GEOFFREY CHAUCER: BIOGRAPHY AND WORKS - LITERATURE - 2025

Geoffrey Chaucer (c 1343 - 1400) was a 14th century writer, philosopher, and diplomat in England. He is known as the father of English literature and the greatest author of that language until the birth of the work of Shakespeare.

Chaucer is said to have found the true essence of the English language and was the greatest poet of his time. Author of works such as The Canterbury and Troilo y Crésida tales, in which he reflected his mastery and command of language, as well as his sensitivity when presenting the themes.

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He also collaborated in public service; he held high positions and earned the confidence of his sovereigns. Geoffrey Chaucer served as a courtier and diplomat to three kings, first to Edward III, then to Richard II, and finally to Henry IV.

The author did not dedicate himself solely to the humanities, as he had forays into the sciences, especially astronomy, an area in which Chaucer stood out and wrote a work which he entitled as A Treatise on the Astrolabe, dedicated to his son Lewis, who in the He was now ten years old.

He was always inclined to serve his kingdom, either through his work as a diplomat or through his literary work, since in both fields he stood out with an admirable performance.

As a diplomat he toured the European continent and in each destination he collected experiences and knowledge that contributed to his literary training.

Biography

Early years

Geoffrey Chaucer was born around 1343 in London. His father's name was John Chaucer and he came from a middle-class family that had raised himself thanks to the wine business. His mother, Agnes Copton, was also well off, having inherited several stores in London.

His father had good relations with the court as he had served as the king's butler and was part of Edward III's expedition to Flanders. The family surname came from the French word chausseur, which means shoemaker.

There are no records of the young Geoffrey Chaucer's education. However, it is known that apart from the command of his mother tongue, from early on he could speak fluently in French, and had notions of Latin and Italian.

Apparently, John Chaucer offered his son early as a royal service worker. In 1357 Geoffrey's name appears for the first time, then he was serving in the house of a daughter-in-law of Edward III.

In this way, young people like Geoffrey Chaucer were guaranteed access to the education provided for the court. In addition to that there they had the ability to create valuable contacts for their professions and occupations in the future.

Politics and diplomacy

During the Hundred Years War, Chaucer was taken prisoner at Reims and the English government paid £ 16 for his ransom, which in the 14th century was a large sum. He then continued under royal service and some historians believe that he may have been studying law, as was common.

From the year 1366 he was on diplomatic missions as an envoy of Eduardo III. The first location was Spain, but the next 10 years took Chaucer all over Europe.

Also in 1366 Geoffrey Chaucer married Philippa Pan, who like him served the Countess of Ulster. After the death of his mistress, Chaucer's wife passed under the command of King Edward III's consort, Philippa de Hainaut.

From 1367 he became yeoman of the king, since then he earned monthly income from his new position at court. His responsibilities also increased, as he was in charge of more personnel within the service to King Edward III.

In the 1370s a time of economic progress came to the Chaucer family. He continued working as a diplomatic envoy until in 1374 he obtained a position in the port of London, which for the first time in a long time removed him from the court, and this position was ratified in 1377 when Richard II ascended the English throne.

Literature

His first great work was The Book of the Duchess, an elegy for Blanche de Lancaster, who was the wife of John de Gaunt, a friend of Chaucer's. This work appears to have been written between the years 1368 and 1374.

Most of Geoffrey Chaucer's literary work was written while he served as Director of Customs in the Port of London between 1374 and 1386. This was one of the quietest and most prosperous times in Chaucer's life, who was always doomed to the needs of their kings.

In addition to his work as a writer and poet, Chaucer also did several translations. It seems that these works were the first that the English author received good comments related to his literary talent.

However, Chaucer did not limit himself to work as an author of poetry and literature with humanistic motifs, but also participated in scientific subjects in works such as Treatise of the Astrolabe, which describes the operation of the instrument in detail. That seems to have been the first technical text written in English.

