Geoffery Chaucer

1
Geoffery Chaucer

• The Facts

2
Basic Info

• Born-1340 to1344
• Died 1400 Oct 25
• Married to Philippa Roet from 1361 to 1366
• Buried in Westminster Abbey in the church (now
  named poets corner)
• Had a monument erected in 1555

3
Canterbury Tales

• Started writing Canterbury tales when he was in
  his early 40s
• He died before he got to finish them
• Wrote Canterbury between 1387 and 1400
• Canterbury Tales is a Collection of stories

4
Canterbury Tales

• His original plan was to have 4 stories for each
  character
• The total would be 120 tales
• The tales end only after 24 tales
• They are written in Middle English
• No one knows the order intended for the stories
• There are a few clues as to the order

5
More Of Canterbury

• Characters are knight, monk, prioress, plowman,
  miller, merchant, clerk, and an oft-widowed wife
  from bath
• Some tales he wrote were- The Knights Tale, The
  Millers Prologue and Tale, the Wife of Baths
  Prologue and Tale

6
The Knights Tale

• Thesus, duke of Athens imprisons Arcite and
  Palamon two knights
• In prison the knights fall in love with Theseus
  sister-in-law, Emely
• Arcite is freed but banished from Athens
• He returns in disguise and is a page in Emelys
  chambers

7
Knights Tale continued

• Palamon then escapes from jail and they fight
  over Emely
• Theseus arranges a tournament between them winner
  gets Emely
• Arcite wins but falls off his horse and dies
• Palamon marries Emely

8
The Millers Prologue and Tale

• Drunken Miller tells previous story to monk about
  carpenter named John
• John thinks the second flood is coming
• Nicholas persuades his landlords wife to sleep
  with him
• A young parish clerk Absolon begs for a kiss from
  Alisoan, she sticks her butt out the window and
  he kisses it

9
Miller continued

• Absolon runs and gets a hot poker goes to the
  window and asks for another kiss
• When Nick sticks his butt out the window he farts
  and Absolon sticks him with the poker
• Nick cries out making the carpenter cut the rope
• He falls down and breaks his arm

10
The wife of baths prologue and tale

• A young knight of king Arthurs court rapes a
  maiden!
• To atone for his crime king Arthur sends him on a
  quest to find what women want most
• An ugly old woman promises the knight that she
  will tell him the secret if he promises to do
  whatever she wants
• together they go to king Arthur and his queen
• The answer is correct

11
Other Sources

• http//www.sparknotes.com/lit/canterbury/context.h
  tml
• http//www.online-literature.com/chaucer/
• http//www.online-literature.com/chaucer/