Chaucer and the Canterbury Tales

The Life of Geoffrey Chaucer

Geoffrey Chaucer was born around 1340 in London, England.
Chaucer became a public servant for Countess Elizabeth of Ulster, wife of the Duke of Clarence. This connection to the royals was important as 2 years later, he would be captured while fighting in the 100 years war. Thanks to his connections, King Edward the Third helped pay his ransom and ensured his safety.
Following his release, Chaucer became involved in the English court, joining the Royal Service and traveling Europe completing diplomatic tasks. He would later marry Philippa Roet, which also helped further his career in the English court.
By 1368, Chaucer had become one of King Edward’s esquires, and starting in 1370, he spent 3 years abroad fulfilling diplomatic missions in Florence and Genoa, which happened to familiarize him with the works of Italian poets Dante and Petrarch.
He eventually retired from the English Court and focused more and more on his true passion, poetry, leading him to write some of the most famous and influential works to this day.

The Canterbury Tales is a poem comprised of a prologue and 24 tales. It tells the story of a group of pilgrims who are all on their way to Canterbury to visit the holy shrine of St. Thomas. They all meet at Tabard Inn, and they end up having a storytelling competition. Each person in the group tells a tale, and the winner gets treated to a banquet. The 24 tales of The Canterbury Tales are each told through the perspective of one of the members of the host, and follow their journey by recording the members’reaction to the stories.