The Canterbury Tales

Chaucer, Geoffrey (c.1343–1400), modernised by Kline, A. S. (contact-email)

The Canterbury Tales, composed by Geoffrey Chaucer in Middle English, comprises narratives exchanged among pilgrims en route from London to Canterbury. Drawing inspiration from Boccaccio’s Decameron, the collection serves as a societal microcosm, reflecting both secular and religious facets of Chaucer’s era. The pilgrimage itself is secondary to the stories, which are Chaucer’s primary focus. Catering to an educated, courtly readership, the tales are rich in character and humour. While they display limited engagement with religious themes, they emphasise the diversity of human experiences. Chaucer’s work had a lasting impact on English literature, laying a foundation for later authors through its social inclusivity, attention to everyday life, and incorporation of European cultural elements.

Author Details

Geoffrey Chaucer was born c1343 in London to a prosperous family of wine-merchants. Through his father’s connections, he began his official duties as page to the Countess of Ulster, the wife of Lionel, second son to the king, Edward III. Chaucer subsequently served as courtier, diplomat and civil servant while also establishing his poetic reputation.

He appears to have travelled widely in Europe during his varied court career. He married Philippa de Roet, lady-in-waiting to the queen, and sister to Katherine Swynford, John of Gaunt’s third wife, and flourished under John of Gaunt’s patronage. His most prolific period of writing was during his time as comptroller of customs for the port of London, between 1374 and 1386, both “Troilus and Criseyde”, his finely constructed poem based on classical and Renaissance sources, and the early “Canterbury Tales”, his celebration of the English social landscape, dating from that time.

Chaucer is thought to have died in October 1400, not long after the overthrow of his royal patron Richard II and the accession of Henry IV, and he was buried in Westminster Abbey, in what has become known as Poet’s Corner, that being his right as a tenant of the Abbey Close. His son Thomas had a significant career at the court of successive kings, and as Speaker of the House of Commons.

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Kline, A. S.

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