Friday, January 8, 2010

All about Chaucer

Chaucer was born in England, 1340. He would be born into the home of a famous wine merchant and deputy of the king’s butler. Little was ever known about Chaucer’s early education, but his works show that he could read French, Latin, and Italian.



In the times-span of 1459 to 1460, Chaucer went to war with Edward III’s army during the hundred years’ war. He would be captured in the Ardennes and brought to England after the treaty of Brétigny that was made in 1360. There is absolutely no completely certain information about his life from 1361 until 1366, when he married Phillipa Roet, the sister of John Gaunt’s future wife. Phillipa would meet her end in 1387. Chaucer enjoyed the patronage of gaunt throughout his life.



Between the years 1367 and 1378 would make several diplomatic journeys, as well as commercial missions. In 1385 he lost his employment as well as his rent-free home and moved to Kent where he was quickly appointed justice of peace. He was also elected to parliament. This; for Chaucer, was a period of great creativity this was the time of which he produced his best poetry. Among them were “Troilus and Cressida.”

Friday, January 1, 2010