Features of the Age of Chaucer (14th Century)
(1340s–1400 AD)
1. 🌿 Beginning of Realism in Literature
Before Chaucer’s time, English literature was mostly idealistic and symbolic. Writers focused on
religious themes, moral lessons, and perfect, often unrealistic characters. For example:
Religious texts were full of allegory, where characters and events symbolized virtues,
sins, or divine truths.
Courtly romances presented idealized love, noble knights, and fantasy settings, far
removed from everyday life.
However, Geoffrey Chaucer brought a major shift. In The Canterbury Tales, he portrayed real
people with real problems—merchants, millers, wives, and friars. His characters came from all
levels of society, and he showed them as they were, with their flaws, humor, desires, and
contradictions.
This realistic approach was revolutionary. It moved English literature from abstract ideals to
human experiences, laying the groundwork for later writers like Shakespeare and beyond.
This was a turning point in English literature, paving the way for the later development of the
novel.
2. 🏰 Decline of Feudalism
Feudalism—the medieval system where society was structured around land ownership and
loyalty—was breaking down due to several factors:
The Black Death (1348–49) killed a large portion of the population, creating a labor
shortage.
This led to the rise of the working class and gave common people more economic
power and mobility.
The Peasants’ Revolt (1381) challenged traditional hierarchies.
Chaucer reflects this change by giving importance to non-aristocratic characters in his works.
His portrayal of the plowman, reeve, and miller shows that literature was no longer only for or
about the nobility.
3. 📚 Rise of Middle English
Before Chaucer, Latin (used by the Church and scholars) and French (used by the nobility after
the Norman Conquest) were dominant in England.
Chaucer chose to write in Middle English, the everyday language spoken by the people.
This made literature more accessible and helped standardize English as a literary
language.
For example:
"Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote..." – The Canterbury Tales
Chaucer’s successful use of Middle English helped lay the foundation for Modern English
literature.
4. 🙏 Religious Influence and Criticism
Religion was central in medieval life, but by the 14th century, corruption in the Church had
become widespread. Many clergy were involved in immoral practices like greed, hypocrisy, and
indulgence selling.
Chaucer used satire to highlight the flaws of religious figures in The Canterbury Tales.
Characters like the Pardoner, who sells fake religious relics, or the Friar, who takes
money for absolution, expose the moral decay of the clergy.
Yet, Chaucer also presents genuinely good religious figures like the Parson, showing a
balanced view.
This critical yet respectful approach to religion reflects the growing awareness and early
questioning that would later develop into the Reformation.
5. 👑 Political and Social Unrest
The 14th century was marked by instability:
The Hundred Years' War between England and France led to heavy taxation and national
tension.
The Black Death caused a demographic collapse and social reordering.
The Peasants' Revolt (1381) showed the rising frustration of the lower classes.
Writers like Chaucer were deeply affected by these events, and his works reflect the diverse
and shifting social landscape.
6. 🌍 Influence of Foreign Literature
Chaucer traveled to Italy and France on diplomatic missions, where he encountered the works
of:
Dante (Divine Comedy)
Petrarch (sonnets)
Boccaccio (The Decameron)
These writers introduced new forms of allegory, humanism, and narrative structure. For
example, Chaucer was influenced by Boccaccio’s frame narrative style, which he used in The
Canterbury Tales, where pilgrims tell stories within the journey.
This shows that European Renaissance ideas were beginning to enter England even before the
actual Renaissance period.
7. 📝 Development of Poetry and Prose
The Age of Chaucer saw the growth of literary forms:
Chaucer used iambic pentameter and rhymed couplets, shaping the future of English
poetry.
Narrative poetry flourished, with storytelling as the main literary device.
Though poetry dominated, prose also began to emerge, especially in religious and
philosophical writings.
This period laid the groundwork for literary diversity in future centuries.
8. 🧑🤝🧑 Variety of Characters and Human Nature
One of Chaucer’s greatest achievements is his deep psychological insight:
Each character in The Canterbury Tales is an individual with a unique personality and
worldview.
He presents flawed, comic, noble, and contradictory characters, all coexisting.
Chaucer does not judge; he observes humanity with sympathy and humor.
This human-centered approach reflects the early humanism that would define the
Renaissance.
9. 🔄 A Period of Transition
The Age of Chaucer is often seen as a bridge between two major literary periods:
The Medieval Age, with its focus on religion, allegory, and chivalry.
The Renaissance, with its focus on humanism, individualism, and reason.
Chaucer’s work captures both: the religious traditions of the past and the new spirit of
questioning and realism.
