| Name: Geoffrey Chaucer | Birth Year: 1343 (approximate) |
| Gender: Male | Best Known For: English poet Geoffrey Chaucer wrote the unfinished work, 'The Canterbury Tales.' It is considered one of the greatest poetic works in English. |
| Industries: Fiction and Poetry | Death Year: 1400 |
| Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! | |
Who Was Geoffrey Chaucer?
In 1357, Geoffrey Chaucer became a public servant to Countess Elizabeth of Ulster and continued in that capacity with the British court throughout his lifetime. 'The Canterbury Tales' became his best-known and most acclaimed work. He died October 25, 1400, in London, England, and was the first to be buried in Westminster Abbey’s Poet’s Corner.
Early Life
Geoffrey Chaucer was born circa 1340, most likely at his parents’ house on Thames Street in London, England. Chaucer’s family was of the bourgeois class, descended from an affluent family who made their money in the London wine trade. According to some sources, Chaucer’s father, John, carried on the family wine business.
Geoffrey Chaucer is believed to have attended the St. Paul’s Cathedral School, where he probably first became acquainted with the influential writing of Virgil and Ovid.
In 1357, Chaucer became a public servant to Countess Elizabeth of Ulster, the Duke of Clarence’s wife, for which he was paid a small stipend—enough to pay for his food and clothing. In 1359, the teenage Chaucer went off to fight in the Hundred Years’ War in France, and at Rethel he was captured for ransom. Thanks to Chaucer’s royal connections, King Edward III helped pay his ransom. After Chaucer’s release, he joined the Royal Service, traveling throughout France, Spain and Italy on diplomatic missions throughout the early to mid-1360s. For his services, King Edward granted Chaucer a pension of 20 marks.
In 1366, Chaucer married Philippa Roet, the daughter of Sir Payne Roet, and the marriage conveniently helped further Chaucer’s career in the English court.
Public Service
By 1368, King Edward III had made Chaucer one of his esquires. When the queen died in 1369, it served to strengthen Philippa’s position and subsequently Chaucer’s as well. From 1370 to 1373, he went abroad again and fulfilled diplomatic missions in Florence and Genoa, helping establish an English port in Genoa. He also spent time familiarizing himself with the work of Italian poets Dante and Petrarch along the way. By the time he returned, he and Philippa were prospering, and he was rewarded for his diplomatic activities with an appointment as Comptroller of Customs, a lucrative position. Meanwhile, Philippa and Chaucer were also granted generous pensions by John of Gaunt, the first duke of Lancaster.
In 1377 and 1388, Chaucer engaged in yet more diplomatic missions, with the objectives of finding a French wife for Richard II and securing military aid in Italy. Busy with his duties, Chaucer had little time to devote to writing poetry, his true passion. In 1385 he petitioned for temporary leave. For the next four years he lived in Kent but worked as a justice of the peace and later a Parliament member, rather than focusing on his writing.
When Philippa passed away in 1387, Chaucer stopped sharing in her royal annuities and suffered financial hardship. He needed to keep working in public service to earn a living and pay off his growing accumulation of debt.
Major Works: 'The Canterbury Tales'
The precise dates of many of Chaucer’s written works are difficult to pin down with certainty, but one thing is clear: His major works have retained their relevancy even in the college classroom of today.
- Parliament of Fouls: Written around 1380 during marriage negotiations between Richard and Anne of Bohemia. It is a study of Christian love with Neo-Platonic influences, using allegory, irony, and satire.
- Troilus and Criseyde: Written in the mid-1380s, it retells the tragic love story of Troilus and Criseyde in the context of the Trojan War, using the rime royal technique.
- The Legend of Good Women: Uncertain completion date, possibly related to Richard II’s wife, Anne of Bohemia. Uses iambic pentameter couplets.
- The Canterbury Tales: Chaucer’s best-known work, originally intended to have 120 stories but completed with 24 tales. Known for its varied characters and satirical wit.
- A Treatise on the Astrolabe: An essay on the astrolabe, a scientific tool, completed in two parts.
Later Life
From 1389 to 1391, after Richard II had ascended to the throne, Chaucer held a draining and dangerous position as Clerk of the Works. He was robbed by highwaymen twice while on the job, which only served to further compound his financial worries. To make matters even worse, Chaucer had stopped receiving his pension. Chaucer eventually resigned the position for a lower but less stressful appointment as sub-forester, or gardener, at the King’s park in Somersetshire.
Death
Geoffrey Chaucer died on October 25, 1400, in London, England, at the age of 57 or 58. He was buried in Westminster Abbey, becoming the first to be interred in what would later become Poet’s Corner.
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