The Canterbury Tales

The Canterbury Tales, a masterpiece by Geoffrey Chaucer, one of the most influential works in the history of English literature. Written from c. 1387, the Tales are a collection of stories set within a framing story of a pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral, the shrine of Thomas à Becket. The poet joins a band of pilgrims who assemble at the Tabard Inn in Southwark for the journey. The Host proposes that the pilgrims should pass the time by telling four stories each, two on the way to Canterbury and two on the way back. The work contains 22 verse tales (two unfinished) and two long prose tales. These are: The Knight's Tale, The Miller's Tale, The Reeve's Tale, The Cook's Tale, The Man of Law's Tale, The Wife of Bath's Tale, The Friar's Tale, The Summoner's Tale, The Clerk's Tale, The Merchant's Tale, The Squire's Tale, The Franklin's Tale, The Physician's Tale, The Pardoner's Tale, The Shipman's Tale, The Prioress's Tale, The Tale of Sir Thopas, The Tale of Melibee, The Monk's Tale, The Nun's Priest's Tale, The Second Nun's Tale, The Canon's Yeoman's Tale, The Manciple's Tale, The Parson's Tale.