The Canterbury Tales is the most famous work of Geoffrey Chaucer, which, unfortunately, remained unfinished. It was written at the end of the 14th century. The book is a collection of short stories. All stories are told by pilgrims who are heading to Canterbury to bow to the holy relics of Thomas Becket.
The work was already a success during Chaucer's lifetime, but all its merits were appreciated only in the era of romanticism.
Geoffrey Chaucer, "The Canterbury Tales": a summary
In the spring, pilgrims flock to Canterbury Abbey from all parts of England to venerate the holy relics. Once in Sauerk, a company of 20 people gathered in a small tavern "Tabard". All of them belonged to different classes, but were able to find a common language. Among them were: Knight, famous for his exploits and valor; Squire, his son, who managed to win the favor of his beloved, having received the glory of a faithful squire, despite his young years; the knight's companion was a Yeoman, an excellent archer in the past; they were accompanied by the abbess Eglantine, who looked after the novices. The abbess was constantly talking about something with the Monk, who was a merry fellow and an avid hunter.
The summary (“The Canterbury Tales”) tells about other heroes. The monk was accompanied by the tax collector Carmelite. There was also a rich Merchant in a beaver hat. The Student, who spent his last savings on books, was also heading for Canterbury on an old horse. The Lawyer, Sheriff Franklin, the Hatter, the Dyer, the Upholsterer, the Carpenter, the Weaver, the Skipper, the Weaver of Bath, the Doctor, and the Cook also rode to bow to the relics.
Other heroes
Chaucer pays great attention to the description of his heroes. The Canterbury Tales (a summary of which we are now considering) were considered innovative precisely because the author paid so much attention to the development of their images. Such an attitude towards characters was unusual for the literature of the 14th century.
Other characters are located in the tavern: the Priest, the Plowman, the Miller, the Fist Fighter, the Housekeeper, the Majordomo, the Bailiff of the Church Court, the Seller of Papal Indulgences.
All of the above were having a good time, and when they were about to leave, the Innkeeper suggested that they tell each other stories on the way to Canterbury. The pilgrims agreed. The first to tell stories by lot fell to the Knight.
Knight's Tale
The main part of the Canterbury Tales begins with the story of the Knight. The summary tells that not so long ago, Theseus ruled Athens. He captured Scythia, the land of the Amazons, and married their leader Hippolyta. When Theseus was returning home, he became aware of Creon's attack on Thebes. Deciding to take revenge, he immediately went to the battlefield, leaving Hippolyta and her sister Aemilia in Athens. Theseus defeated Creon and captured the noble knights Palamon and Arsita.
Years have passed. Once Emilia was walking not far from the tower where the prisoners were imprisoned. Palamon and Arsit saw her and both fell in love. Then a fight began between them, but realizing that they were still locked up, the soldiers calmed down.
At the same time, the famous military leader Perita, an old friend of Theseus, arrived in Athens to stay. Perithius is bound by bonds of friendship with the captive Arcita. Upon learning that his friend was languishing in prison, the commander began to ask Theseus to release Arsit. Theseus agreed, but told Arsitus to never again appear on the land of Athens. The liberated Arsit was forced, cursing fate for separation from Emilia, to flee to Thebes. At the same time, Palamon envied Aristo, who was free and now can find happiness.
Return to Athens
Tells that years have passed since the release of Arsit, a brief summary. The Canterbury Tales also includes stories about pagan gods. So, the Knight tells how Mercury appeared to Arsit in a dream, advising him to return to Athens. The knight decided to obey God. He entered the palace under the name of Philostratus as a servant. Arsit was courteous and became close to Theseus. At the same time, Palamon manages to escape. He is going to go to Thebes to gather an army and go to war against Athens. Palamon hid in a grove where he met Arsit. Friends decided that only one worthy should remain alive, and began the fight.
