The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind Medieval Literature IX: Drama and Tales
Jul 16, 2025
Professor David Levinsky, Associate Professor of English at Yeshiva University and specialist in medieval literature, discusses Chaucer's life, how he accessed texts outside academia, the innovative vernacular forms he pioneered, the Canterbury Tales' ambitious structure, provocative pieces like The Pardoner and the Wife of Bath, and Chaucer's ties to Italian influences and Jewish-Christian relations.
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Chaucer Learned Through Life Not Academy
- Chaucer was a man of the world who learned literature through royal service and cosmopolitan commerce rather than university study.
- His positions (customs official, royal household) and travel to France, Flanders, Navarre, Genoa, and Florence exposed him to multilingual sources that shaped his vernacular English poetry.
Chaucer's Early Life Included Royal Service And Capture
- Chaucer began as a page in the household of Prince Lionel and served in military campaigns, even being captured in France in 1359–1360.
- His marriage linked him to John of Gaunt's circle, which opened diplomatic and administrative roles and travel across Europe.
Chaucer Read Late Into The Night While Serving The Crown
- During his 1368–1370s service Chaucer described coming home after long days and reading until his eyes watered, signaling intense self-directed literary study.
- This period coincides with his role as controller of export tax and growing systematic literary activity.
