The History of English Podcast Episode 127: The Road to Canterbury
Jul 24, 2019
Discover the background and opening passages of Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, delve into Chaucer's political involvement and retirement, explore the pronunciation variations of Middle English, uncover the etymology of the word 'courage', and dissect the significance of the famous opening passage and introduction of pilgrims
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Enduring Cultural Legacy
- The Canterbury Tales remains widely known and culturally influential centuries after Chaucer wrote it.
- Michael McClure even read the opening lines in Middle English at The Last Waltz film, showing its pop-culture reach.
Politics Drove Chaucer To Kent
- Political turmoil around Richard II pushed Chaucer from court life toward Kent.
- His 1385 appointment as a Kent justice brought him onto the pilgrimage roads that inspired Canterbury.
Career Shift Likely Saved Chaucer
- Chaucer left his customs job and London amid rising opposition to King Richard II.
- That move likely spared him from the Merciless Parliament's purge of royal allies.