Chaucer, Geoffrey - Life

Chaucer - Life

Geoffrey Chaucer was born in 1343 from a middle-class family. He took part in the Hundred Years’ War and he became a prisoner, but he was bailed by the king of England himself.
Although he belonged to a middle-class family, he was in contact with the royal family, and during one of his journeys he went to Italy and married John of Gaunt’s sister-in-law.
In Italy he came across Boccaccio’s and Dante’s works, who influenced his masterpiece, Canterbury Tales.
He was appointed Controller of Customs of Wool and Hides and became a member of the Parliament. He was in close contact with the Crown, but in 1486 he was dismissed from all of his roles and he was left without a wage. This is the reason why he started to work on his masterpiece, the Canterbury Tales. He was appointed clerk of the King's works at Westminster by Richard II, son of the Black Prince, and his pension was doubled by his successor, Henry IV. He lived in Westminster till 1400, when he died. He was the first poet to be buried in the poets’ corner at Westminster Abbey, built by Edward the Confessor to thank God for coming back to England after his exile in Normandy. Westminster Abbey was the place where every King was crowned since Edward the Conqueror decided to be crowned king of England there.