The Ultimate Guide to The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century, is a collection of stories told by a diverse group of pilgrims on their way to visit the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral. The tales are a classic example of storytelling, employing various forms such as courtly romance, fabliau, saint’s life, beast fable, and more. This pillar blog post is designed to give you an in-depth understanding of The Canterbury Tales, its background, the characters, and themes.

The Canterbury Tales: Background

The Canterbury Tales was written during the English Middle Ages by Geoffrey Chaucer, who is considered to be the father of English literature. Born in London around 1343, Chaucer was a well-educated and well-traveled individual who held various roles in society, ranging from a knight’s page to a civil servant. Chaucer’s broad experiences and interactions with different people enabled him to create a remarkable array of voices and character types in The Canterbury Tales.

Chaucer commenced writing The Canterbury Tales in the 1380s, and although it remained unfinished at the time of his death in 1400, it is still considered one of the greatest works of English literature. The Canterbury Tales is written in Middle English, which is quite different from the English we use today, but it is still readable with some effort or by using modern translations, like those of Nevill Coghill or David Wright.

The Frame Story of The Canterbury Tales

The Canterbury Tales employs a “frame story” where a group of 29 pilgrims (including the narrator, who is often identified as Chaucer himself) gather at the Tabard Inn in Southwark, a suburb of London. They decide to travel together to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket in Canterbury, and to pass the time, they engage in a storytelling competition. The Host of the inn proposes that each pilgrim tells two stories on the way to Canterbury and two stories on the way back, totaling 120 stories. However, Chaucer completed only 24 tales before his death.

The journey from the Tabard Inn to the Canterbury Cathedral takes place over several days, allowing ample time for the pilgrims to engage in storytelling and to interact with one another. The frame story provides a structural framework for the tales while the storytelling format offers a platform for a diverse range of voices, perspectives, and subject matter.

The tales are written in various styles and genres, making The Canterbury Tales a rich resource for understanding not only the medieval English society but also the art of storytelling itself.

The Characters

The Canterbury Tales covers a wide range of social classes and occupational groups, from the nobility to the clergy to the peasantry. Through the characters in these tales, Chaucer effectively portrays the complexities and contradictions of medieval society. Some notable characters include:

The Knight: A noble and chivalrous figure who represents the ideal medieval warrior. Despite his high social status, he treats everyone with respect and maintains a humble demeanor.
The Wife of Bath: A worldly and experienced woman who has been married five times. She is well-versed in love and relationships and is not afraid to challenge traditional gender roles.
The Pardoner: A morally ambiguous and manipulative clergyman who sells indulgences and fake relics to gullible believers. His tale is an ironic moral story that condemns the very sins he himself commits.

The Tales and Their Themes and Styles

The Canterbury Tales include various genres and styles that were popular in medieval literature. Each tale often reflects the character of its teller, allowing for a deeper exploration of their personalities and beliefs. The themes presented in The Canterbury Tales range from religious and moral issues to social commentary and satire, showcasing the complexity and diversity of human experience.

Here are a few examples of the tales and their themes:

The Knight’s Tale: A tale of courtly love and chivalry that explores the themes of love, honor, and fortune.
The Miller’s Tale: A humorous fabliau that centers around a love triangle and employs bawdy humor and clever trickery, which serves as a stark contrast to the noble theme of The Knight’s Tale.
The Wife of Bath’s Tale: A story that combines elements of romance, fairy tale, and moral allegory as the Wife of Bath challenges traditional gender roles and the authority of male-dominated society.

Modern Adaptations and Retellings

The Canterbury Tales has inspired various adaptations across different forms of media, such as stage plays, films, and novels. Some notable adaptations and retellings include:

A Canterbury Tale (1944): A British film directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, which sets a modern mystery drama against the backdrop of the medieval pilgrimage.
Pilgrim’s Progress (2011): A dramatic retelling of The Canterbury Tales by contemporary playwrights, which was staged at the Royal National Theatre in London.
The Clerkenwell Tales (2004) by Peter Ackroyd: A novel that intertwines Chaucer’s characters with a story of conspiracy and assassination in medieval London. (View on Amazon: The Clerkenwell Tales)

These adaptations not only provide fresh perspectives on the timeless stories of The Canterbury Tales but also highlight the enduring appeal of Chaucer’s vivid characters and their tales.

Conclusion

The Canterbury Tales is an unparalleled work that captures the richness of human experience and the art of storytelling. As a collection of tales woven into a frame story, it offers an intricate tapestry of voices and perspectives, displaying the complexities of medieval English society. The Canterbury Tales remains a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the evolution of English literature and experiencing the diverse storytelling traditions of the past.

For those interested in reading or listening to The Canterbury Tales, you can buy the book on Amazon via this link: The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer.