The Book of the Duchess, the Parliament of Fowls, and the House of Fame The Parliament of Fowls and the House of Fame are closely related to each other and to the Book of the Duchess, as all three of the poetry share several similar themes. Written between 1368 and 1380 they are some of Chaucer’s earliest works in which aspects of some of the great writers of his time are evident. There are three major themes intertwined within the three works, which Chaucer has added to the Dream Vision genre
Defective Rulers in Henry IV and Richard II It has been shown again and again throughout history and literature that if there is a perfect human he is not also the perfect ruler. Those traits which we hold as good, such as the following of some sort of moral code, interfere with the necessity of detachment in a ruler. In both Henry IV and Richard II, Shakespeare explores what properties must be present in a good ruler. Those who are imperfect morally, who take into account only self-interest
The book The Last Knight by Norman Cantor depicts the life of John of Gaunt. The author presents a good analysis of the medieval European civilization by looking into the moral, political, and ethical perspective. Cantor provides the idea that the landed aristocracy was similar to modern billionaires. He asserts that the similarities do not end with their massive wealth, but also that they were not interested in really bringing change to their world. I concur with Cantor on this point. This paper
Chambre which was essentially a secretary but was a very prestigious job, it sometimes meant that he was the king’s right-hand man. During this time he would write The Book of the Duchess was written in honor of the late wife of John Gaunt, Blanche of Lancaster. Geoffrey then allegedly went on another military excursion in hopes of seeking out a french wife for future king, King Richard II, effectively ending the One-hundred Years War, if this reigns true then it is quite apparent that he failed as
	Henry IV was born in April 1367 and was the only son of John of Gaunt, the son of Edward III, and Blanche, the daughter of Henry Grismond, Duke of Lancaster. Known as Henry of Bolingbroke after his birthplace in Lincolnshire, he was made a knight of the Garter in 1377. In 1380, at the age of 13, he married Mary de Bohun, the youngest daughter and coheiress of Humphrey, the last Earl of Hereford. They had four sons and two daughters before her death at the age of 24, in 1394. As the Earl of Darby
The Canterbury Tales, written by the Father of English Poetry, Geoffrey Chaucer, is a poem based around twenty-nine pilgrims, as well as the narrator, who are going on a pilgrimage to Canterbury for prayer. The Prologue frames the tales of the characters like a picture, with the tales acting as the photograph. Each character’s tale is explained in their point of view, holding a moral behind each tale. In Geoffrey Chaucer’s poem, The Canterbury Tales, he borrows central ideas from his time period
Chaucer was born in 1343 in London, although the exact date and location of his birth are not known. His father and grandfather were both London vintners and before that, for several generations, the family were merchants in Ipswich. His name is derived from the French chausseur, meaning shoemaker. In 1324 John Chaucer, Geoffrey's father, was kidnapped by an aunt in the hope of marrying the twelve year old boy to her daughter in an attempt to keep property in Ipswich. The aunt was imprisoned and
Fourteenth century England drew witness to many disruptions in time. The 100 Years War, Peasants Revolt, and Black Death are among the many tumultuous events that provide the context for some of the greatest literary masterpieces ever composed. Geoffrey Chaucer and the Pearl Poet are amid the most venerated poets on record. Is it purely chance, or did this era cultivate finely tuned writing ability through its refined culture? Just as we will never know the name of the Pearl Poet, we can only