Cliffs Notes on Chaucer's Canterbury Tales - Notes - Life and Background of the Author

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Eliana

Cliffs Notes on Chaucer's Canterbury Tales presents guidance for understanding Geoffrey Chaucer through author-focused material and historical context. The section on “Life and Background of the Author” offers a timeline of major events and works, alongside a broader sketch of England in the fourteenth century. It describes social and religious change, travel and geography, key cultural pressures, and the political turbulence surrounding Chaucer’s career and writing life.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages63

Reading Time1 h 37 min

AccessFree to download

Life and Background of the Author

Chronology of Chaucer's Life and Works

Geoffrey Chaucer: A Sketch of His Life and Times

[www.cliffs.com](www.cliffs.com) CANTERBURY TALES Notes including • Life and Background of the Author • Character Analyses • Critical Commentaries • Critical Essays • Essay Topics and Review Questions • Selected Bibliography by Bruce Nicoll University of Nebraska LINCOLN, NEBRASKA 68501 1-800-228-4078 [www.CLIFFS.com](www.CLIFFS.com) [ISBN 0-8220-7036-7](ISBN 0-8220-7036-7) © Copyright 1964 by Cliffs Notes, Inc. All Rights Reserved Cliffs Notes on Canterbury Tales © 1964 1 [www.cliffs.com](www.cliffs.com) LIFE AND BACKGROUND OF THE AUTHOR CHRONOLOGY OF CHAUCER'S LIFE AND WORKS c. 1340 Chaucer born in London. 1357 Became page to Countess of Ulster. 1359- Captured by French while serving in English army and later ransomed. (1360-72?) Completed translation of Roman de la Rose and wrote The Book of the Duchess and Legend of Good Women. 1374 Became controller of customs in London. (1374-1380?) Completed The House of Fame, Parliament of Fowls, and several of the Canterbury Tales. 1386 Appointed Knight of the Shire and became member of Parliament; Richard II removed him from his customs offices. (1380-1390) Translated Troilus and Criseyde and resumed work on the Canterbury Tales. 1390 Appointed Clerk of King's Works at Windsor. 1399 Pension increased by Henry IV. (1390-1399) Completed Treatise on the Astrolabe, Envoy to Scogan, Envoy to Bukton, and To His Empty Purse. 1400 Chaucer died and buried in Westminster Abbey. GEOFFREY CHAUCER: A SKETCH OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES England in the fourteenth century had a population of about 2,500,000 . London was the capital city which a contemporary writer described as "clean, white, and small," encompassing an area of about one square mile. The English countryside was dotted with small market towns seldom populated by more than 150 persons, monasteries, churches, and manor houses. Between these landmarks were open fields and, in some instances, native forests. Travel was common and not too difficult because the cities were connected by stone-paved highways constructed during Roman times. England, in Chaucer's time, was a nation in social ferment. Medievalism still was a dominant influence in the lives of Englishmen, but the Renaissance had assumed definite form and the country stood on the threshold of the modern world. These were the forces which stood face to face: the medievalist believed in the spiritual and the abstract, that the community, not the Cliffs Notes on Canterbury Tales © 1964 2 [www.cliffs.com](www.cliffs.com) individual, was the great ideal. Man, the medievalist asserted, had no right to think for himself orto make judgments, for man was a member of a great spiritual community, the church catholic and universal. The early Renaissance man believed in developing his own social groups and national interests, as opposed to a united Christendom. In Chaucer's time there were many manifestations of rebellion against the old order of things. Wycliffe and his followers were sowing the seeds of the Protestant Reformation, which placed the emphasis on the individual. Chaucer's countrymen began thinking of themselves as Englishmen, and national patriotism showed in the battles with France, which ushered in the Hundred Years' War. The growth of manufacturing and commerce gave rise to a middle class which speeded the end of the feudal system. The people demanded more voice in the affairs of their government. The church became corrupt; this corruption in turn invited corruption among the people. And, in the midst of this social ferment, England was three times swept by the Black Plague, which reduced its population by one half and dealt an almost mortal blow to its industry. This great century of social, political, literary, and religious ferment was nearly half over when Geoffrey Chaucer was born in 1340. His father was a successful winemaker in London, and his mother, Agnes de Compton, a member of the Cour

FAQs

What does the “Chronology of Chaucer's Life and Works” section include?

It lists dated milestones from Chaucer’s birth around 1340 through later appointments and works, ending with his death and burial in 1400.

How is England in Chaucer’s time portrayed in the document?

It describes medieval society facing emerging Renaissance influences, frequent travel, social unrest, and major disruptions such as the Black Plague.

What evidence does the text say exists about Chaucer as a civil servant versus a poet?

It states that reliable evidence traces Chaucer’s life as a civil servant, while very little evidence exists to pinpoint his life as a poet.

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Eliana