The Canterbury TalesThis classic work of medieval literature features the pious and profane stories of commoners on a pilgrimage in fourteenth-century England. One of the most famous works of literature written in Middle English, The Canterbury Tales were penned by Geoffrey Chaucer, who was widely regarded as the greatest poet of his time. The stories “run the gamut of tales known to people in the Middle Ages and include ribald stories such as the ‘Miller’s Tale’ and the ‘Reeve’s Tale’; medieval romances set against ancient backgrounds such as the ‘Knight’s Tale’; animal fables such as the ‘Nun’s Priest’s Tale’; Arthurian legends such as the ‘Wife of Bath’s Tale’; saint’s lives such as the “Prioress’ Tale”; and the “Second Nun’s Tale”; tragic tales, sort of, such as the Monk’s Tale’; and cautionary tales, such as the Pardoner’s Tale.’ . . . It is rightly considered one of the masterworks of English literature” (The Kansas City Public Library). “A raucous read.” —The Guardian |
Contents
The Millers Tale | |
The Man of Laws Tale | |
The Wife of Baths Tale | |
The Sompnours Tale | |
The Clerks Tale | |
The Merchants Tale | |
The Squires Tale | |
The Franklins Tale | |
The Doctors Tale | |
The Pardoners Tale | |
The Shipmans Tale | |
Chaucers Tale of Meliboeus | |
The Nuns Priests Tale | |
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Common terms and phrases
adown Aeolus Anglo-Saxon anon answer'd Arcite array bliss Canterbury Tales certes Chaucer cheer Christ clerk counsel Court of Love Cressida cuckoo daughter dear death doth dread ev’ry eyen fair false fame farforth fast French gentle glad Godde’s gold grace hast hath heard heart hight holy honour House of Fame king knew Knight's Tale lady lord lovers manner marriage Meliboeus mercy natheless never night noble owen pain Palamon Pandarus pity pleasance poem poet pray privily Prologue queen quoth Reeve's Tale Saint saith sapience sayn sing slain Sompnour sooth sore sorrow soul spake speak sunne sweet swived tale tell Thebes thee Theseus thilke thine thing thou shalt thought told took Troilus Troilus and Cressida trow tway unto Venus weened weep wife wight wise wist woman women word worthy y-wis