The Father of English Literature: Geoffrey Chaucer's Life and Works

The Father of English Literature: Geoffrey Chaucer's Life and Works

Abstract

This paper tries to shed light on Geoffrey Chaucer's life and The Canterbury Tales, which presents a view of his society through the pilgrim’s stories. These tales engage themselves with many issues, such as the representation of women and men, courtly love, nobility, honour, and devotional life. These stories have different sources like fable, romance, the courtly love tradition, and saint legend. This study provides us that the influence of Geoffrey Chaucer's life on his works, his periods. When we look back at the three centuries after the Norman invasion of 1066, there is no language union in England. In the second half of the 14th century, during the period of Chaucer, the language duality has disappeared. Chaucer wrote his works in English but he was influenced heavily by French, Latin and Italian literature. Geoffrey Chaucer, who lived in such a period and gave his works, he wrote in a language called "Middle English". The brilliant genius of this new language and poet of English literature with Shakespeare is Geoffrey Chaucer.

Keywords: Geoffrey Chaucer, the Canterbury Tales, medieval period, pilgrims

Introduction

Geoffrey Chaucer was born between 1340 and 1343. It is estimated that he died at 1400. We accept this period is Chaucer’s time, based on these dates. The last sixty years of the 14th century, with the heyday of the reign of Edward III, and it is the time between the disastrous fate of Richard II in 1399. His father was a vintner called John Chaucer, and his family was prosperous. The first document in which Chaucer’s name is mentioned in 1357, is the book of expenditures of Elizabeth, Countess of Ulster. In this book was shown that bought a dress to a page. It is estimated that Chaucer lived at this palace, and he improved his Latin and French skills, as well as recognition of palace life. Probably, he must have met his patron John of Gaunt there. After the page, it is turn squire. A squire needs to learn the art of war. Indeed, Chaucer joined a war between 1359 and 1360 and he was captured in France, then the king paid his redemption and he was released. In the same year, it is known that he goes to France as a runner, and some diplomatic mission. According to historians, Chaucer could have visited Italy or stayed in London to study law in this period. He must have married Philippa Roet, who is the sister-in-law of John of Gaunt in this period. In 1367, Chaucer was called as an emissary. He went to France again and joined the war in France. Geoffrey Chaucer was sent to Genoa for about 6 months for the 1372 trade agreement by the government. He went to the Netherlands in 1376 and 1377, and again to France in 1378. He went to Italy again in the same year. Chaucer served as magistrate and member of parliament there. In 1391, he left his works. Chaucer passed away from unknown causes on 25 October 1400, although the sole evidence for this date comes from the engraving on his tomb, which was erected over 100 years after his death. In summary, if we consider the colorful life of Geoffrey Chaucer, that he held various positions such as a courtier, soldier, ambassador, customs officer, and his frequent visits, abroad, the vitality of his works and Dryden’s “There are many colourful servants of God” for The Canterbury Stories. It should not be surprised by what he said.

For the more details on his period, II Richard William Shakespeare

Chaucer's Period

Geoffrey Chaucer was part of a triad of superior poets that flourished during the Middle Ages. The other two were Italians, Dante and Petrarch. Chaucer lived in a period when the foundations of modern England. During this period, He witnessed to III. Edward, II. Richard and IV Henry's kingdoms, the Hundred Years' War.

Dante’s Divine Comedy Dante was an Italian writer (1265-1321). In 1308, he began to write an epic poem called the Divine Comedy. It follows journey of a man through hell, purgatory, and paradise.

Boccaccio’s The Decameron Boccaccio was an Italian writer who lived during the same time as Chaucer. Chaucer relied some of his own poems on Boccaccio’s work. Boccaccio is most famous for The Decameron. This poem contains 100 stories told by 10 people. Its structure is much like that of The Canterbury Tales.

King Richard II . In 1377, King Edward III died. His grandson, II Richard, took the throne. He was only 10 years old! Richard had to face the Peasants' Revolt when he was 14 years old.. Landlords refused to provide peasants more freedom and pay, therefore, they marched to London and asked to see the king.. Richard contacted with the peasants and agreed to their demands. However, in the end, Richard did not keep his promise.

National unity formed in this time period for the first time in a long time. With national unity, language unity is also ensured. In fact, after the invasion of the Norman, we can not state that language unity becomes in England. French was used in education, Latin used in religion and science. When Chaucer began to write, the vernacular dialect was Latin, and corrupted French, which was not laid aside until the middle of the fourteenth century . In the early 13th century, we come across the translated works from Latin and French, despite little. With these first examples, we can see translated Romans. As Normans was invaded by French, Normans break with French. Normans who related with English more crowded. Normans wanted a relationship with the British, whom more crowded than them, and then Normans called the British themselves. In the first part of the Hundred Years War, thanks to the Normans' superiority over the French, British confidence increased. In 1362, English began to be used in courts, moreover, the court was opened with a speech in the mother language. Therefore, English declared its sovereignty.

