14TH CENTURY/ THE AGE OF CHAUCER

14^TH CENTURY/ THE AGE OF CHAUCER

The fourteenth century was a period of great activities. As far as its background is concerned there are a number of factors that paved way for the changing conditions. The Norman Conquest took place in 1066. The Duke of Normandy William the Conqueror became the King of England after the death of King Edward. Since William was brought up in France, he brought a large number of people from Normandy; it gave way to the rise of Anglo-French aristocracy. As a result the French language started to be used not only in the English court but also in legal, literary and educational spheres. In English court literature was French literature was produced. English was thought to be an inferior and uncultivated language. It was considered to be a disgrace to be called an English man. English was used only by the lower classes. In 1204 Normandy was lost. The feelings of antagonism developed. The kings and nobility of England were forced to look upon England and English as their first priority.

The 100 years war (1337-1453) is another important factor of political significance. It was between England and France. Consequently patriotic feelings developed among the English nation. Parliament was also established. As per social background, Black Death (1348-49) wiped out one third of the population. The lower classes were more affected. It increased the importance of the labor class. They demanded more money, wages were increased. In this way the living standard of the people was improved. Moreover the establishment of 200 new towns resulted in the rise of craftsmen and merchants. So, the plague and the founding towns produced the middle class. In the field of religion great changes occurred. Previously English court was loyal to Pope. The conflict with France had given rise to patriotism. It weakened the authority of the Pope. In addition the Pope’s court became corrupt. This corruption gradually prevailed in the whole society. Ultimately the prestige of church declined. The literature of these centuries was known as medieval literature. It had religious themes. Mostly miracle and morality plays were produced that drew themes from Bible. No notable literary works were produced in English. By this time it marked the beginning of Renaissance in Italy. The notable writer of the age include William Langland who the social discontent, preaching equality of men & dignity of labor, John Wycliffe translated Bible, gave people Gospel in their own language, John Gower criticized vigorous life & was afraid of its consequences, John Mandeville wrote Travels and travelers romancing about wonders to be seen abroad and finally Geoffrey Chaucer who introduced Heroic Couplet.

GEOFFREY CHAUCER

Geoffrey Chaucer is considered to be the Father of English Poetry. He is the representative poet of the 14^th century. He was born in London in 1340 c. The exact date of his birth is not known. He was the son of a vintner (wine merchant). Details of his early education are not available, but it is clear that he knew French, Italian and Latin. He joined service of Elizabeth in 1357. In 1359 he went to take part in war. He was taken a prisoner in March 1360. The king paid £16 as ransom. A year later he joined royal service. He married Philippa in 1366 who later became maid to the queen whose name was also Philippa. His wife was the sister to 3^rd wife of John of Gaunt. Due to which he received Gaunt’s patronage. He had two sons. His first appointment was as a yeoman. He was granted annuity for life in 1367. He went on a number of diplomatic and commercial missions abroad in 1367-1378. He became king’s esquire in 1368. He wrote The Book of the Duchesse in 1369. It is written in octosyllabic couplets containing 1334 lines. He was sent to Italy as an Ambassador in 1372-73 where he met Petrarch and Boccaccio. Dante’s works inspired him to write in vulgar English. He became controller of customs in 1374. He lost his job & rent free home in 1385. He moved to Kent where he was elected to the Parliament as representative of Kent. It was a period of great literary activity. He wrote Troilus and Cressida. His wife died in 1387. He was appointed clerk of king’s works in 1389 to upkeep and repair governmental buildings. He used to take money to give to laborers. He received royal gifts and pension in 1390. His annuity was increased in 1399. He spent last year of his life in Greenwich. He died in London in 1400. He was buried in Westminster Abbey in ‘poet’s corner’. A monument was erected to him in 1555.

For writing poetry he took inspiration from a number of sources that included: Latin, French and Italian works, Romance of the Rose by Guillaume de Loris, Ovid’s poems, Dante, Petrarch and Boccaccio. His famous works consist of The Book of the Duchess (1369), The House of Fame (1374-1385), translated The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius, Parliament of Birds, and The Canterbury Tales. His literary career can be divided into three periods: The French Period, The Italian Period, and The English Period. The French period include The Romance of the Rose, The Book of the Duchess, The Complaint unto Pity, The complaint of Mars, Queen Anelida and The ABC. The French period consists of The Parliament of Fowls, Troilus and Creseyde, The House of Fame, Palamon and Arcite, The Legend of Good Women. The works of this period are written under the influence of great Italian writers like Dante, Boccaccio, and Petrarch. During the English period he wrote some minor poems and the Canterbury Tales. Chaucer served as a great model for great writers like Shakespeare, John Dryden, and Alexander Pope.

Chaucer’s language is over 600 Years old. Languages do not stand still so there are changes in meaning, spelling, vocabulary etc. Usually modern text is available for comprehension and the glosses are available. Gradually these become unnecessary.

The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales has adopted the framework of pilgrimage. It has the ingenuity of collecting diverse assembly of narrators. It is the collection of stories narrated by 30 pilgrims. It is written in Middle English. The pilgrims are going to visit the shrine of St. Thomas a Becket. The original plan was that each narrator will narrate two stories on the way going to the shrine and two more on the way back. In this way everybody had to tell four stories which make it in total 120 stories. It is written in Heroic Couplet. Heroic Couplet refers to a pair of rhyming lines written in Iambic Pentameter which is the use of five feet, an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales is representative work of the 14^th century. He brought literature closer to life. He presents all the stratums of society: Feudal class, Religious class, Social class.

The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales has a simple lay out:

o   Lines 1-34: Elaborate Introduction

o   Lines 35-719: Series of Portraits

o   Lines 720-821: Host’s suggestion of a story telling competition & its acceptance

o   Lines 822-858: The next morning  the pilgrims assemble & it is decided that the knight shall tell the first tale