As the first great English poet, Geoffrey Chaucer has etched out a tradition of English literary brilliance. From stem to Stern, Chaucer's cheerful and diverse poetry stands apart from other British writers. Between colorful and humorous verse and tale, Chaucer creates a picture of man in his society. The Canterbury tales, Chaucer's defining work, integrates Chaucerian whit, paradox and color into a quilt of medieval social strata. Chaucer played not the part of the poet Baird but of the watchful investigator. The Canterbury Tales represent Chaucer's investigation into the social and moral contradictions of human individuals in medieval society.

Geoffrey Chaucer's 14th century existence created atmosphere, experience and opportunity that allowed Chaucer to delve into the character of the individual and examine the relationship between human ideals and human realities. Chaucer lived in a unique position through out his life that allowed him to bridge the wide canyon between the remote aristocracy and the sometimes volatile lower class. Chaucer was born into the upper middle class, a social strata that was mostly unacknowledged. The Medieval middle class was

The aspect of judgment in the Canterbury Tales is complex. Through out the tales and the prologue Chaucer refrains from directly condemning the crudeness and immorality of the Pilgrims. Instead Chaucer defers judgment to the reader. Chaucer however does not abandon the reader. Chaucer leads his reader down the path of judgment through careful description, satire and irony.

Theoretically the pilgrimage itself is religious and spiritual journey. It was also a relatively common occurrence in the 14th century. It is interesting that Chaucer chooses this vehicle to transport his message. The travelers are far from devout and it does not seem that their gayety and loose demeanor are fitting for a spiritual awakening. It is especially ironic that the religious individuals of the pilgrimage are indeed the most secular and hypocritical and in need of moral cleansing with the exception of the parson.

"In the Chaucerian universe, the guarantee of truth is the level of authority that can be attributed to the origin of the thing told. (Brother Anthony, 3)"

Chaucerian literature is characterized by emphasis on the individual. Through colorful and shrewd description Chaucer paints an image of each pilgrim in the Canterbury tales. It is through each individual that Chaucer attempts to represent the whole of society. Chaucer recognizes the need for each individual to unite into the whole society.

International Medieval Congress, University of Leeds: July 9, 1996

Van Eyk, Shaun. "Friar vs Summoner." http://www.wsu.edu/-shaun/friarvs.html

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1927
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)