Middle English literature from the 15th century was shaped by several important historical events, including the Crusades, the Great Schism in the Catholic Church, the Lollard heresy movement, and the Peasants' Revolt. One of the most famous works from this period is Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, a collection of stories told by pilgrims on a journey to Canterbury Cathedral. The Tales features fragments and stories told by various characters in a non-linear structure dependent on the storytellers rather than an overarching theme. It concludes with the Parson's lengthy treatise on the Seven Deadly Sins and Chaucer's retraction of his secular works.

1. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Middle English literature through the fifteenth
century. The historical events that shaped
English literature during this period were
equally monumental and many.

2. THE CRUSADES

3. THE GREAT SCHISM

4. LOLLARDY

5. THE PEASANTS’ REVOLT

6. THE CANTERBURY TALES
Ezra Winter, Canterbury tales mural (1939), Library of Congress John Adams
Building, Washington, D.C.

7. LANGUAGE
'Wepyng and waylyng,
care and oother sorwe
I knowe ynogh, on
even and a-morwe,'
Quod the Marchant,
'and so doon oother
mo
That wedded been
'Weeping and
wailing, care and
other sorrow
I know enough, in the
evening and in the
morning,'
said the
Merchant, 'and so
does many another
who has been
married.'

8. FRAGMENTS
• Fragment I(A)
• Fragment II(B1)
• Fragment III(D)
• Fragment IV(E)
• Fragment V(F)
• Fragment VI(C)
• Fragment VII(B2)
• Fragment VIII(G)
• Fragment IX(H)
• Fragment X(I)
TALES
• General Prologue, Knight, Miller, Reeve, Cook
• Man of Law
• Wife of Bath, Friar, Summoner
• Clerk, Merchant
• Squire, Franklin
• Physician, Pardoner
• Shipman, Prioress, Sir Thopas, Melibee,
•
• Monk, Nun's Priest
• Second Nun, Canon's Yeoman
• Manciple
• Parson
THE ORDER OF THE CANTERBURY TALES

9. THE STRUCTURE OF THE TALES
It is largely linear, with one story following another, it is also
much more than that. In the General Prologue, Chaucer
describes, not the tales to be told, but the people who will
tell them, making it clear that structure will depend on the
characters rather than a general theme or moral.

10. The Nun’s Priest’s Tale
• Chantacler, the rooster
• Pertelote, chanticler’s favorite wife
• The fox

11. The Second Nun’s Tale
• St Cecilia
• Valeriano
• Tiburce
• Maximo

12. The Canon’s Yeoman’s Tale
• The Yeoman tells a tale of how a canon defrauded a
priest by creating the illusion of alchemy using sleight
of hand.

13. The Parson’s Tale
The Parson delivers a lengthy treatise on the Seven Deadly Sins
Chaucer’s Retraction
He retracts and prays for forgiveness for all of his works dealing with secular
and pagan subjects, asking only to be remembered for what he has
written of saints’ lives and homilies.