In Chaucer’s period, The Black Death (plague) was effectively all over the world, particularly in Europe, between 1347 and 1352, millions of people died in a short time. Chaucer tells us this event that the doctor had earned from the plague and kept the money aside. People's lives became more valuable as a result of the Black Death's casualties. In this example, the poor survivors' living circumstances were significantly improved in the aftermath of the epidemic. This wasn't the only alteration, either. Many aspects of daily life have evolved and taken on new forms as a result of this process, from production and consumption habits to architecture, art and literature, intellectual structure, and technical advancements. Karaimamoğlu (2020).

The Black Death is the name given to the big plague epidemic

During this period, a reform took place in religion. Frers who appeared to console the poor, forgot their aims. They owned lands, properties. Bribery spread dreadfully throughout the church. It is important to distinguish between Chaucer's views on the Church and his views on Christianity. He appears to have admired and respected Christians, as well as being one himself, though he knew that many in the church were venal and corrupt. He mentioned in Canterbury Tales, "Now I beg all those who listen to or read this brief discourse, if there is anything in it that pleases them, they thank our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom all understanding and virtue originates." Some nobles, such as John of Gaunt, offered to separate religion from civic affairs and the state. John Wycliffe opposed Church appropriation with a doctrine based solely on the Bible. It was not only religious institutions that were corrupted but also judicial institutions. Courts were organized in order to earn money, and appointments were made with bribes. Gowe said that “In our times, justice is gold; Gold is so precious that if I give more than you, your righteousness has not any value.” (Coulton, s. 179)

Frers: Priests or Dervishes

During this period, the situation of chivalry was really terrible, because chivalry did not matter much on the battlefield anymore. The most important thing is that chivalry is bought with money. As claimed in Piers Plowman, which is one of the important books of the: “pure, noble blood” rejected and “soap merchants and their sons became knights”. (Coulton, s. 179) We can understand from the rich appearance of the guild members, we see Chaucer's pilgrim candidates, that bring a cook with them, and if they want, they can become a member of the city council. Apart from all these events, thanks to the Renaissance that started in Italy in this period, and the universities that were established in England, we can say that “Science Rising”. In conclusion, the poet had lived in a complicated world. People convulsed in inhumane movements, disease, and poverty. Though he was far away from the social issues and it is said that he had not criticized these events as much as his friend Gower at least. He said in Canterbury Tales:

“First, legislators must carry out their own laws.”

“King who tortured his people”

Literature of the Period

In the Middle Ages, great poets such as Dante, Boccaccio and Petrarca grew up in Italy. Until Chaucer in England, there was no poet of his equal and no work comparable to his work. First of all, in this period, a poet to borrow, change and interpret stories from another was normal, unlike today. Therefore, Chaucer's stories can similar in plot to other stories. In this period, there is a connection between the narrator in the poem and the poet. This may be to prevent the reader from cutting ties with real life.

“Courtly love” has an important place in the poems of this period, particularly in romances.

Stories are generally didactic and all of the stories have a “moral of the story” at the end.

We can see that fairly importance is given to “magic and astrology” in the stories.

If stories are about history, it will be impossible to see past times. “People who live in Middle Ages, history is people and what they do.”

There are some forces that influence writers about the theme of stories, such as economically, politically, and socially. Chaucer's life and his works, particularly The Canterbury Tales, were completely influenced by these forces. While the characters are speaking, the dialogue may abruptly break, and the speaker may begin with a long tirade for all people, not the reader.

The Works of Chaucer

Unlike his contemporaries, who wrote their works in all three languages, Chaucer wrote in English, but he heavily influenced by French, Latin and Italian literature. In England of the period, we mentioned importance of French. In such an atmosphere, Chaucer began to his art life translation from French. Chaucer learned many things from studying the French. He learned different ways to improve his writing. He also learned how to write love poems. These poems were popular in French writing. Chaucer's first important work was written about 1370. The title of the book was The Book of the Duchess. Many of the strategies he learnt from the French writers are included. The Book of the Duchess (EL-i-jee) is a long elegy to John of Gaunt's first wife, Blanche. An elegy is a poetry that expresses sorrow for a deceased person. According to Halide Edip Adıvar, the first to point to Chaucer's genius and to call him "the great translator". The French poet Eustache Deschamps, who mentioned it, awarded him this title for his translation of Le Roman de la Rose has given. (Adıvar 1946: 88)

Chaucer traveled to Italy, because of politic missions. Probably this term was a turning point in his literary improvement. Chaucer was amazed at Italian literature and art. We know that he learned something knowledge of language and literature from Italian merchants and bankers posted in London. When Geoffrey Chaucer was in Italy, he came across the Renaissance, and he could have contracted with the Italian Renaissance. In fact, the Renaissance was dominant in England only in the 16th century. However, we can say that the Renaissance began with Chaucer, one of the greatest poets not only of the Middle English period, but of all English literature. Urgan (2019).