The noise of the battle attracted Theseus, who drove past the grove. Seeing the combatants, he recognized the deceitful servant and the escaped prisoner. Theseus, after listening to the explanation, decided to kill the brothers. But the tears of Emilia and Hippolyta softened his heart. Then he ordered the knights to fight for the right to be Emilia's husband, for which the brothers would have to meet at the same place in a year. Hearing the verdict, the knights rejoiced.
The End of the Knight's Story
Takes the reader to the events that took place a year after the meeting at the grove, a summary ("Canterbury Tales"). At the site of the battle, there was a large amphitheater prepared for the duel. It was surrounded by the temples of Venus, Mars and Diana. When the warriors appeared, the amphitheater was already filled with spectators.
Palamon brought with him a hundred knights, and next to him was the Thracian commander Lycurgus. Arsites, who also led a hundred fighters, came up against him, and Emetrios, the Indian ruler, accompanied him. The warriors offered prayers to the gods protecting them - Arsit to Mars, and Palamon to Venus. And the beautiful Emilia appealed to Diana to give her a husband who loves her more. The competition has begun. In the battle, the commander who leaves the lists will lose. Arsit won the battle.
But on the way to his beloved, a fury attacked Arsit, and the knight's horse crushed his master. The bloody warrior was taken to Theseus' tent.
Weeks passed, and Arsit did not recover, his wounds became inflamed. Feeling that he was dying, the knight called his bride to him and asked her to become a wife for his brother. After these words, he died. The knight was buried in the same grove where he received a mortal wound.
After the end of mourning, Emilia married Palamon. And they lived happily ever after. This was the end of the Knight's story.
Miller's story
Now let's turn to Melnik's story and give a summary of it. The Canterbury Tales is a work that includes novels that are completely different in content and subject matter. So, the story of the Miller is completely different from the story of the Knight.
Once upon a time there lived a carpenter in Oxford who had a reputation for being a jack-of-all-trades. He was rich and allowed parasites to come to him. Among them was a poor student nicknamed Dushka Nicholas. The carpenter's wife passed away and he married a young girl named Alison. She was so beautiful that she made everyone fall in love with her, and the student was no exception.
Once, when the old carpenter was not at home, Dushka Nicholas begged Alison for a kiss, which the girl promised to give him at the first opportunity. Absalom, a church clerk, also had a passion for Alison. However, the girl herself liked the student more.
Student prank
The Canterbury Tales tells how Nicholas decided to outwit a carpenter. Having previously agreed with Alison, he stocked up on provisions and did not leave his room for several days. The good carpenter was worried about the health of the young man, and when he did not open the door to a knock, he ordered it to be knocked out. In the room, the carpenter found Nicholas sitting motionless on the bed. The old man, in fright, shook the young man by the shoulders, after which the student in a sepulchral voice asked to be left alone with the carpenter.
When this was done, Nicholas revealed to the carpenter a terrible secret - on Monday, that is, the next day, the world expects a flood that will be compared with what was under Noah. The student had the same Divine revelation, according to which he must save himself, the carpenter John and his wife. Nicholas ordered the carpenter to secretly buy three barrels, into which the chosen ones would fit when it started to rain. The old man, horrified, rushed to carry out the student's orders without saying anything to anyone.
denouement
Night has come. All three climbed into the barrels. When the carpenter fell asleep, the lovers crawled out of hiding and went to the bedroom, where they decided to spend the rest of the night. Absalom, noticing that the carpenter was absent, decided to visit under Alison's windows. Hearing his requests for kisses, the girl decided to play a joke. Alison sticks her naked ass out the window, which Absalom kisses. Realizing that he was deceived, the churchman decides to take revenge. He goes to the blacksmith and takes the red-hot coulter from him.
Returning, Absalom again asks for a kiss. This time, Nicholas decides to play a joke and sticks his ass out the window. Then Absalom hits him with the coulter so hard that the skin bursts.
