. He was short-sholdred, brood, a thikke knarre; Ther was no dore that he nolde heve of harre, Or breke it at a rennyng with his heed. His berd as any sowe or fox was reed, And therto brood, as though it were a spade. Upon the top right of his nose he hade A werte, and theron stood a toft of herys, Reed as the brustles of a sowes erys; His nosethirles blake were and wyde. A swerd and bokeler bar he by his syde. His mouth as greet was as a greet forneys. He was a janglere and a goliardeys, And that was moost of synne and harlotries. Wel koude he stelen corn and tollen thries; And yet he hadde a thombe of gold, pardee. A whit cote and a blew hood wered he. A baggepipe wel koude he blowe and sowne, And therwithal he broghte us out of towne.

Probably his bagpipe sounded like “Salterello” at

The Miller’s loud, crude, low-class personality is a good set-up for his lewd, obscene, raucous tale, in which adultery, deceit, and gullibility lead to disgusting and painful kisses.