Chaucer's Life and Times

Chaucer’s Life and Times
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September 18, 2022
Understanding the relationship between an artist and the context of the time where he lived is essential for any reader. It allows him to better appreciate the works done by an author and apply the same to others. In line with this, this article would like to focus on the life of Geoffrey Chaucer, an English poet, and author who lived in the 1300s. Chaucer is widely known among readers as the author of the Canterbury Tales and is regarded as the Father of English Poetry (Hopkins & Mason). In the succeeding sections of this article, I will focus on the life of Chaucer and why his work stood out among others. All in all, I believe that Chaucer was a man ahead of his own time because of how he used stories and their elements to focus on things that were neglected during those times.
 
The Canterbury Tales
The Canterbury Tales is Chaucer's most famous work. Despite the difficulties of the period, this work included twenty-four stories involving different plots, settings, and characters. Some of the most famous stories that were included in this collection are The Wife of Bath, The Miller's Tale, and The Merchant's Tale, among others. Most of these stories have their own moral lessons, which were then adapted into the popular culture even until the present-day period. 
 
Chaucer's Progressive Nature
One of the reasons why Chaucer is considered progressive is because of his ability to point out societal and political issues in subtle ways. Remember that Chaucer lived in the 1300s, which was characterized by various famines, plagues, and disasters, including the Black Death and the Great Famine. These troubled times were even more difficult because the monarchy made it difficult for social mobility, and those at the bottom were left to fend for themselves (Brumafriend). Nonetheless, while it is true that fighting against a corrupt society is difficult and fatal, Chaucer found a way to point them out in subtle ways. For example, several stories in the Canterbury Tales included various satirical narratives and stories about how the Church has oppressed society. This includes the utilization of a corrupt friar, an impious monk, or a corrupt authoritative figure in his character list in contrast to what society expected them to be – chaste, pious, and celebrate, among others—accordingly, the main reason for shedding light on these high-ranking officials' transgressions. 
Another reason why I believe that Chaucer is progressive relative to this time was his feminist views. Although they are subtle, scholars have noted that Chaucer's works espouse an early kind of feminism (proto-feminism). One example of this is his work entitled The Wife of Bath, which gave voice to three pilgrims, namely (1) the priestess, (2) the Wife of Bath, and (3) the Second Nun (Lewis). This characterization and act of giving voice to women characters were ahead of his own time sin...