Geoffrey Chaucer, an English poet, was born in 1342.

Historians are uncertain about his

exact date of birth. Geoffrey's parents possessed several buildings in the vintage quarter in
London. Not much is known about Geoffrey's school career. He must have had some education
in Latin and Greek. Out of school he went on as a page in the household of the Countess of
Ulster. Chaucer rose in royal employment and became a knight of the shire for Kent. As a
member of the king's household, Chaucer was sent on diplomatic errands throughout Europe.
From all these activities, he gained the knowledge of society that made it possible to write The
Canterbury Tales. Chaucer died in October 1400 and was buried in Westminster Abbey in
London. He was the first of those that are gathered in what we now know as the Poet's Corner in
Westminster Abbey.
The Canterbury Tales are a collection of moral and humorous stories told by a diverse
group of people. Tensions run high as this group of strangers travel to Canterbury sharing their
best stories. The Canterbury Tales is a frame narrative, a story told around another story or
stories. The frame of the story opens with a gathering of people at the Tabard Inn in London
who are preparing for their journey to the shrine of St. Becket in Canterbury. This is a yearly
occurrence and Chaucer is among the people preparing for the journey. The Host of the inn
suggests that they all take turns telling a tale as they travel. Whoever tells the best tale, to be
judged by the Host, will receive a free meal upon their return.
In total, there are 24 tales. It is possible that Chaucer never finished the work since the
prologue lists people who made the journey but did not tell a tale. The tales include lessons on
morality, human struggles, and more humorous fare. Many are tales of spite directed at the other
individuals. It's no surprise that these tales are the most vulgar and sexually explicit in nature and
also the most well-known ones.
The Host of the Tabard acts as a moderator during the trip, calling upon various
characters to share a tale. The Host often becomes bored or overwhelmed with some of the tales,
especially those that are emotionally tormenting. In response, he demands that the characters tell
more light-hearted tales which focus on love, chivalry, or something else.
The cast of characters is eclectic, ranging from clergymen to working-class and from
moralistic individuals to those less scrupulous. This mix of characters is what makes the frame
narrative so compelling during the journey. While some of the tales highlight moralistic
principles, especially those of the Knight and the Man of Law, others are spiteful and vulgar in
nature. Characters like the Miller and the Reeve, as well as the Friar and the Summoner, tell tales
that not only insult each other, but are also explicit in nature. Their tales include sexual deviance,
profanity and vulgar, low-brow humor, such as a hot fire poker being jabbed into someone's rear
end.

Morality and Human Nature

The Knight, the Man of Law, the Wife of Bath, the Clerk, the Franklin, the Prioress, the
Nun's Priest, the Parson, the Merchant and the Second Nun, all tell morality tales. These
characters' stories emphasize their moral values, or a struggle that each individual has endured.
The Knight, for example, speaks at length on matters of chivalry while the Wife of Bath speaks
of the necessity of a submissive husband for a happy marriage. The Pardoner shares a tales of
morality concerning avarice, despite the acknowledgement of his own greed. At the end of his
tale, he offers the other travelers a chance to buy his wares, so that they may be pardoned for
their sins.
 The Canterbury Tales is more than a satire because the characters are fully
individualized creations rather than simple good or bad examples of some ideal type.
Characters such as the Monk and the Friar are able to offer a justification and a rationale
for their behavior, demonstrating that they have carefully considered how to go about
occupying their professions. Within each portrait, the narrator praises the character being
described in superlative terms. Though it is not always clear exactly how ironic the
narrator is being, the reader can perceive a difference between what each character should
be and what he or she is.