Chaucer

This course introduces you to the Father of English literature – Geoffrey Chaucer. Chaucer was the son of a wine merchant, a servant to three kings, a member of Parliament, and an inspired poet. He also was the first author to write in the English language – and what stories he wrote! Examples include The Canterbury Tales (a collection of racy narratives told by pilgrims for entertainment), Troilus and Criseyde (a tragic romance about two lovers separated by the Trojan War), and several dream visions like The Book of the Duchess, The Parliament of Fowls, The House of Fame, and The Legend of Good Women (all poems that explore the reality of waking existence through the subconscious of dreamers). We will examine Chaucer’s prodigious and learned output in the context of his own life and the historical turmoil of the mid- to late-fourteenth century that transformed it, focusing on the complex issues of religion, class, gender, sexuality, politics, and authorial influence with which Chaucer himself engages. Prerequisite: ENG 250. Also offered through European Studies.