From the cry raised by the student, the carpenter wakes up and decides that it started later. But in the end, he falls along with the barrel. The whole house runs to his screams. Everyone laughs at the old man waiting. So the cunning student was able to trick the carpenter and get his wife.
Doctor's Tale
Moves on to the story of the Physician Geoffrey Chaucer (The Canterbury Tales). Once upon a time in Rome lived Virginius, a noble knight who became famous for his generosity. He had an only daughter who could match the beauty of the goddesses. The story that will be told here happened when the girl was 15 years old. She was pure in thought, intelligent and beautiful. There were no those who would not admire her when they met, but the girl avoided cheerful feasts and arrogant gentlemen.
tragic outcome
Now takes the reader to Rome J. Chaucer. The Canterbury Tales (a summary is presented here) is a work that very often refers to the theme of love, and this short story was no exception. One day, his wife Virginia and her daughter went to the temple. Here Appius, the judge of the district, saw the girl and desired her. Realizing that the girl can not be approached, he decides to act with cunning. He called to himself the notorious villain Claudius, with whom he made a deal.
A few days later, Claudius entered the court where Appius was sitting and declared that the knight Virginius had stolen his slave, whom he now calls his daughter. After hearing the accusation, Appius summoned Virginius to court, and then obliged him to return to Claudius his property, that is, the "slave". Returning home, Virginius told all his daughters and decided to kill her in order to save her from shame. After that, Virginius took out a sword and cut off the girl's head, which he brought to the judges' chamber, where Claudius was waiting.
Seeing the offering, Appius became angry and ordered the execution of Virginius, but the people were indignant, burst into the court with shouts and freed the knight. Appius was imprisoned, where he committed suicide. Claudius was banished from Rome for life.
Econom's story about the raven
The Canterbury Tales is coming to an end. The chapter summary recounts the story told by the Economist.
In ancient times, Apollo, aka Phoebus, lived among people. He was cheerful, brave, handsome, strong, able to play various instruments and sing. Phoebus lived in a beautiful house, where in one of the rooms there was a golden cage in which a white crow with a wonderful voice lived. In the same house lived the wife of Apollo, whom God loved and was jealous of, so he did not let her out of the house. However, all the thoughts of the girl were occupied by another man. And when Phoebus was away for a long time, his wife's lover entered his house. When Apollo returned, the crow that saw the lovers told everything to her master. Then Phoebus took his bow and killed his wife.
A curse
Fascinating stories are presented in his book by J. Chaucer ("The Canterbury Tales"). After killing his wife, Phoebus began to regret it. In a fit of rage, he broke his bow and rushed at the crow, accusing her of lying. Then he cursed the bird, dooming it to be forever black, and replaced the beautiful voice with an ugly croak. Since then, all crows are black and cawing loudly. Like a crow, a person should weigh his words so as not to be in the place of a white crow.
"Canterbury Tales": reviews
The work remains popular to this day. Readers note that despite the fact that the stories were written back in the 14th century, it is interesting to read them today. It is especially pleasing that each short story is written in a different style. In addition, it is noted how expressive and memorable Chaucer's characters turned out to be.
Geoffrey Chaucer was born around 1340 in London. A famous poet of the English Middle Ages, "the father of English poetry", one of the founders of English literature. Author of the works "Canterbury Tales", "The Legend of Exemplary Women", "Troilus and Chryseis". Died October 25, 1400 London.
Aphorisms, quotes, sayings Chaucer Jeffrey.
- Greed is the root of all evil.
- Oh worst poison, tiresome poverty!
- Whoever drinks, he has embarked on the path of debauchery.
- In lofty souls, pity is a frequent visitor.
- Friends must live in harmony. Violence can suffocate friendship.
- Other wealth will beg - it will call for an ailment or a killer's knife.
- Marrying should be equal to equal and same-year-olds in a pair to be one.
- No wonder they say: in love and power, no one will willingly give up a part.
- Idleness gives birth to debauchery, a dangerous source of all abominations.
- Whoever makes laws for others, let those laws be the first to keep them.
- Do not expect good, whoever did evil, the deceiver will be deceived in his turn.
- Who wants to rule over himself, he must restrain his feelings at times.
- Beware of vile behavior, and even more inappropriate indulgence, to destroy your children.
- The one who is truly wise has neglected the idle question: “Who rules the world: a wife or a husband?”
- Love itself is the law; it is stronger, I swear, than all the rights of earthly people. Any right and any decree before love is nothing for us.
- The flashing of lightning, thunder, fog, surf, the network of cobwebs in the middle of the glades plunges us into amazement only when we do not know the causes of the phenomenon.
- A warlike tyrant or an emperor with a robber, like a dear brother, is similar, because their temper, in essence, is all the same. Only from the robber is less evil - after all, the gang of the robber is small.
Peter Ackroyd
The Canterbury Tales. Arrangement of a poem by Geoffrey Chaucer
Introduction
Geoffrey Chaucer, author of The Canterbury Tales, was a typical 14th-century Londoner. And just as his original stories serve as a mirror of medieval society, so Chaucer's own life reflects the diversity of the driving forces of his era. So, he was a prominent figure in the royal court - he served at least three kings and two princes. At customs, in the port of London, he collected taxes. He was a diplomat and an official who supervised the construction work for the needs of the king. He served as a soldier for a short time. Once he was appointed a judge and a member of parliament. And in the intervals between various official duties, he managed to compose poems that became the most complete and powerful expression of the spirit of medieval England.
Of course, Chaucer is best known for the Canterbury Tales, a poem on which he worked until the end of his busy creative life.
In his early years he wrote parables, legends and fairy tales in verse; and a little later he composed the poem "Troilus and Chryseis" - it is rightly considered the first English novel of modern times. Before him, no other writer was so many-sided and so complex. The character of Chaucer and his work is difficult to define. In poetry, he demonstrates timidity and restraint, but a customs officer cannot be timid. He liked to present himself as a scholarly recluse, but he was sued for debts and accused of rape. He became famous for his obscene plots and obscene jokes, but at the same time he retained a deeply religious vision of the world.
Chaucer was born in London between 1341 and 1343 to a wealthy merchant family. His father, John Chaucer, was a prosperous vintner; their house and warehouse were by the river, in Thames Street, and a few yards away was the Three Cranes shipyard, where Gascony wines were unloaded. All his life Chaucer lived near the river and heard its sounds. His childhood and youth were spent in a noisy, crowded and business world, and this energetic urban spirit makes itself felt in all his writings. Among the often majestic and skillful lines of poetry, he now and then slips colloquial words and expressions of London streets: , fool!
Although Chaucer was mainly brought up by the street, the poet received a serious education. Perhaps the boy had a home tutor, and besides, he could attend St. Paul's Charitable School, a hundred yards from his home. His knowledge of Latin and Latin authors such as Ovid and Virgil owes his thorough training in what was then called "grammar." Chaucer also knew French and Italian, although he could well master both in everyday life. At fourteen or fifteen he was sent to the royal court.
Under King Edward III, Geoffrey's father was appointed assistant butler, and, of course, he brilliantly carried out his ambitious plans for his son with the help of influential people of this world. In 1357, Chaucer became a page to King Edward's daughter-in-law, Princess Elizabeth; thus began his career in the royal service, and it ended with his death. At court, he learned the art of correspondence and eloquence. And his knowledge of rhetoric, in particular, is the key to understanding the Canterbury Tales. As a servant of the king, Chaucer went to war, but near Reims he was captured by the French, but four months later he was ransomed for 16 pounds. Since then, he no longer fought, and, in truth, he had no particular aptitude for military affairs. He preferred peaceful pursuits. In his early twenties, Chaucer entered the royal diplomatic service and was sent on numerous missions to the rulers of Europe. But the diplomat was also a poet. In his own words, he composed "many songs and playful lays". In other words, he became a court poet and entertained ladies and nobles with an elegant performance of poetic lamentations and rondos, ballads and dedications. It is believed that these early writings were successful. His contemporary John Gower said that Chaucer flooded the whole country with his rhymes and songs.
