... Tales" Chaucer gives great insight into life in the 14th century. So much of Chaucer's power is in the sheer music of his lines, and in their energy and thrust. He was writing when English was at its most masculine and vigorous. We see the hypocrisy of the "genteel" people of the time. Chaucer uses sharp wit and occasional dirty humor to emphasize the moral ... for its range of genres, helped establish the English literary tradition. He transcends the boundaries of time; it is evident that his hypocrisy remains in today's society. "The Canterbury Tales", illuminated the nature of human ...

• Word Count: 279
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... on diplomatic missions to the Continent. From 1374 on he held a number of official positions, among them comptroller of customs on furs, skins, and hides for the port of London (1374-86) and clerk of the king's works (1389-91). To Chaucer's final period, in which he achieved perhaps his best writing ability, belongs his masterpiece, The Canterbury Tales, which was written mostly after ... and one on the way back. Together, the pilgrims represent a wide cross section of 14th-century English life. The pilgrims' tales include a variety of medieval genres from humorous to serious. These stor...

• Word Count: 695
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School