Geoffrey Chaucer’s Masterpiece

Presentasi untuk kelas Literature

1. Geoffrey Chaucer’s Masterpiece
Presented by:
Tienny Makrus & Romaita Sembiring

2. Summary of the Canterbury Tales
The Pilgrims on Their Ways
The Canterbury Tales, written by Geoffrey Chaucer, is a
very long poem about a pilgrimage from London to
Canterbury. It is best pieces of literature ever written,
even though it is not complete or perfect.
Chaucer used imaginative
characters and clever tales to
compile a book that is both
informative and entertaining. He
portrays different medieval
opinions through his characters,
who respond to one another's tales.

3. The Example of Chaucer’s Works
The Miller’s Tale
women as innocent and passive, but
with a significant advantage over their
male suitors.
women should be the
controlling party in the
relationship, and repeatedly
illustrates this belief in both
her story and prologue.
The Wife of Bath Tale
The Nun's Priest's Tale
the Nun's Priest portrays women as
untrustworthy, women should be humble
and the objects of men who might give
bad consul.

4. Historical Background
The Canterbury Tales is:
•recognized as the first book of
poetry written in the English
language.
•written in Middle English.
•a collection of stories that read
like a story-telling competition
between a small group of
pilgrims as their journey to see
St. Thomas Becket's shrine at
the Canterbury Cathedral.

5. English Society in the Fourteenth Century
•Pilgrimages were very common in fourteenth-
century England, and they were well depicted in
the Middle English literature.
•The King and nobles having
all power in things political
and the Catholic Church
having all authority in spiritual
matters.
•Society, in the 14th century,
was influenced by the church,
which is made by the same
society.

6. The Corruption of the Church
The Canterbury Church, Kent, England
By the late fourteenth century, the Catholic Church,
which governed England, Ireland, and the entire
continent of Europe, had become extremely wealthy.
The cathedral was built
with very expensive,
with decorations made
of gold and even
jewels.

7. The Corruption of the Church
The Church did not care
about famine, pestilence,
and poor people who
beg on their door.
Irreligious churchmen
accepted bribes, bribing
people and greedy.
Chaucer wrote many
tales relating to this
matter.

8. Geoffrey Chaucer
(1343 – 25 October 1400)
the Father of English literature
marriage and feminism
Church and God
So, The Canterbury Tales are an accurate reflection of
the English society in the 14th century.

9. Middle English Modern English
Whilom ther was dwellynge at oxenford
A riche gnof, that gestes heeld to bord,
And of his craft he was a carpenter.
With hym ther was dwellynge a poure
scoler,
Hadde lerned art, but al his fantasye
Was turned for to lerne astrologye,
And koude a certeyn of conclusiouns,
To demen by interrogaciouns,
If that men asked hym in certein houres
Whan that men sholde have droghte or
elles shoures,
Or if men asked hym what sholde bifalle
Of every thyng; I may nat rekene hem alle.
This clerk was cleped hende nicholas.
Once on a time was dwelling in Oxford
A wealthy lout who took in guests to board,
And of his craft he was a carpenter.
A poor scholar was lodging with him there,
Who'd learned the arts, but all his phantasy
Was turned to study of astrology;
And knew a certain set of theorems
And could find out by various stratagems,
If men but asked of him in certain hours
When they should have a drought or else
have showers,
Or if men asked of him what should befall
To anything- I cannot reckon them all.
This clerk was called the clever Nicholas;
THE MILLER'S TALE

10. THE WIFE OF BATH'S TALE
Middle English Modern English
In th' olde dayes of the kyng arthour,
Of which that britons speken greet honour,
Al was this land fulfild of fayerye.
The elf-queene, with hir joly compaignye,
Daunced ful ofte in many a grene mede.
This was the olde opinion, as I rede;
I speke of manye hundred yeres ago.
But now kan no man se none elves mo,
For now the grete charitee and prayers
Of lymytours and othere hooly freres,
That serchen every lond and every streem,
As thikke as motes in the sonne-beem,
Blessynge halles, chambres, kichenes,
boures,
Citees, burghes, castels, hye toures,
Thropes, bernes, shipnes, dayeryes --
This maketh that ther ben no fayeryes.
Now in the olden days of King Arthur,
Of whom the Britons speak with great honour,
All this wide land was land of faery.
The elf-queen, with her jolly company,
Danced oftentimes on many a green mead;
This was the old opinion, as I read.
I speak of many hundred years ago;
But now no man can see the elves, you know.
For now the so-great charity and prayers
Of limiters and other holy friars
That do infest each land and every stream
As thick as motes are in a bright sunbeam,
Blessing halls, chambers, kitchens, ladies'
bowers,
Cities and towns and castles and high towers,
Manors and barns and stables, aye and dairies-
This causes it that there are now no fairies.

11. The Nun's Priest's Tale
Middle English Modern English
A pore wydow, somwhat stooped in age,
Was whilom duellyng in a narrow cotáge,
Bisyde a grove, stondyng in a dale.
This wydowe, of which I telle yow my tale,
Syn that same day that she was last a wif,
In paciens ladde a ful symple lyf.
For litel was hir catel and hir rent;
By housbondry of such as God hir sent,
She fond hirself, and eek hir doughtres tuo.
Thre large sowes had she, and no mo,
Thre kyne, and eek a sheep tha highte
Malle.
Ful sooty was hir bour, and eek hir halle,
In which she eet ful many a slender bit.
A widow poor, somewhat advanced in age,
Lived, on a time, within a small cottage
Beside a grove and standing down a dale.
This widow, now, of whom I tell my tale,
Since that same day when she'd been last a
wife
Had led, with patience, her strait simple life,
For she'd small goods and little income-rent;
By husbanding of such as God had sent
She kept herself and her young daughters
twain.
Three large sows had she, and no more, 'tis
plain,
Three cows and a lone sheep that she called
Moll.
Right sooty was her bedroom and her hall,
Wherein she'd eaten many a slender meal.

12. Thank you for your attention…
English Literature
~ Tienny Makrus & Romaita Sembiring ~