Geoffrey Chaucer Research Paper

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Recommended: Language Arts 802: Development And Usage Of English Quiz 1: History Of The English Language

The most widespread language in the world is English. It is spoken and written more than any other language. English is a West Germanic language that was first developed in early England, in the 5th century A.D. when Germanic Anglo-Saxon tribes invaded the island. The vocabulary has been significantly influenced by other Germanic languages in the early medieval period, particularly French. In 1066, William the Conqueror of Normandy, invaded and took over the island of England and the Germanic language turned to French. Since then, the creativity and style of writers Geoffrey Chaucer, William Shakespeare, and Ben Jonson made the English language accessible to the “average citizen” by writing about real things people could relate to. In order …show more content…

Geoffrey Chaucer was born in 1340 in London, England. (SparkNote) He wrote The Canterbury Tales, which some consider to be one of the finest works in the English language. Many people refer to Geoffrey Chaucer as the "Father of English Literature" because he was the first to write what became generally well-known and recognized poems. Geoffrey Chaucer's father inherited wealth when their relatives died of the Black Plague. Chaucer was able to attend a school where he was taught French and Italian in addition to already speaking Latin. (Thompson 34) Because he was able to receive a higher level of education, Chaucer became more respected and worked for nobles. "Thus the evidence points to Chaucer as a highly valued official in public service. The fact that he served under three different monarchs during his life suggests that he was not the favorite of any particular one, but rather that he could be relied upon as a loyal servant of the crown no matter who was on the throne. Furthermore, his trips abroad suggest a valued negotiator and diplomat, no doubt aided by his ability with languages" (Thompson 35). Chaucer was able to be respected by not only other citizens, but Parliament and royalty. Without this level of loyalty from the nobles, Chaucer's works may not have been so analyzed and

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