After the death of his father, Chaucer inherited a fair amount of property and soon married Philip de Roe, a lady-in-waiting from the queen's retinue. It was a court marriage, about which almost nothing is known. Chaucer was always silent about his private life: preferring to keep a low profile, he sometimes seemed invisible. We know only the name of his wife and her position in society. In recent years, they lived apart for months, but it seems that neither of the spouses was upset by this.
His ties to the court grew ever stronger. He entered the retinue of John of Gaunt, one of the sons of King Edward, and received annual rewards for his services. Among these services was the composition of poetry for the new patron. When John of Gaunt's wife died, Chaucer wrote The Book of the Duchess, a fantasy poem in memory of her virtues. Apparently, this composition was intended for oral performance, and it is possible that Chaucer recited it during a memorial service held in St. Paul's Cathedral.
It is important to note that this poem is written in English. The royal court at Westminster at that time was still French, and French was predominantly spoken there, but Chaucer's poetry is the best evidence that the status of the English language was rapidly rising. Chaucer became the master who redeemed English from its former humiliation as the vernacular language of a subjugated people.
It is no coincidence that during the life of the poet, English supplanted French from the sphere of schooling, and in the reign of the next monarch even became the language of the royal court. All these circumstances, as if by conspiracy, made Chaucer the most representative and most authoritative poet of his time. One of the characteristic features of a genius is that he embodies the worldview of the people of his era.
And yet the genius of Chaucer grew not only on native soil. As a royal envoy, he repeatedly found himself on business in Italy, where he participated in trade negotiations with Genoa and Florence. And there he was interested not only in trade. So, in Florence, he first of all got the opportunity to plunge into the cultural life of the city. He got acquainted with the manuscripts of literary works. Florence, which was truly the nurse and mother of the then Italian poetry, greatly influenced Chaucer's work. He read Dante, Boccaccio and Petrarch in the original. Dante, as you know, became famous for the Divine Comedy, but he also had a treatise De vulgari eloquentia(“On Folk Eloquence”), where he extolled the virtues of his native language. And this lesson was not in vain for the English poet.
At the time that Chaucer visited Florence, Petrarch lived a hundred miles away in Padua. However, his influence was felt everywhere: he was a master of eloquence, the personification of magnificence, he was a man who raised the material and spiritual status of the poet. His example could lead Chaucer to the idea that poetry is not just a pleasant occupation in the service of some nobleman, not entertainment, but a life calling. Had it not been for the overwhelming success of these two Italian writers, it is highly unlikely that Chaucer would have succumbed to such a temptation as writing The Canterbury Tales at all. Important here was the example of Boccaccio, who created works of various genres - romantic, mythological and historical - and resorted to a variety of styles. The Canterbury Tales themselves are largely inspired by his Decameron - both writings are peripatetic masterpieces of epic proportions.
So Chaucer returned to England with a clearer and more heightened poetic ambition. And almost immediately he began to work on the "Temple of Glory" - another fantasy poem, apparently parodying the "sublime" style of Petrarch. To convey a picture of the world, fragile and far from ideal, Chaucer used his favorite authorial techniques - wit and wit. Nothing is eternal under the Moon. That is why one should not break away from the mundane affairs of life. On June 8, 1374, Chaucer was appointed customs inspector for wool in one of the most important offices in the Port of London. It was hard and unpleasant work. He had to inspect and weigh goods, count bags of wool, settle disputes between merchants. He also had to collect a fee, to which, according to medieval customs, bribes and various "benefits" were added. In The Temple of Glory, completed after taking up the post of customs inspector, Chaucer described his working life as follows.
