Geoffrey Chaucer has been acclaimed as the “Father of English Literature”. His writings (usually the Canterbury Tales) are on required reading lists in literature classes in schools and universities around the world. For any one who still hadn’t heard of him, Chaucer has made appearances in pop culture. For example, Paul Bettany plays Chaucer in the movie Knight’s Tale (starring Heath Ledger).
Chaucer was born in 1342 to upper middle class parents. He received an early education, including studying both Latin and Greek, and then became a page in the household of the countess of Ulster. From humble page, he rose in his appointments, including service in the army and a royal appointment as a knight for the shire of Kent. Chaucer worked as a government official in London, and travelled often on the diplomatic errands that his job entailed. His career influenced his writing in several important ways. It brought him into contact with a wide variety of people, enabling him to depict a wide range of characters in his works. The frequent travel also resulted in many unique experiences and first-hand observations that resurfaced in the pilgrimages described in the Canterbury Tales.
In 1365, Chaucer married Philippa Roet, who served in the Queen’s household. They had several children together. She died in 1387, and shortly afterwards Chaucer began writing the Canterbury Tales. Most of his writing occurred between his wife’s death and his own, in October 1400. He is buried in Westminster Abbey, in London. He was the first author to be buried in what is now known as Poet’s Corner.
As an author, Chaucer was shaped not only by his personal experiences, but also his education. He was greatly influenced by the Latin classics, French courtly poetry, and the trecento Italians (particularly Boccaccio).
By far the most important and influential of Chaucer’s works is the Canterbury Tales. It describes a group of thirty pilgrims travelling to Canterbury, England, to visit the shrine of the martyred Thomas Becket. To entertain themselves during their journey, each of the travellers is to tell two stories on the trip there, and two on the return trip home. (This was an enormous project, and despite the importance of the work, Chaucer never completed it.) It utilizes the frame story (the journey of the pilgrims) to relate several short stories.
The pilgrims vary in every possible respect, including class, wealth, and education. Their stories are as diverse as they are, and include tales of parody, satire, love, and religion. Different literary genres are used to suit the different characters and short stories, and include the fabliau (a medieval sort of extended dirty joke), beast fable, and courtly love. The three main social classes of the middle ages-the clergy, the nobility, and the common people-are all represented.
Chaucer’s other works include: The Book of the Duchess, The House of Fame, Troilus and Criseyde, Parliament of Fowls, and The Legend of the Good Women.
If you are interested in learning more about Chaucer, I recommend this book:
Howard, Donald R. Chaucer: His Life, His Works, His World. New York: Dutton, 1987.
