History Creator / GeoffreyChaucer

Geoffrey Chaucer (''Galfridus Chaucer'', ''El Jefe'', ''L.L. Cool Geoff'') (c. 1343 – 25 October 1400) was an English author, poet, philosopher, bureaucrat, courtier and diplomat. Although he wrote many works, he is best remembered for his unfinished [[FramingDevice frame narrative]] ''Literature/TheCanterburyTales''. Sometimes called the "father of English literature", Chaucer is widely credited as first demonstrating the artistic legitimacy of the vernacular (post-Conquest) ([[UsefulNotes/HistoryOfEnglish Late Middle]]) English language as opposed to French or Latin, and thus, he is the one who made stories accessible to the general, uneducated, illiterate-in-English-let-alone-Latin-or-French average Joe.[[note]]Pre-Conquest Old English was one of the major literary languages of its time; more manuscripts survive in Old English from the "[[TheLowMiddleAges Dark Ages]]" than in any other European language other than Latin or (Byzantine) Greek. But after 1066, the new Middle English was consistently seen as less-than.[[/note]] Chaucer's works were among the earliest printed in English, which did much to establish his southern dialect as "correct" written English. He is buried in the Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey. He is in fact the ''reason'' it is called the Poet's Corner. Of course, he owed his Westminster Abbey grave to his services to the crown, ''not'' his literary eminence.

Geoffrey Chaucer (''Galfridus Chaucer'', ''El Jefe'', ''L.L. Cool Geoff'') (c. 1343 – 25 October 1400) was an English author, poet, philosopher, bureaucrat, courtier and diplomat. Although he wrote many works, he is best remembered for his unfinished [[FramingDevice frame narrative]] ''Literature/TheCanterburyTales''. Sometimes called the "father of English literature", Chaucer is widely credited as first demonstrating the artistic legitimacy of the vernacular (post-Conquest) English language as opposed to French or Latin, and thus, he is the one who made stories accessible to the general, uneducated, illiterate-in-English-let-alone-Latin-or-French average Joe.[[note]]Pre-Conquest Old English was one of the major literary languages of its time; more manuscripts survive in Old English from the "[[TheLowMiddleAges Dark Ages]]" than in any other European language other than Latin or (Byzantine) Greek. But after 1066, the new Middle English was consistently seen as less-than.[[/note]] Chaucer's works were among the earliest printed in English, which did much to establish his southern dialect as "correct" written English. He is buried in the Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey. He is in fact the ''reason'' it is called the Poet's Corner. Of course, he owed his Westminster Abbey grave to his services to the crown, ''not'' his literary eminence.

Geoffrey Chaucer (''Galfridus Chaucer'', ''El Jefe'', ''L.L. Cool Geoff'') (c. 1343 – 25 October 1400) was an English author, poet, philosopher, bureaucrat, courtier and diplomat. Although he wrote many works, he is best remembered for his unfinished [[FramingDevice frame narrative]] ''Literature/TheCanterburyTales''. Sometimes called the "father of English literature", Chaucer is widely credited as first demonstrating the artistic legitimacy of the vernacular English language as opposed to French or Latin, and thus, he is the one who made stories accessible to the general, uneducated, illiterate-in-English-let-alone-Latin-or-French average Joe. Chaucer's works were among the earliest printed in English, which did much to establish his southern dialect as "correct" written English. He is buried in the Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey. He is in fact the ''reason'' it is called the Poet's Corner. Of course, he owed his Westminster Abbey grave to his services to the crown, ''not'' his literary eminence.

[[caption-width-right:347:[[Film/TwentyTwoJumpStreet My name ys Geoff.]]

* NeverFoundTheBody: ''No one'' knows what happened to Chaucer after King Henry IV took power. Most believe he was [[http://www.amazon.com/Who-Murdered-Chaucer-Medieval-Mystery/dp/0312335873 assassinated]] by the Church.
** It's sometimes suggested that Henry IV himself ordered Chaucer's death, but this was probably unlikely. While Henry ''did'' have most of Richard's court killed (and in fact, would have been content never having ''been'' king if Richard got rid of them himself), Chaucer was one of the exceptions, as he was a friend of Henry's father, John of Gaunt.
*** Chaucer and Gaunt were more than friends. They were family - Gaunt's mistress-turned-third wife, Katherine Swynford, was Chaucer's wife Philippa's sister, making them brothers-in-law.