Jan 20, 2017The Canterbury Tales Geoffrey Chaucer
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Title: Canterbury Tales
About The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
"The Canterbury Tales" is the main work of one of the first poets and writers who worked in the new English language - Geoffrey Chaucer. Unfortunately, it remained unfinished, but even in this form it is considered the greatest work of England of the Middle Ages. The book is a collection of 22 poems and two prose short stories that have a common idea and storyline.
Geoffrey Chaucer is known throughout the world as the "Father of English Literature". He was the first poet to switch from Latin to English. In his works, one can see the anticipation of the literature of the Renaissance, and the collection "Canterbury Tales" is permeated with the spirit of realism. In this work, the author tells about the pilgrimage of various people who went to the relics of St. Thomas Becket for worship. They are in the city of Canterbury, where the twenty-five heroes of history went.
The story claims that Geoffrey Chaucer conceived a lengthy work that would cover the travel time of the characters both in and out of the city. But the life of the writer developed in such a way that he managed to present to the world only a quarter of them. The book "Canterbury Tales" covers stories from the life of the English of the late fourteenth century, belonging to various classes. Among those who met were: a knight, a merchant, a student, a monk, a clergyman, a doctor, a navigator, a weaver, an abbess and others.
The plot of the story develops around their meeting at the hotel, where the pilgrims agree to keep the way to the city and back together. All this time they had to tell stories about their lives, and the best of them would be rewarded. As a gift, the heroes of the story chose a delicious dinner, and the owner of the very hotel where everyone met became the judge. The losers must pay.
In The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer reveals the diversity of personalities and their characters, showing the true face of the English society of his time. Each individual story is unique and interesting. It traces the attitude to life, habits and values that prevailed at the end of the fourteenth century. The philosophical and ethical line is traced separately, which is displayed in the answers to questions about virtues and vices, the relationship between good and evil, fortitude and desire.
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Quotes from The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
But such are husbands: to a humble wife
They are usually ruthless.
Tell me what's the doubt
That the key to friendship is mutual subordination.
Friends must live in harmony,
Violence can suffocate friendship.
The god of love does not tolerate him: immediately,
Having sensed it, it leaves us.
Like everything spiritual, love is free,
And every worthy wife
Wants to be free, not a slave.
Sweet freedom to her, like a man.
Love commands to be indulgent,
Do not spoil your blood with irritation,
High virtue, in my opinion
People of scientists, patience must be counted:
It is stronger than severity hundred times.
But in life we want to experience everything,
Not in youth, so in old age we fool.
Debts are always payable
And it is not in vain that people say:
“Who makes laws for others,
Let those laws be the first to observe.
We are weak, true, but the Lord in return
He gave us deceit for betrayal,
Deception and tears. We are weapons of this
Let's weave male power like a net.
Shame on that lord
What pity does not know for the unfortunate
And equally, like a formidable lion,
Growls at those who cry, shy,
And on the stubborn soul of the villain,
Who does evil without blushing.
Yes, every ruler is foolish,
Which measures by one arshin
Pride and humility of people.
You know, the ancient sage asked:
"Who will give the law to loving hearts?"
Love itself is the law; she is stronger
I swear than all the rights of earthly people.
Any right and any decree
Before love, there is nothing for us.
In addition to the will, a person is in love;
Under fear of death, he still serves
A widow, a girl, a husband's wife.
You see, sin is not unpunished,
But the hour of heavenly punishment is hidden from everyone.
You don't know when or how
The worm of conscience will stir,
Though your crime does not know
No one, only you alone and providence.
Scientist and ignorant alike
It is not given to foresee the hour of retribution.
Drive sin from the soul as soon as possible,
Until he settled into it.
Now I know how to reconcile the brawlers,
How to heal any hurt wound.
I will take a barrel with me on the road -
Pour enmity and quarrels with wine.
Great Bacchus! That's who praise!
Here with whom there is no boredom and no evil.
Turns sadness and sorrow into joy,
Enemies reconciles and quenches thirst.
