Canterbury Tales | Geoffrey Chaucer | Book Summary 📖

Geoffrey Chaucer, widely known for "The Canterbury Tales," was not the first to use the vernacular (Middle English) in England for published works, but he was certainly one of the most influential in popularizing it. Before Chaucer, there were other writers who used Middle English or its precursors in their works.

One notable figure is John Wycliffe, who is best known for his translation of the Bible into English in the late 14th century. This was a significant step in making religious texts more accessible to the general populace, who were not fluent in Latin, the language traditionally used for scholarly and religious texts.

Other earlier works in Middle English include "Ormulum," a 12th-century work of biblical exegesis, and various Middle English romances and poems. However, these works did not have the same widespread impact as Chaucer's.

Chaucer's contribution was significant because he wrote in a vernacular that was accessible to a broad audience in England and he used it with great skill and artistry. His works, especially "The Canterbury Tales," demonstrated the richness and potential of English as a literary language at a time when Latin and French were dominant in literature. This helped pave the way for future writers to use English and contributed to its development as a literary language.

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The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer book summary!