Few students make it through high school English without hearing the name Geoffrey Chaucer. His famous
Canterbury Tales gives such a penetrating glimpse into Medieval culture that it is often included in literature and history courses as mandatory reading. His masterpiece receives so much attention that Chaucer’s life and his other works are often overlooked. Here is my frail attempt to rectify that . . .
The details of Geoffrey Chaucer’s life remain a virtual mystery, and have been pieced together mainly through the study of his legal documents. Geoffrey was born in London sometime between 1340 and 1344. His father, John Chaucer, worked as a vintner, or a maker of wine. In 1357, Geoffrey was a page in the house of Prince Lionel, whom he served faithfully for many years. In 1359 and 1360, Geoffrey fought with the army of Edward III in France. Although he was captured by the French, he was later ransomed. By 1366, Geoffrey had married Philippa Roet, a lady-in-waiting to Edward’s queen. Between 1370 and 1378, he traveled frequently to the Continent, fulfilling missions. From 1374 on, he held a variety of official positions, among them Comptroller of Customs on furs, skins and hides for the port of London (1374-86) and Clerk of the King’s Works (1389-91). Geoffrey Chaucer’s died on October 25, 1400, and is buried at Westminster Abbey.
Chaucer’s literary career is generally divided into three eras, which are described in some detail at Infoplease (see sources). Here is a summary:
1.) Early Work (to 1370)–writing generally based on the period’s French literature, includes Book of the Duchess(1369) and a partial translation of Roman de la Rose.
2.) Italian Period (to 1387)–writing generally fashioned after that of Dante and Boccaccio, includes The House of Fame, The Parliament of Fowls and a translation of Boethius’ De Consolatione philosophiae.
3.) The Canterbury Tales. This, Chaucer’s most famous work, follows a group of pilgrims as they travel from London to the shrine of St. Thomas a Becket at Canterbury. The unfinished poem boasts about 17,000 lines. Chaucer’s descriptions of the various travelers offers a detailed look at life in the Middle Ages.
For more information on Geoffrey Chaucer, try the following Web sites:
Infoplease http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A08...
The Geoffrey Chaucer Page http://www.accd.edu/sac/english/bailey/c...
Geoffrey Chaucer http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/chaucer...
Chaucer Scriptorium http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~hanly/chaucer/c...
Chaucer Metapage http://www.unc.edu/depts/chaucer/
http://www.siue.edu/CHAUCER