Geoffrey Chaucer is recognized as the first English author to introduce the language to beautiful letters and to find the narrative voice that had not yet been explored in the British Isles by his predecessors.

Last years

In the 1390s Chaucer suffered various attacks and robberies, later he was assigned to the royal woods in Somerset. In addition, he received an annual pension from Richard III and it is said that at that time his work The Canterbury Tales was completed.

After Henry IV took the throne of England, the new sovereign ratified the pension that corresponded to Geoffrey Chaucer and increased it. Despite this, some doubt that he was paid since the writer was forced to mortgage one of his houses.

There are no exact data about his descendants, although it is believed that he had four children. One of them was an important landowner and held high positions in the kingdom, named Thomas Chaucer. The youngest appears to have been Lewis, to whom the Treatise on the Astrolabe was dedicated.

It is also believed that he was the father of two girls named Elizabeth and Agnes. Some think that several of these sons may actually have descended from John de Gaunt, although nothing supports that claim.

Death

Geoffrey Chaucer died on October 25, 1400. It is said that he may have been assassinated by enemies of the previous king, Richard II. He was buried at Westminster Abbey, London, and was thus the founder of Poets' Corner.

Literary work

Style

Geoffrey Chaucer appears to have gone through three stages. The former was largely influenced by French literature. Then he took the Italians as a reference and finally managed to find an English voice.

When he wrote Troilus and Cressida, Chaucer was in the middle of his evolution. He was deeply immersed in Italian classical works, probably after having known Boccaccio's work.

Later, when he wrote The Canterbury Tales, he was able to develop a much more personal style in keeping with the British temperament, loaded with humor and with allusions to themes that directly concerned England.

In this last work, Chaucer used the stories of pilgrims to make a journey through different genres, to touch on varied topics and from perspectives that could be dissimilar in an extensive narrative.

Influence

Geoffrey Chaucer's works have marked English literature since they appeared during the 15th century, when they were considered by his contemporaries a chair within the poetry that was being carried out then.

His style was copied by contemporaries and admired during the centuries that followed. So much so that his texts have been interpreted in modern English so that they can be understood by new generations.

Geoffrey Chaucer has had a vast influence on popular culture to this day. His work has served as a subject for operas, films and even television series. In addition, an asteroid and a lunar crater have been named in his honor.

Plays

Main works

- Translation from Roman de la Rose.

- Translation of the Consolation of the philosophy of Boecio under the title of Boece.

- Troilus and Criseyde.

- The Legend of Good Women.

- The Canterbury Tales.

- Treaty of the astrolabe.

Short poems

- Ballad to Rosamunda.

- An ABC.

- Chaucers Wordes unto Adam, His Owne Scriveyn.

- The Complaint unto Pity.

- The Complaint of Chaucer to his Purse.

- The Complaint of Mars.

- The Complaint of Venus.

- A Complaint to His Lady.

- The Former Age.

- Fortune.

- Gentilesse.

- Lak of Stedfastnesse.

- Lenvoy from Chaucer to Scogan.

- Lenvoy from Chaucer to Bukton.

- Proverbs.

- Uncle Rosemounde.

- Truth.

- Womanly Noblesse.

Poems of doubtful authorship

- Against Women Unconstant.

- A Balade of Complaint.

- Complaynt D'Amours.

- Merciles Beaute.

- The Equatorie of the Planets.

References

1. Castellano, P. and Orero Sáez de Tejada, C. (2000). Espasa Encyclopedia. Madrid: Espasa, Vol 5, pp. 2535.
2. Rossignol, Rosalyn (2006). Critical Companion to Chaucer: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work. New York: Facts on File. pp. 551, 613. ISBN 978-0-8160-6193-8.
3. Encyclopedia Britannica. (2018). Geoffrey Chaucer - English writer. Available at: britannica.com.
4. En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Geoffrey Chaucer. Available at: en.wikipedia.org.
5. Garcia-Pelayo and Gross, R. (1983). Little Larousse illustrated. Paris: Larousse, p. 1236.