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If you are preparing for the UGC-NET English Literature exam, you must have read the works of Geoffrey Chaucer, who is commonly known as the father of English Literature. It probably marks the beginning of writing in English. If you are taking online UGC-NET classes or offline classes at the best UGC-NET coaching in Delhi, Sahitya Classes, you must have been introduced to the writer of The Canterbury Tales in great detail by Prof. Vineet Pandey. Let us meet our author of the day, Sir Geoffrey Chaucer! At the end of this blog, you will also get to know some interesting facts about the author in the form of questions and answers. Why not try something fun? Come on! Let’s get started.

Who is Geoffrey Chaucer?

Chaucer (c. 1340–1400) is widely considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages. He is widely known for his work The Canterbury Tales and was the first poet to be buried in Poets’ Corner of Westminster Abbey. He was among the first authors to write extensively in Middle English, helping to establish it as a legitimate language for literature. Furthermore, he used iambic pentameter and introduced rhyming couplets which deeply impacted English poetry later on. His use of humour, irony, and deep understanding of human nature paved the way for future writers like Shakespeare.

His works:

1. The Canterbury Tales

• Overview: This is Chaucer’s most celebrated work, a collection of 24 tales presented as part of a storytelling competition among pilgrims traveling to Canterbury.
• Themes: It explores a wide range of themes, including love, corruption, morality, and the complexity of human nature.
• Style: Chaucer employed a variety of literary forms and genres, such as fabliaux, romances, and sermons.
• Significance: The work offers a cross-section of medieval society, showcasing characters from different social classes.

2. Troilus and Criseyde

• A tragic love story set during the Trojan War, this poem is a masterpiece of psychological realism and emotional depth.

3. The Book of the Duchess

• An elegy mourning the death of Blanche, Duchess of Lancaster, this is one of Chaucer’s earlier works.

4. The House of Fame

• A dream vision exploring themes of fame, poetry, and the nature of human achievement.

5. Parliament of Fowls

• A humorous and philosophical exploration of love and choice, often associated with Valentine’s Day.

Famous Lines of Geoffrey Chaucer

“But at the laste, as every thing hath edne” (All things must end.) – Troilus and Criseyde

“The devil can only destroy those who are already on their way to damnation.”- The Canterbury Tales

“What is better than wisdom? Woman. And what is better than a good woman? Nothing.” –The Canterbury Tales

“Time and tide wait for no man.”

“The greatest scholars are not usually the wisest people.”

“The life so brief, the art so long in the learning, the attempt so hard, the conquest so sharp, the fearful joy that ever slips away so quickly – by all this I mean love, which so sorely astounds my feeling with its wondrous operation, that when I think upon it I scarce know whether I wake or sleep.”

“Many a true word is spoken in jest.”- The Reeve’s Prologue and Tale

“Truth is the highest thing that man may keep.”

“He who accepts his poverty unhurt I’d say is rich although he lacked a shirt. But truly poor are they who whine and fret and covet what they cannot hope to get.”

“The guilty think all talk is of themselves.”- The Canterbury Tales

“Strike while the iron is hot.” – Troilus and Criseyde: A New Translation

“Great peace is found in little busy-ness.”

“I am not the rose, but I have lived near the rose.”

“Forbid us something, and that thing we desire.”
“ Women naturally desire the same six things as I; they want their husbands to be brave, wise, rich, generous with money, obedient to the wife, and lively in bed.”-The Canterbury Tales

“The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne.” – The Parliament of Fowls l.

“It is nought good a sleping hound to wake.”

“Patience is a conquering virtue.”-The Canterbury Tales

“For there is one thing I can safely say: that those bound by love must obey each other if they are to keep company long. Love will not be constrained by mastery; when mastery comes, the God of love at once beats his wings, and farewell he is gone. Love is a thing as free as any spirit; women naturally desire liberty, and not to be constrained like slaves; and so do men, if I shall tell the truth.”-The Canterbury Tales

“Many small make a great.”-The Canterbury Tales

“Mercy surpasses justice.”- Troilus and Criseyde

“First he wrought, and afterwards he taught.”-The Canterbury Tales

“In the stars is written the death of every man.”

“If a man really loves a woman, of course he wouldn’t marry her for the world if he were not quite sure that he was the best person she could possibly marry.”

“With empty hand no man can lure a hawk.” –The Canterbury Tales

“Death is the end of every worldly pain.” – The Canterbury Tales

“Full wise is he that can himselven knowe.”- The Canterbury Tales

“And so it is in politics, dear brother, Each for himself alone, there is no other.”- The Canterbury Tales

“Woe to the cook whose sauce has no sting.”

“The fields have eyes, and the woods have ears.”