'''Geoffrey Chaucer''' (''Galfridus Chaucer'', ''El Jefe'', ''L.L. Cool Geoff'') (c. 1343 – 25 October 1400) was an English author, poet, philosopher, bureaucrat, courtier and diplomat. Although he wrote many works, he is best remembered for his unfinished [[FramingDevice frame narrative]] ''Literature/TheCanterburyTales''. Sometimes called the "father of English literature", Chaucer is widely credited as first demonstrating the artistic legitimacy of the vernacular English language as opposed to French or Latin, and thus, he is the one who made stories accessible to the general, uneducated, illiterate-in-English-let-alone-Latin-or-French average Joe. Chaucer's works were among the earliest printed in English, which did much to establish his southern dialect as "correct" written English. He is buried in the Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey. He is in fact the ''reason'' it is called the Poet's Corner. Of course, he owed his Westminster Abbey grave to his services to the crown, ''not'' his literary eminence.

* UsefulNotes/TheTrojanWar: The setting of ''Troilus and Criseyde''.

->''[[KnightInShiningArmor A knyght ther was, and that a worthy man,]]''

->''[[CoolHorse To riden out, he loved chivalrie,]]''
->''[[ForGreatJustice Trouthe and honour, fredom and curteisie.]]''

As a character, Chaucer appears in ''[[AKnightsTale A Knight's Tale]]'', where he is played by Creator/PaulBettany.

As a character, Chaucer appears in ''[[AKnightsTale A Knight's Tale]]'', where he is played by Paul Bettany.

* TheTrojanWar: The setting of ''Troilus and Criseyde''.

[[GeoffreyChaucerHathABlog He hath a blog, too.]] [[https://twitter.com/LeVostreGC And eke doth tweet, by'r Lady!]]

'''Geoffrey Chaucer''' (''Galfridus Chaucer'', ''El Jefe'', ''L.L. Cool Geoff'') (c. 1343 – 25 October 1400) was an English author, poet, philosopher, bureaucrat, courtier and diplomat. Although he wrote many works, he is best remembered for his unfinished [[FramingDevice frame narrative]] ''Literature/TheCanterburyTales''. Sometimes called the "father of English literature", Chaucer is widely credited as first demonstrating the artistic legitimacy of the vernacular English language as opposed to French or Latin, and thus, he is the one who made stories accessible to the general, uneducated, illiterate-in-English-let-alone-Latin-or-French average Joe. Chaucer's works were among the earliest printed in English, which did much to establish his southern dialect as "correct" written English. He is buried in the Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey. He is in fact the ''reason'' it is called the Poet's Corner. Of course he owed his Westminster Abbey grave to his services to the crown ''not'' his literary eminence.

->''[[YeOldeButcheredeEnglishe That fro the tyme that he first bigan]]''

[[GeoffreyChaucerHathABlog He hath a blog, too.]]

'''Geoffrey Chaucer''' (''Galfridus Chaucer'', ''El Jefe'', ''L.L. Cool Geoff'') (c. 1343 – 25 October 1400) was an English author, poet, philosopher, bureaucrat, courtier and diplomat. Although he wrote many works, he is best remembered for his unfinished [[FramingDevice frame narrative]] ''Literature/TheCanterburyTales''. Sometimes called the "father of English literature", Chaucer is widely credited as first demonstrating the artistic legitimacy of the vernacular English language, rather than French or Latin. Chaucer's works were among the earliest printed in English, which did much to establish his southern dialect as "correct" written English. He is buried in the Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey. He is in fact the ''reason'' it is called the Poet's Corner. Of course he owed his Westminster Abbey grave to his services to the crown ''not'' his literary eminence.

* YouBastard: In ''Troilus and Criseyde'', Pandarus contrives various tricks and deceptions in order to bring the two lovers together, which is what the readers (with whom he's conflated -- he sits around reading a romance during one scene) wants to see happen.