Transcript Beoffrey Chaucer and his work:

Geoffrey
Chaucer
and his
work:
The Canterbury
Tales
The Life of Geoffrey Chaucer
The father of
English Poetry
The First Great
Writer in English
1340
Born in London
1356
Became a page in the household of
one of the King’s daughters-in-law
1359
Served as a soldier in the war in
France (taken prisoner but released)
Worked in the King’s household
During the
1360’s
Married Philippa,a lady-in-waiting
to the Queen
Connected to the powerful family of
the Dule of Lancaster
1372
Visited Italia,came into contact with
the works of Dante Boccaccio and
Petrarch, realised the importance of
creating literature in the vernacular
In the
Occupied various important
1370’s and positions in the court
80’s
About in
Began the Canterbury Tales
the 80’s
Oct.25,
1400
Died and buried in Westminster
Abbey (as Poet’s Corner)
What was Chaucer like?
(described himself as ) a
fat man with a
modest,simple
personality
Deeply interested in
religion
But also enjoyed earthy
humour
Chaucer’s World and
Time
Three Kings:
Edward Ⅲ
Richard Ⅱ
Henry Ⅳ
Dangerous
Time
1. a long ,continuing war
against France
2. disagreements between
the English King and the
Pope
3. The “Black Death” or
Plague (infection)
“God is deaf”
Religion continued to be a powerful
force
That the Plague was God’s
punishedment for human beings
People
believed
Results
Believed in Hell and were afraid
that if they didn’t follow religion,
they would burn in everlasting fires
Pilgrimages were popular
The most famous
pilgrimage in England
to Canterbury
Why?
Some
people
Thomas Becket, who had been
murdered in Canterbury
Cathedral,could help the sick and
answer prayers
1.Became pilgrims for
authentic religious reasons
2.Treated it as a holiday
Summary
When
The middle of the
fourteenth century
Where
London---Canterbury
who
A group of pilgrims
what
why
how
tell stories
Spend time
Each traveller
should tell a story
The Difference between
Medieval and Modern Literature
Whan that Aprille with his shoures sote
The droghte os March hath perced to the
rote…
Than longen folk to go on pilgrimages
When……….. With its sweet showers
replaces the dry period of……. Then
people desire to go on……….
Written sometime in the 1380s, The Canterbury
Tales -- the first selection of short stories in
English -- is about a group of pilgrims who agree
to tell stories while they travel together to
Canterbury, the seat of the English Church (still
Catholic) and the site of the shrine dedicated to
Thomas a Beckett, who was martyred for his faith.
The language of Chaucer -- Middle English -- is
closer to Old English, the language of the AngloSaxons, and Norman French, the language of
William the Conqueror (invasion, 1066).
The idea of a frame story (story within a story)
comes from a long tradition: The Arabian Nights
and The Decameron. Chaucer read The Decameron
when he visited Italy.
Originally, he proposed 124 stories; he actually
wrote 24.