“Remember in the forms of speech comes change Within a thousand years, and words that then Were well esteemed, seem foolish now and strange; And yet they spake them so, time and again, And thrived in love as well as any men; And so to win their loves in sundry days, In sundry lands there are as many ways.” – Troilus and Cressida

“Habit maketh no monk, ne wearing of gilt spurs maketh no knight.”

“In April the sweet showers fall And pierce the drought of March to the root, and all The veins are bathed in liquor of such power As brings about the engendering of the flower.”

“One shouldn’t be too inquisitive in life Either about God’s secrets or one’s wife.”

“How potent is the fancy! People are so impressionable, they can die of imagination.”

Some MCQs on Geoffrey Chaucer

Chaucer’s works are so inspiring. Aren’t they? Quite deep, philosophical, full of imagery, and wisdom. Now, you must get ready to answer some questions related to him. Are you ready? Here are quiz questions:

1. Chaucer’s first work The Book of Duchess is a dream poem on the death of …………
2. Duchess of Malfi
3. Duchess of Paris
4. Duchess of Scotland
5. Duchess of Lancaster

Ans: D

Explanation: The Book of the Duchess is Geoffrey Chaucer’s first major work, an elegiac dream vision poem written in the late 1360s. It was composed to mourn the death of Blanche of Lancaster, the wife of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. Blanche died in 1368, and the poem is thought to have been written shortly afterward as a tribute to her. The poem is written in octosyllabic couplets (lines of eight syllables each, rhyming in pairs). It contains approximately 1,334 lines.

Plot Summary

The poem begins with the narrator, who suffers from insomnia caused by an undefined sadness. To distract himself, he reads a story about Ceyx and Alcyone from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Inspired by the tale, the narrator eventually falls asleep and has a dream.

In his dream, he finds himself in a beautiful forest on a May morning. He encounters a knight dressed in black, who is mourning the loss of his beloved lady. The knight, through a series of dialogues with the narrator, reveals the depth of his grief and gradually discloses that his beloved lady is dead. The dream ends abruptly with the narrator waking up, leaving the reader to reflect on the knight’s sorrow.

2. One of the most flexible meters, ……….. is a five-foot line. It was introduced by Chaucer in the 14^th century and has become the most commonly used meters in English poetry.
3. Iambic
4. Trochaic
5. Hexameter
6. Pentameter

Ans: D

3. How many legends of good women could Chaucer complete in his The Legend of Good Women?
4. Six
5. Seven
6. Eight
7. Nine

Ans: D

Explanation: The Legend of Good Women is a poem written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the late 14th century. It is one of his dream vision works, known for celebrating the virtues of women who remained loyal and faithful in love, often at great personal cost. Although it is considered an unfinished work, it demonstrates Chaucer’s mastery of narrative and characterization.

Overview

• Form: The poem is primarily written in iambic pentameter couplets, also known as “heroic couplets.”
• Length: Approximately 2,700 lines.
• Genre: Dream vision, framed narrative.
• Date: Likely written between 1386 and 1388.

Structure and Framework

The poem has two main parts:

1. The Prologue:
   • The narrator (often considered Chaucer himself) begins by describing his love of books and flowers, especially daisies, which he associates with purity and love.
   • The narrator is visited in a dream by the god of love (Amor) and his queen, Alceste.
   • Amor accuses the narrator of writing works that criticize women, such as Troilus and Criseyde and possibly The Canterbury Tales. To atone, the narrator must compose a poem praising faithful women.
2. The Legends:
   • A series of stories about famous women from history and mythology, celebrated for their fidelity and sacrifices in love.
   • Only nine legends are included, though Chaucer may have intended to write more.

The Nine Legends

Each legend focuses on a woman who was steadfast and faithful, often at great personal loss:

1. Cleopatra:
   • The Queen of Egypt, who remained loyal to her love, Antony, and committed suicide after his death.
2. Thisbe:
   • A tale of tragic love where Thisbe and Pyramus misunderstand each other’s fate, leading to their deaths.
3. Dido:
   • The Queen of Carthage, who falls in love with Aeneas but is abandoned by him and ultimately takes her own life.
4. Hypsipyle and Medea:
   • Two women betrayed by Jason of the Argonauts.
   • Hypsipyle is abandoned, and Medea is left heartbroken despite aiding Jason in his quest.

1. Lucretia:
   • A Roman noblewoman who takes her life after being raped, becoming a symbol of chastity and honour.
2. Ariadne:
   • Betrayed by Theseus after helping him escape the labyrinth.
3. Philomela:
   • A victim of rape and betrayal who is transformed into a nightingale after her suffering.
4. Phyllis:
   • A woman who hangs herself after being deceived by her lover Demophon.
5. Hypermnestra:
   • The only one of the 50 daughters of Danaus who spares her husband on their wedding night, defying her father’s orders.

