Student Essay on The Canterbury Tales- How It Has Endured Centuries

"The Canterbury Tales" by Geoffrey Chaucer is a work that has endured centuries. The Canterbury Tales has endured centuries because of its irony and humor, which Chaucer uses to depict evidence of human nature in his characters. These qualities set Chaucer's work a part from other literary works of the fourteenth century. The work gives us a clear and pure depiction of life in fourteenth century England, exemplifying occupations and social standings of the people of this era. In this account, the hidden corruption of the Church and its clergy is exposed, including the misguidance of the monk and the prioress, and the evil avarice of the pardoner.

In The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer does not provide insight into the major events of his time. We are not given statistics of how many people died from the plague, and we are not given information about the Hundred Years' War. These events are important to fourteenth century history - consequently, in order for the account to have strong historical value, one would think that it must include facts and insights into these events. Despite this assumption, Chaucer's Canterbury Tales has endured centuries and does possess historical worth. The reason for this is that the work gives us a clear and pure depiction of life in fourteenth century England, exemplifying occupations and social standings of the people of this era. In this account, the hidden corruption of the Church and its clergy is exposed, including the.....