Whose work is The Canterbury Tales?
Quick Answer
The Canterbury Tales was written by the English poet Geoffrey Chaucer in the late 14th century.
The Full Story
Geoffrey Chaucer worked on The Canterbury Tales from around 1387 until his death in 1400, leaving it unfinished. The work imagines a group of pilgrims who meet at the Tabard Inn in Southwark and travel to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral, telling stories to pass the time. Its 24 tales range from courtly romance to bawdy comedy, told by characters such as the Knight, the Miller and the Wife of Bath. It was written in Middle English at a time when French and Latin were the languages of power, helping establish English as a literary language. William Caxton printed it in the 1470s, making it one of the first books printed in England.
Key Facts
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Suggested video title for this topic:
"Medieval pilgrims and their stories — Chaucer's Canterbury Tales."