4. Chaucer depicted seven deadly sins in The Canterbury Tales. Which of the following sins was not mentioned by him?
5. Jealousy
6. Lust
7. Envy
8. Homicide

Ans: A & D

Explanation: The seven deadly sins—pride, envy, wrath, sloth, greed, gluttony, and lust—are key themes interwoven throughout Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. These sins serve as moral and social critiques, revealing the flaws of Chaucer’s characters and offering insights into the vices of medieval society.

1. Pride (Superbia)

• Example: The Pardoner’s Prologue and Tale
  • The Pardoner himself embodies pride. He boasts about his ability to deceive people and exploit their faith for financial gain.
  • The three rioters in his tale are also proud, believing they can conquer death. Their arrogance ultimately leads to their demise.
• Commentary: Chaucer critiques the destructive nature of pride and its role in corrupting both individuals and institutions like the Church.

2. Envy (Invidia)

• Example: The Reeve’s Tale
  • The Reeve’s envy towards the Miller (from The Miller’s Tale) drives him to craft a tale that humiliates millers as a class.
  • In The Merchant’s Tale, characters like January exhibit envy by mistrusting others and fearing betrayal in marriage.
• Commentary: Envy fosters bitterness and discord, disrupting social harmony.

3. Wrath (Ira)

• Example: The Friar’s Tale and The Summoner’s Tale
  • Wrath is a driving force behind the feud between the Friar and the Summoner. Each uses their tale to attack and mock the other.
  • The summoner in The Friar’s Tale is consumed by anger and vindictiveness, collaborating with a devil to extort people.
• Commentary: Wrath blinds people to reason, leading to self-destruction and fractured relationships.

4. Sloth (Acedia)

• Example: The Clerk’s Tale
  • The tale’s protagonist, Griselda, endures incredible hardships without protest, which some critics interpret as an exaggerated form of submission or spiritual sloth.
  • In The Parson’s Tale, sloth is explicitly condemned as a failure to fulfill spiritual duties.
• Commentary: Chaucer examines sloth not only as laziness but also as complacency in moral and spiritual matters.

5. Greed (Avaritia)

• Example: The Pardoner’s Tale
  • The Pardoner’s greed drives his corrupt practices, as he sells false relics and indulgences.
  • In the tale itself, greed is the central theme: three rioters, seeking to claim a hidden treasure, end up killing one another.
• Commentary: Greed is portrayed as the root of all evil, destroying trust and leading to death.

6. Gluttony (Gula)

• Example: The Pardoner’s Tale
  • The Pardoner criticizes gluttony as a sin that leads to moral decay, even though he himself is guilty of indulgence.
  • In The Miller’s Tale, characters like the Miller are associated with excessive drinking and feasting.
• Commentary: Gluttony is linked to a loss of self-control and a gateway to other sins.

7. Lust (Luxuria)

• Example: The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale
  • The Wife of Bath openly celebrates her sexual freedom and past relationships, embodying both the sin of lust and a challenge to medieval gender norms.
  • In The Miller’s Tale, lust drives the comic misadventures of the characters, leading to deception and humiliation.
• Commentary: Lust is presented in both humorous and cautionary ways, reflecting its dual role as both a natural impulse and a potential moral failing.

5. One of the lesser known and acknowledged distinctions of The Canterbury Tales is that:
6. It upheld the idea the we can’t divorce poetry from knowledge because poetry itself is an object of knowledge.
7. It married domesticity to divinity, the baker’s loaf with the bread of life.
8. It alerted us to the term auctor
9. Instead of revealing England’s divisions, it reveled in its diversity.

Ans: D

Explanation:

The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer is widely recognized for its rich depiction of a diverse group of pilgrims from various social, economic, and professional backgrounds. Rather than focusing on the divisions and conflicts within English society, Chaucer celebrates its variety through the unique stories, voices, and perspectives of the characters. This inclusivity highlights the cultural and social diversity of medieval England, making the work an extraordinary literary achievement.

Oops! We need to end this quiz session here! If you want more questions on these topics, join our test series. For strategic UGC-NET English exam preparation, you may also consider joining the best UGC NET coaching institute, Sahitya Classes. At Sahitya Classes, you will not just explore works of famous writers but you will also learn some fascinating and controversial facts about authors and their works from the two-times JRF holder, Prof. Vineet Pandey. Prof. Pandey is known for his fun-filled pedagogy wherein he uses day-to-day experiences of life to make you understand certain literary concepts or literary theories so that you can remember them easily while giving the exam. He will often focus on covering every aspect of the UGC-NET English Literature syllabus. While helping you understand the literary texts, he will cover the historical, political, and other contexts relevant to the texts. This will help you gain a deeper understanding of the literary texts.

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