This document provides context about England during Geoffrey Chaucer's lifetime in the late 14th century. It describes some of the major social, political, and economic changes occurring then, including the breakdown of the feudal system after the Black Death killed one-third of the population. The rise of a landless working class and peasants' uprisings challenged the existing social order. Meanwhile, the English language was developing further as a literary medium, and Chaucer emerged as the preeminent writer of the Middle Ages in England.

1. ENGLAND DURING CHAUCER’S TIME
PRESENTATION BY MRS.DAYAMANI SURYA,
Research Associate, District Centre Scheme, English and
Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad

2. Chaucers England
ENGLAND 1340 AD TO 1400 AD
The English language was oppressed for
almost four hundred years. English Earls and
aristocracy lost their lands.
The most important change during the
lifetime of Chaucer was the breakup of the
feudal manor.
The Black Death (1349-50) killed about one
third of the English population.

3. The labour market divided itself between landless labourer and the
Yeoman farmer. Parliamentary Justices and Laws kept wages down
amongst landless labourers and this led to the Rising of 1391 AD.
The English ‘working man’ was born. Itinerant preachers such as
John Ball and tales of Robin Hood fuelled the Rising and other
forest based outlaws. Some of Wycliffe’s Lollard Preachers were
also involved.
The English state itself was changing. It has relied heavily on clergy
to do its administration. This kept the Pope very knowledgeable on
state affairs.
Wool was the chief export of the English. But, soon weaving itself
was enhanced by the advent of the Weavers’ Gilds in many towns

4. Geoffrey Chaucer (1343 – 25 October 1400)
He was known as the Father of English literature, is widely considered the greatest English poet of
the Middle Ages and was the first poet to have been buried in Poet's Corner of Westminster Abbey

5. ENGLISH AND ITS HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT
The invention of the printing press expanded education, communications, and the
awareness of social problems which resulted in a new epoch of universal knowledge and
interests.

6. A REPERTORIUM OF MIDDLE ENGLISH PROSE
The development of MIDDLE ENGLISH prose waited on the decline of French as the language of aristocracy and government and of
Latin as the dominant language of religion and learning. There was therefore little demand for vernacular prose in the Middle Ages and
as a result it was generally poorly structured in comparison with Latin. However, the vernacular sermon added persuasive rhetorical
strength to some English prose texts, notably in the writings of John WYCLIFFE, Geoffrey CHAUCER, and William CAXTON.

7. HISTORY OF ENGLISH
In Middle English name was pronounced "nam-a,"five was pronounced "feef," and down was
pronounced "doon." In linguistic terms, the shift was rather sudden, the major changes occurring
within a century. The shift is still not over, however, vowel sounds are still shortening although
the change has become considerably more gradual.

9. Writings in the Middle English period

11. Richard II meets the rebels on 13 June 1381 in a painting from Jean Froissart's Chronicles

12. Late 14th-century picture of Richard II

13. English soldiers landing in Normandy, c. 1380–1400, during the Hundred Years War

14. Sheep farming, from the Luttrell Psalter, c. 1320–40

15. Peasant long bowmen at practice, from the Luttrell Psalter, c. 1320–40

16. Priests blessing victims of the plague, c. 1360–75

17. Illustration of the Black Death from the Toggenburg Bible (1411)

18. The Great Plague of London, in 1665, killed up to
100,000 people

19. 15th-century representation of the cleric John Ball encouraging the rebels

20. Late 15th-century picture of the Tower of London and its keep, the
White Tower

21. Late 14th-century depiction of WIlliam Walworth killing Wat Tyler; the King is
represented twice, watching events unfold (left) and addressing the crowd (right)

22. An illustration from Vox Clamantis by John Gower, a poem
describing the revolt

23. 14th century rural scene of reeve directing serfs, Queen Mary's psalter

24. Historian William Stubbs, who considered the revolt "one of
the most portentous events in the whole of our history"

25. Henry IV of England

26. The Coronation of Henry IV of England. From a 15th-
century manuscript of Jean Froissart's Chronicles.

27. English Royalty
HOUSE OF LANCASTER

28. Coat of Arms of King Henry IV
(France Ancient)
Coat of Arms of King Henry IV
(France Modern)

29. Relation with Richard II
Richard FitzAlan, 11th Earl of Arundel; Thomas of Woodstock, 1st Duke of Gloucester;
Thomas de Mowbray, Earl of Nottingham; Henry, Earl of Derby (later Henry IV); and
Thomas de Beauchamp, 12th Earl of Warwick, demand Richard II to let them prove by
arms the justice for their rebellion

30. The Peasants' Revolt of 1381 was the uprising that saw tens of thousands of England's
poorest countrymen come close to overthrowing the establishment

31. The Romaunt of the Rose is a partial translation into Middle
English of the French allegory, the Roman de la Rose

32. Opening title of “The Dreame of Chaucer”, commonly
referred to as “The Book of the Duchess”, Geoffrey Chaucer's
first own work, which was written probably between 1368
and 1372; published 1532 in the first collected edition of
Chaucer’s works, edited by William Thynne.

33. House of Fame

34. Framing, both as an actual artistic method and as a topos, was widely used in
the Middle Ages, both in secular art and in works bent upon religious
instruction. For example, in The House of Fame, Geoffrey Chaucer describes
Josephus on a pillar framed by bearing on his shoulders “[t]he fame […] of the
Jewerye” (lines 1430-1436, 365)

35. House of Fame