The Canterbury Tales: A RetellingA fresh, modern prose retelling captures the vigorous and bawdy spirit of Chaucer’s classic Renowned critic, historian, and biographer Peter Ackroyd takes on what is arguably the greatest poem in the English language and presents the work in a prose vernacular that makes it accessible to modern readers while preserving the spirit of the original. A mirror for medieval society, Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales concerns a motley group of pilgrims who meet in a London inn on their way to Canterbury and agree to take part in a storytelling competition. Ranging from comedy to tragedy, pious sermon to ribald farce, heroic adventure to passionate romance, the tales serve not only as a summation of the sensibility of the Middle Ages but as a representation of the drama of the human condition. Ackroyd’s contemporary prose emphasizes the humanity of these characters—as well as explicitly rendering the naughty good humor of the writer whose comedy influenced Fielding and Dickens—yet still masterfully evokes the euphonies and harmonies of Chaucer’s verse. This retelling is sure to delight modern readers and bring a new appreciation to those already familiar with the classic tales. |
Contents
The Knights Tale Heere bigynneth the Knyghtes Tale | |
The Millers Prologue Heere folwen the wordes bitwene the Hoost and | |
The Reeves Prologue The prologe of the Reves Tale | |
The Man of Laws Prologue The wordes of the Hoost to the compaignye | |
The Epilogue to the Man of Laws Tale | |
The Wife of Baths Tale Heere bigynneth the Tale of the Wyfof Bathe | |
The Summoners Prologue The Prologe of the Somonours Tale | |
The Clerks Prologue Heere folweth the Prologe of the Clerkes Tale of Oxenforde | |
The Merchants Prologue The Prologe of the Marchantes Tale | |
The Merchants Epilogue | |
The Franklins Prologue The Prologe of the Frankeleyns Tale | |
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Common terms and phrases
Absolon Aella Alison Arcite asked Athens began bird blessed Bruges canon Chanticleer child Christ Constance course Dame Damian dark tower daughter dear death Dorigen dream earth Emily everything eyes faith father feast fire Fortune friar Genghis Khan give gold Griselda hand happened happy Harry Bailey heard heart heaven hell holy honour horse husband killed king kiss knew knight lady lament listen live looked lord Manciple marquis marriage married master miller monk never Nicholas noble oath once Osney Abbey Palamon Petrarch pilgrims pity poor pray priest Prologue replied ride rode Saint Saint Cecilia Saluzzo secret servant sing soon sorrow story summoner sure swear sweet Syria tell Thebes Theseus thing Tiburce told took tree truth turned Valerian virgin wife Wife of Bath wine wish wives woman women words young