To help students get started with their study of the Canterbury Tales, we have curated a collection of example essays that cover a wide range of topics and themes. These essays can be used as a source of inspiration for students who are looking to develop their own critical analysis and interpretation of the text.
Our collection of example essays covers a variety of topics, including the role of women in medieval society, social class, religious hypocrisy, and human nature. Each essay is well-researched, thought-provoking, and presents a unique perspective on the text.
We hope that our collection of example essays will inspire and guide students as they delve into the rich and complex world of the Canterbury Tales.
Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, written in the late fourteenth century, follows the story of over thirty characters on a pilgrimage who tell tales for game. Chaucer’s unfinished masterpiece is reminiscent of the era as to when Medieval society had begun to collapse due to changing classes and rising conflicts between groups. The story documents … Read more
Many authors utilize the allusion to classical mythological subjects to create a strong center of reference in terms of actual characters in the story. Medieval literature has many times been influenced by mythology in past tales. Using allusions to classic ancient mythological beings to guide readers interpretations, authors are able to create cohesive stories that … Read more
Geoffrey Chaucer, author of The Canterbury Tales and many other famous pieces of British Literature, has shown a special talent for writing from the views of different social classes in his literary works. Chaucer was able to accurately portray and break through every social class in his writings from lifelong experiences where he grew from … Read more
Ganim asserts that the Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales was “deeply implicated and interested in the burning issues of his day” (90) and Oberembt builds on this by stating that “we must, of course, affirm the omnipresence of misogyny in the Middle Ages and the anti-feminist bias of many great minds of this era” (287). However, in … Read more
Geoffrey Chaucer lived from 1343-1400, coincided with Middle Ages. His works were composed between 1374 and his death in 1400. He was a comptroller of wool for a living meaning writing was a pastime for him. William Shakespeare lived from 1564-1616, approximately two hundred years after Chaucer. Most of his plays and poetry were written … Read more
Marriage is not just a concept or a word to throw around. It is a feeling of love along with a public symbol of two people becoming one. Colossians 3:14: “And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” Two people bonded for life, after a few words … Read more
Bryan Ramos Plutro 12-2 Oct 20, 2017 “Certain, when I was born, so long ago, Death drew the tap of life and let it flow; And ever since the tap has done its task, And now there's little but an empty cask.” The 15th century for England included it’s up and downs.first the Black … Read more
Irony is the general name given to literary techniques that involve surprising, interesting, or amusing contradictions. 1 Two stories that serve as excellent demonstrations of irony are “The Pardoners Tale” and “The Nun’s Priest’s Tale,” both from Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. Although these two stories are very different, they both use irony to teach a lesson. Of the stories, … Read more
Dissecting love and marriage ideals is an impossible task because human actions in emotional situations do not follow any logic, something that has been proven consistently over time and across cultures and classes. It is also corroborated within Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, a tale of tales, that makes fun of the conventional beliefs about these … Read more
American poet Audre Lorde once wrote, “It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.” Throughout history, there have often been instances where people reject people or things who seem ‘alien’ and foreign to themselves and their own culture, often causing war and bloodshed. … Read more
Ekta Karkala Ms. Sherrard AP English Language, Period 4 December 10, 2018 WORD PICKS History or Herstory?: Undermining Credibility in “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” In medieval Europe, customary laws emerged as authoritative devices meant to restrict or grant rights. Customary laws favored men over women in all aspects, especially those regarding property, … Read more
In The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer uses a satirical frame narrative to describe thirty pilgrims’ journey to Canterbury. Included in these pilgrims is Chaucer himself as Chaucer the Pilgrim. The Canterbury Tales, a cross-section of fourteenth-century society, includes every class of society of the time, except royalty and serfs. Chaucer opens the story at the … Read more
In the late 1300’s, amidst the depression and continual war, an impending author and poet was born. Geoffrey Chaucer would be one of the greatest poets of the Middle English period, and would be given the titles, the “Father of English Literature,” and the “Greatest Poet of Medieval England.” Chaucer wrote many enriching works of … Read more
