If Chaucer were writing cautionary tales today, what subject might he write about and what lesson might he try to teach? Explain in 6-8 sentences.

a knowledge of both French and Italian literature

and culture.

Life As a Writer For the rest of his life, Chaucer

held a variety of governmental posts. Despite his

duties, he managed to produce a large body of

work. Many scholars divide his work into three

distinct periods. His early poetry, includes the

Book of the Duchess and the Romaunt of the Rose.

Later, he wrote the Parliament of Fowls and Troilus

and Criseyde. His most mature works, written in

his forties, include the Legend of Good Women and

The Canterbury Tales.

The Canterbury Tales The Canterbury Tales is

considered Chaucer’s masterpiece for several reasons. First, it marks the beginnings of a new tradition: Chaucer was the first writer to use English in

a major literary work. Secondly, it gives a picture

of a cross-section of society during the 1300s.

Finally, it is a detailed, lifelike, and engaging picture. Chaucer lets his characters speak as they

might actually talk. This was risky because they

did not always talk in a polite way, which could

offend some readers. Chaucer acknowledges this

fact himself:

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Explanation: