Chaucer

Synopsis

An acclaimed biography that recreates the cosmopolitan world in which a wine merchant's son became one of the most celebrated of all English writers

Geoffrey Chaucer is often called the father of English literature, but this acclaimed biography reveals him as a great European writer and thinker. Uncovering important new information about Chaucer's travels, private life, and the circulation of his writings, Marion Turner reconstructs in unprecedented detail the cosmopolitan world of Chaucer's adventurous life, focusing on the places and spaces that fired his imagination. From the wharves of London to the frescoed chapels of Florence, the book recounts Chaucer's experiences as a prisoner of war in France, as a father visiting his daughter's nunnery, as a member of a chaotic Parliament, and as a diplomat in Milan. At the same time, the book offers a comprehensive exploration of Chaucer's writings. The result is a landmark biography and a fresh account of the extraordinary story of how a wine merchant's son became the poet of The Canterbury Tales.

Summary

Chapter 1: The Prologue

The Prologue introduces the pilgrims, a diverse group of 29 people from all walks of life. They are traveling to Canterbury Cathedral for religious reasons or to seek adventure or entertainment. The narrator, Geoffrey Chaucer, himself a pilgrim, describes each character's appearance, social status, and personality.

Example:

"With him there was a Summoner, fat and sleek,
His face all greasy, like a kitchen leek.
His boots were wide, with spurs all bright and keen,
His riding whip had tassels red and green."

Chapter 2: The Knight's Tale

This tale tells the story of two knights, Palamon and Arcite, who fall in love with Emily, the beautiful daughter of the king. They engage in a fierce battle for her hand in marriage, but both are killed in the process. The tale explores themes of love, rivalry, and the power of fate.

Example:

"Theseus, his heart in fever and unrest,
And filled with wrath that threatened to explode,
Sent forth his armies, swift as lightning's zest,
To quell the rebels, crush them, as they trode."

Chapter 3: The Miller's Tale

The Miller's Tale is a bawdy comedy that tells the story of a carpenter, John, who is tricked by his wife's lover, Nicholas. Nicholas schemes to get into John's house by hiding in a large tub. When John gets up in the night to check on the weather, Nicholas jumps out of the tub and runs away with his wife.

Example:

"The carpenter, all unsuspecting, lay
Sleeping in slumber, deep as any swine.
Nicholas, the rogue, with mischief in his eye,
Slipped into the tub, biding his time."

Chapter 4: The Reeve's Tale

The Reeve's Tale is another comic tale that tells the story of a miller who tries to cheat two university students. The students trick the miller by agreeing to pay him in quarters of wheat. However, they cleverly use a mathematical trick to only give the miller one quarter of wheat.

Example:

"The Reeve, a man of cunning and deceit,
Devised a plan, so sly and full of guile,
To charge the students for their meal and treat,
But the scholars, quick-witted, with a smile."

Chapter 5: The Pardoner's Tale

The Pardoner's Tale is a moralistic tale that tells the story of three young men who encounter Death and learn the importance of repentance. The tale is told by the Pardoner, a corrupt religious official who uses the tale to scare his audience into buying his worthless relics.

Example:

"In Flanders, once, there lived a company
Of young revelers, reckless and carefree,
Who mocked at Death, thinking themselves immune.
But Death had plans they little did presume."