Highlights of English Literature
Geoffrey Chaucer (1340-1400)
Early life French influence
Family was associated with the Royal Court. (Wine merchants)
Served as a soldier in France.
Became familiar with French literature and conventions.
Middle life Italian influence
Chaucer became an ambassador.
Diplomatic missions took him to Italy.
Became familiar with Italian Literature (Dante, Boccaccio, Petrarch)
Last years English influence
THE CANTERBURY TALES.
Not printed until 1485.
The Canterbury Tales
Frame story (=raamvertelling).
Romance, exemplum, tragedy, beast fable, fabliau …
Chaucer never finished this work: he only wrote 24 tales. The company never reaches Canterbury.
All classes of medieval society are represented:
Upper class (knights) Lower class (parson, miller)
Religious people (friar, prioress)
Middle class (clerk, lawyer)
A group of 30 pilgrims are traveling from London to Canterbury to visit Thomas Becket’s shrine in the
Canterbury Cathedral. Each pilgrim has to tell two stories on the way to Canterbury, and two stories
on the way back. The one pilgrim who will have told the best story will be treated to a free supper in
the Tabard Inn.
The Miller’s Tale
Fabliau (bourgeois characters in satirical plots, usually concerning sex and/or money.
Written in rhyming couplets.
"The Miller's Tale" is the story of a carpenter, his lovely wife, and the two clerks (students) who are
eager to get her into bed. The carpenter, John, lives in Oxford with his much younger wife, Alisoun,
who is something of a local beauty. To make a bit of extra money, John rents out a room in his house
to a clever scholar named Nicholas, who has taken a liking to Alisoun. Another scholar in the town,
Absolon the parish clerk, also has his eye on Alisoun.
The action begins when John makes a day trip to a nearby town. While he is gone, Nicholas
convinces Alisoun to have sex with him, and hence begins their affair. Shortly afterward, Alisoun
goes to church, where Absolon sees her and immediately falls in love.
Geoffrey Chaucer (1340-1400)
Early life French influence
Family was associated with the Royal Court. (Wine merchants)
Served as a soldier in France.
Became familiar with French literature and conventions.
Middle life Italian influence
Chaucer became an ambassador.
Diplomatic missions took him to Italy.
Became familiar with Italian Literature (Dante, Boccaccio, Petrarch)
Last years English influence
THE CANTERBURY TALES.
Not printed until 1485.
The Canterbury Tales
Frame story (=raamvertelling).
Romance, exemplum, tragedy, beast fable, fabliau …
Chaucer never finished this work: he only wrote 24 tales. The company never reaches Canterbury.
All classes of medieval society are represented:
Upper class (knights) Lower class (parson, miller)
Religious people (friar, prioress)
Middle class (clerk, lawyer)
A group of 30 pilgrims are traveling from London to Canterbury to visit Thomas Becket’s shrine in the
Canterbury Cathedral. Each pilgrim has to tell two stories on the way to Canterbury, and two stories
on the way back. The one pilgrim who will have told the best story will be treated to a free supper in
the Tabard Inn.
The Miller’s Tale
Fabliau (bourgeois characters in satirical plots, usually concerning sex and/or money.
Written in rhyming couplets.
"The Miller's Tale" is the story of a carpenter, his lovely wife, and the two clerks (students) who are
eager to get her into bed. The carpenter, John, lives in Oxford with his much younger wife, Alisoun,
who is something of a local beauty. To make a bit of extra money, John rents out a room in his house
to a clever scholar named Nicholas, who has taken a liking to Alisoun. Another scholar in the town,
Absolon the parish clerk, also has his eye on Alisoun.
The action begins when John makes a day trip to a nearby town. While he is gone, Nicholas
convinces Alisoun to have sex with him, and hence begins their affair. Shortly afterward, Alisoun
goes to church, where Absolon sees her and immediately falls in love.