The function of a medieval allegory is to produce a moral lesson whilst disguising itself as a tale. J. R.R Tolkien said, ‘to be an ‘allegory’ a poem must as a whole, and with fair consistency, describe in other terms some event or process; its entire narrative and all its significant details should cohere and … Read more
Senior English 2 13, December 2018 Anglo Saxon and Medieval Era: Behavioral Aspects Although the Anglo Saxon and Medieval eras were two distinct and different time periods, they share the same use of literary behaviors in their writing. We can take note on this in examples such as “Beowulf”, a poem based on a fearless … Read more
What is an epic hero in the world of today and in the past as well? An epic hero is, a brave and noble character in an epic poem, who is admired for their great achievements. Over the years the term epic hero means a lot of different things throughout history from Beowulf to MacFlecknoe. … Read more
In British Literature, women had many responsibilities, but very few freedoms. The men in this society ruled over women and told them how to live their lives. Women of low classes were to stay in their homes and be housewives. The working class women were to work for their husbands while still caring for their … Read more
Davyon Duhart Albright Senior English 8 October 2017 Envy in Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Societies Medieval and Anglo-Saxon societies were both formed in different time periods but they seemed to have a lot more in common than one would expect. Humans in both of these eras had similar values and principles and they also seemed … Read more
Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales demonstrate many different attitudes toward and perceptions of marriage. Some of these ideas are very traditional, such as that discussed in the Franklin’s Tale, and others are more liberal such as the marriages portrayed in the Miller’s and the Wife of Bath’s Tales. While several of these tales are rather comical, … Read more
Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales is one of the most famous works of Middle English literature, and it has been influential in shaping the course of English literature since its completion in the late 14th century. Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales are a collection of 24 stories, written in verse, and are presented as part of a story-telling contest by a group of pilgrims on their way to Canterbury Cathedral.
Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343-1400) was a prominent English poet, writer, and philosopher. He is often referred to as the “father of English literature” because of his contributions to the development of the English language. Chaucer was a courtier in the service of King Edward III and later worked as a diplomat. During his lifetime, he wrote many works of poetry, prose, and philosophy, but his most famous work is the Canterbury Tales.
The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories that cover a wide range of topics and themes, including love, marriage, religion, social class, and human nature. The tales offer a vivid portrayal of life in medieval England and provide an insightful commentary on the human condition.
One of the main themes of the Canterbury Tales is the role of women in medieval society. Many of the tales focus on the experiences of women, and Chaucer often presents them as strong and independent characters. For example, the Wife of Bath, a character in the Canterbury Tales, challenges traditional gender roles by insisting on her right to marry multiple times and have control over her own sexuality.
Another key theme of the Canterbury Tales is social class and the complex relationships between people of different classes. Chaucer explores the lives and perspectives of characters from all levels of society, from the wealthy and powerful to the poor and marginalized.
The Canterbury Tales also contains a strong religious component. The pilgrims are on a religious journey to visit the shrine of Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral, and many of the tales focus on religious themes and morality. However, Chaucer often challenges traditional religious beliefs and presents characters who are hypocritical or morally flawed.
Despite being written over 600 years ago, the Canterbury Tales still hold significant relevance today. Many of the themes and issues that Chaucer explored are still relevant to contemporary society. For example, the role of women in society, social class, and religious hypocrisy are still topics of debate and discussion.
In addition, the Canterbury Tales continue to be a valuable source of insight into the language, culture, and values of medieval England. They provide a glimpse into a bygone era and offer a window into the lives and experiences of people from all levels of society.
In conclusion, the Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer is a significant work of literature that continues to have relevance today. The tales offer a unique perspective on medieval life and explore a wide range of themes and issues that are still relevant today. Chaucer’s writing is insightful, witty, and often provocative, and his characters remain some of the most memorable and enduring in English literature.
Here are some important points that students should consider when writing essays about The Canterbury Tales:
