Geoffrey Chaucer's life and his works.

1. Geoffrey Chaucer - his life and works
(1340-1400)

2. About Geoffrey Chaucer’s birthday one
have no direct knowledge but it is
known that he was one of the greatest
English poets, famous for his
masterpiece “The Canterbury Tales”,
which represented one of the most
important influences on the
development of English literature.
Introduction

3. At Chaucer’s lifetime probably only five percent
of the population could read at all. He was no
professional writer but a public servant and a
courtier. The relationship between his writing and
his public life is unknown. But being mentioned no
less than 493 times in contemporary documents -
mostly lists of money paid out to people serving
the king or other powerful figures - gives us more
details about his life and show a very active
career.
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4. Between 1348 and 1349 the Black Death
claimed many victims. The pandemic
came from the Middle East with a boat of
dying sailors in October 1347. It
extended by infected rats, arrived in
towns at the coast of England in June
1348 and reached London in 1349.
Nearly the half of the 5 million England’s
inhabitants died within 8 months.
Chaucer and his family were fortunate to
escape infection of that. Regular
outbreaks of the plague followed in his
further life.
Chaucer was probably born in 1343 in
London - Thames Street, Dowgate
Hill, a site today covered by the
platform of Cannon Street Station. His
father John Chaucer, the son of
Robert le Chaucer, might have been a
successful wine merchant and an
important member of the business
community there. About Geoffrey’s
mother only the name Alice is known.
He was the only son of them. Being
educated well, Chaucer probably was
not sent to a university.

5. In 1357 Geoffrey served as a page in the household of the young
Prince Lionel where he learned the skills of the ruling class. Two
years later he got the right to fight for the king. So he went to
France in a small company led by Prince Lionel, serving through the
final Edwardian Invasion which ended in the peace of Bretigny in
1360. In France he was taken prisoner at a place called “Retters”
but was liberated on ransom in March 1360. The following 6 years
of his life are not documented. Maybe he followed Prince Lionel to
Ireland or went into the king’s service. In 1366 he visited Spain.

6. The same year he married Philippa de Roet, the daughter of Sir
Payne Roet. Maybe this was no happy marriage. They probably had
a daughter and two sons - Thomas and “litel sonne Lowys”
(Lewis), for whom the “Treatise on the Astrolabe” was written.
Geoffrey was fluent in French and Latin. His first experiment of
writing was a translation of the 13th-century French love-allegory
“The Romance of the Rose”. Provoked by the death of John of
Gaunt’s first wife Blanche, he wrote “The Book of the Duchess” in
1368. His first original work shows the influence of French poetry
and of Ovid, his most favorite poet.
Marriage with Philippia

7. In 1369 Chaucer wrote the
“Complaint of Pity” and joined the
army in France again. He made a
number of journeys abroad. The
turning point of his literary life
followed - he was sent to Italy.
Records show that he went to
Genoa and Florence in 1372/1373.
“Complaint of Pity” Chaucer might have learned Italian
from his father. At this time the first
steps in renaissance humanism had
been taken. He met Petrarch and
Boccacio there and probably spent
some time in the great libraries in
Italy in case of being allowed to view
them. Boccacio gave a series of
lectures on “Dante”. Geoffrey had to
control the wool customs in London in
1374. This was a difficult job, which
took a lot of time. He got the right to
live rent-free and received a pitcher
of wine from the king every day.

8. He composed “The House of Fame”. This work shows
influence from Boccacio’s “Dante”. Showing that Chaucer
was no popular writer, this book is preserved in a few
copies only. King Edward III died in 1377, less than a year
after the death of his eldest son Edward the Black Prince.
At the age of ten the Black Prince’s son became King
Richard II. In 1378 Chaucer went to France and Italy again
- this time on royal service. Returning from this visits he
brought copies of Boccacio’s “Filostrato” and “Teseida”.
Chaucer used “Teseida” in the fragment “Anelida and
Arcite”, “The Parliament of Fowls” and the “Knight’s
Tale”.

9. His work “The Parliament of Fowls” is preserved in 14 manuscripts - only a small part of the original
- and was more known than his previous works. It is written in the popular form of a dream-vision.
At the beginning of the poem Chaucer picks up Cicero’s “Dream of Scipio”. London was the main
focus of the so-called “Peasant’s Revolt” in 1381. This event reflected a wish for freedom and lower
wages. The rebels of Kent reached London in June.
They plundered the city and massacred a group of Flemish immigrants who took the work from
Londoners. They entered the Tower of London and murdered the Archbishop of Canterbury. Chaucer
began to write the unfinished work “The Legend of Good Women” in 1386. In this book he
emphasized that he was not against women - “Roman de la Rose” and “Troilus” gave a negative
picture of women. “Troilus and Criseyde” was written during 1381 and 1386. This was Geoffrey’s
first work that found admiration. Beneath the “Knight’s Tales” it was marked by the influence of
“Consolation of Philosophy” by Boethius. Owing to this influence it seems that he was translating
Boece - the standard medieval name for Boethius. At this time he also wrote the short poems “The
Former Age”, “Fortune”, “Truth”, “Gentilesse” and “Lak of Stedfastnesse”.

10. In the 1380s he became known among the literature circles of
London. A ‘Chaucer Circle’ might have been constituted by some
powerful men like John Clanvowe, who wrote the first
‘Chaucerian’ poem “The Book of Cupid”, Sir Lewis Clefford and Sir
Richard Stury. Resigning from his position as controller of the wool
custom, Geoffrey was active in society. He was elected as Member
of Parliament for Kent in 1386. The year before he had become a
member of the commission of the peace for Kent, a town near
London. For this job he left London and went to Kent. In 1387 his
wife died.
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11. After that he became clerk of the king in July 1389 and in the next year
commissioner of roads between Greenwich and Woolwich. This was a very
challenging position because he had to manage building and repairs on
the properties belonging to the king, e. g. the nave of Westminster Abbey,
built by Henry Yevele. The new wharf at the Tower of London was
constructed, too.
Geoffrey was involved in many diplomatic assignments to France, Italy
and Spain. He lost this job after two years but having these connections
to the king he had a yearly income of about £50 (equals £650 today).
From now on Chaucer lived in Greenwich where he did most of the work
on the “Canterbury Tales”. This unfinished work is unique for its variety,
humor, grace and realism. Records show that he had some problems with
small debts during the 1390’s because his income was irregular. That’s
why this was a hard time for him.

12. In 1398 he moved back to London and lived in Westminster in 1399
where he experienced the dramatic events of Richard’s defeat.
Richard tried to save the peace with France. Other Lords - including
his uncle Earl of Gloucester - were not pleased about that. In 1396
Richard married Isabella, the daughter of the king of France. On
October 13 in 1399 Bolingbroke was crowned King Henry IV. One year
later Richard was murdered in prison. Henry IV confirmed Chaucer
regular money but no money appeared. Needing the money, Geoffrey
sent a poem “The Complaint to his Purse” to the king. Owing to a
possible illness, Chaucer died on 25 October 1400 in London and was
buried in the south transept of Westminster Abbey.

13. .
Sources
Microsoft Encarta 98/99
Internet:
The New Encyclopedia Britannica
Greenwich 2000
The Cambridge History of English and
American Literature in 18 Volumes
The Geoffrey Chaucer Page
Catholic Encyclopedia