The Canterbury Tales

Few books have withstood the test of time like Chaucer’s wildly original masterpiece, The Canterbury Tales. Still widely published, read and discussed over 600 years after its original publication, The Canterbury Tales is not only a window into the past but a powerful, funny, tragic, historical glimpse into life in Medieval times. Dive into engaging multimedia content on the text itself and how it shaped the modern English language.

Articles and Text

All England
One of the qualities that make Chaucer so lovable is that he seems to love us, the reader. Very few writers have shown more fondness for the loud business of life. Read how his work speaks for itself and shows nothing but love for people from all walks of life.
Source: The New Yorker


Chaucer left portions of ‘The Canterbury Tales’ unfinished. Northeastern London professor thinks she knows why
When Geoffrey Chaucer died in 1400, he left behind one of the seminal works in English literature unfinished. He also left behind a mystery. In several versions of the Tales there are blank pages where the narrative abruptly cuts off, leaving an unfinished story with little potential for resolution. Discover why one scholar thinks this may have been a deliberate choice.
Source: Northeastern University


The Canterbury Tales
Explore the full text and modern translation, with explanatory notations, of Chaucer’s epic.
Source: Harvard University

A diverse collection of Chaucer's storytelling pilgrims from Canterbury

Videos

Everything You Need to Know to Read ‘The Canterbury Tales’
A portly Miller, barely able to sit on his horse, rambles on about the flighty wife of a crotchety old carpenter and the scholar she takes as her lover. This might sound like a joke, but it’s part of one of the most esteemed works of English literature ever created: The Canterbury Tales. Watch this video essay on everything you need to know to read Geoffrey Chaucer’s classic collection.
Source: TED-Ed


Course Hero: ‘The Canterbury Tales’
Browse these video study guides of Chaucer’s epic poem and each individual pilgrims tale from The Canterbury Tales, which provide a detailed summary and analysis of plot, characters, themes, and symbols.
Source: Course Hero


Christopher Cannon reads ‘Truth’ by Geoffrey Chaucer
It is not enough to simply read Middle English, it’s a whole other thing to hear it read aloud. Listen to Bloomberg Distinguished Professor Christopher Cannon, read Chaucer’s Truth in the original Middle english.
Source: Johns Hopkins University

Where Did English Come From?
When we talk about ‘English’, we often think of it as a single language. But what do the dialects spoken in dozens of countries around the world have in common with each other, or with the writings of Chaucer? Claire Bowern traces the language from the present day back to its ancient roots, showing how English has evolved through generations of speakers.
Source: TED-Ed

A title illustration for The Knights Tale from The Canterbury Tales