Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
Geoffrey Chaucer is one of the best English poets of all time, considered the father of English Poetry. Some of his major works are- The Book of the Duchess, The House of Fame, The Legend of Good Women and The Canterbury tales.
He is best known for the Canterbury Tales. It is one of the most famous works of medieval literature, It is an epic poem, Written at the end of the 14th century,
Canterbury Tales is a collection of 24 stories means this is a story made of stories of pilgrims, Who are travelling from London to Canterbury to visit the holy shrine of St Thomas Becket.
The poem begins with a prologue, in which the narrator, Who was travelling from London to Canterbury, shares his name with the author. Before he begins his journey, he stops at an inn, the ‘Tabard’ inn, where he meets with the host of other pilgrims. The host of the pilgrims, suggests that the pilgrims should have a storytelling competition as they travel and He offers himself as a judge of the competition.
the pilgrims happily agree and set off together for Canterbury the next morning.
Now in the competition, each traveller was to tell one story, every story created a reason for someone to tell the other stories. 1st story was told by The Knight — a man of honour and truth.
As the tales progressed, The pilgrims started insulting the person who spoke before them. Even though they tried to balance moral instructions but often they used dirty jokes and their narratives were familiar.
Unfortunately, The Canterbury Tales of Geoffrey Chaucer is unfinished. The pilgrims never reach Canterbury, the return journey is not described, and the stories of all the pilgrims who appear in the poem’s prologue are not mentioned.
however, Canterbury is a Masterpiece by Chaucer, besides its poetic power and entertainment value, It is full of symbols, themes and motifs.It provides an accurate picture of the different social classes of the 14th century in England.
Much of The Canterbury Tales is in iambic pentameters with an AA BB rhyming scheme, but for details….
