The Canterbury Tales 1. Geoffrey Chaucer Geoffrey Chaucer is considered to be one of the greatest writers of British literature. The poet was born to a merchant in the mid fourteenth century, growing up to become a page, diplomat, and royal clerk (Kinsella, et al.) Chaucer worked for the wife of Lionel of Antwerp as a page in his childhood. Chaucer was exposed to the aristocratic society of the time through Lionel who was one of the sons of Edward III. This experience among the others following in his life helped Chaucer create the works he is so greatly known for. Chaucer served in the English Army in France, with whom he was captured prisoner in 1359, resulting in King Edward paying a ransom amount of sixteen pounds for his release. Seven years later, Chaucer went on to marry a lady-in-waiting to the queen, Philippa Pan, and had a son, Thomas, who similarly married into nobility and obtained considerable wealth. …show more content…
Chaucer wrote his first major work for John of Gaunt, as a memento of sorts for his late wife, Blanche of Lancaster. The Book of the Duchess is believed to be completed around 1369 and serves to be an example of Chaucer’s early style, before the maturity that came with his later work, Troilus and Criseyde, a poem influenced by the story of the Trojan war. Chaucer’s masterpiece, The Canterbury Tales, is his most famous work despite the lack of knowledge regarding inspiration for the poem. The piece was left unfinished with twenty-four of the planned one hundred twenty tales currently in collection. Chaucer was able to incorporate various styles into his storytelling, such as romance and comedy, to create pieces that included the various classes and personalities in society that, as a result, have lasted to serve as models for modern day