Chaucer wrote many poems during this time, including The House of Fame. The poem is in the style of a dream. It portrays an eagle that takes a poet into the sky to learn about love and fame. The poem has many funny moments. It also features serious reflections on how fame does not last and how rapidly life can change. Chaucer wrote another humorous poem at this time called The Parliament of Fowls. This poem is set on Valentine’s Day. In , all the birds meet with an eagle and give him suggest on choosing a mate. Works such as Troilus and Criseyde (1372-84) and The Assembly or Parliament of Foules (c.1384) continue to show Chaucer’s interest in courtly love, but his style becomes more decorative and the content more moral. (Thorne, 2006, p.116) Chaucer established English as a major literary language at the time. When his works much court poetry was still written in Anglo-Norman or Latin, and his poetries have been loved for generations for their humanity and humour. Though inspired by Ovid's works, such as Italian authors Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio, his works remained still completely unique and gives his personal style and techniques. Chaucer’s work reflects a different English tradition that emerged in the Medieval Ages. As a man of the court, he used the prestigious dialect of the south and his poems seem far less alien to contemporary readers than those recorded in the North-West Midlands dialect

Canterbury Tales

In 1387, Chaucer began to work on The Canterbury Tales. Chaucer wanted to narrate many different stories, but he needed a way to link them all together. He wrote about a group of 30 pilgrims travelling to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket. The shrine was in the cathedral in the Canterbury city. In fact, there are 31 pilgrims in total with Chaucer himself, but some of the pilgrims' stories are missing because Chaucer died before he could finish the work. Pilgrims are on their way to Canterbury and each tells a story so they don't get bored on their journey. Many people think that these stories are also depicted to some of the 7 sins in the Bible. Chaucer criticizes different themes in each story. The pilgrims meet and spend the night at the Tabard Inn. The owner of the hostel travels with them and comes up with the competition. Each of pilgrim will narrate two stories on the way to Canterbury and two stories on the way back. The person who tells the best story will be awarded a free dinner at the inn. This is called a frame story. The frame holds all the different stories together.

7 sins in the Bible: pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth.

Saint Thomas Becket was an archbishop, or church leader, when King Henry II was king of England. At first, the two men were friends. Later, they fought because Henry did not want the Church to have as much power as it did. The two became bitter enemies.

In the story of The Wife of Bath's, Chaucer criticized the imbalance of power between men and women in society. If woman has a child, husband, or she can cook, she can be accepted by society. This event was criticized in the story. In the Merchant Story, there is a young married couple, and they have a problem. The knight does not fully consider this decision before deciding to marry and expresses his regrets. There is cheating. With this story, Chaucer indicates that we need to consider before making a decision. We can say that Chaucer criticized society's view of women.

Chaucer used his stories to poke fun at people. The Pardoner attacks people who do bad things. However, he does even worse things. Chaucer uses humour to describe people as they really are. His characters are not perfect. Their lives can be difficult and amusing. Some stories in The Canterbury Tales are not finished. Chaucer did not tell all the pilgrims stories. He did not write about the return journey from Canterbury to London. He did not declare who won the contest. Still, The Canterbury Tales continue to be one of the most widely read books today over 600 years after it was written. Each of story within The Canterbury Tales has its own plot and theme. The Knight tells a romantic story. Knights were important figures in romantic literature. The Miller and the Reeve narrate amusing stories about workers just like them. Nuns and priests tell stories with religious themes, their stories tell how to live good lives. They tell to people riches are not the most important thing in life. Chaucer has shown himself in his characters. He presents his opinions and ideas regarding women, social issues and Christianity through his tales. According to Hubbard-Brown (2006) Chaucer accomplished something else that had never been done before; he created characters that were boastful, nasty, absurd, and funny. He improved the art of satire, making fun of people in a literary way.

Chaucer has worked on The Canterbury Tales for 10 years. But by 1400, his health was worse, therefore, he had to stop writing. He gave up work, either. The king gave Chaucer a place to live. Chaucer spent the last year of his life at an apartment near Westminster Abbey. On October 25, 1400, Chaucer died. He was buried in Westminster Abbey. Chaucer’s writing was clear, clever, and funny. It showed people as they really were. His works made ordinary people interesting and important. This was something new at that time. Chaucer’s works altered the way people's perspective of the English language. At the time, the most important literary works were written in Latin. Chaucer wrote his stories in Middle English. Chaucer showed what English society was really like. People have enjoyed his tales ever since. Chaucer’s writing changed the way people looked at the English language. At the time, the most important literary works were written in Latin. Chaucer wrote his stories in Middle English. He used daily language to tell the stories of ordinary people. Chaucer showed what English society was really like. People have enjoyed his tales ever since.

Conclusion

We can conclude that Chaucer created realistic and objective events and characters and his aim was to present the political and social disruption of his age. Geoffrey Chaucer is described as the father of English Literature and he considered being extremely important. His works are still read both in academic and other circles all over the world for centuries. He is a poet, writer, pioneering literary figure and translator who has been translated into several languages.

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