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History of English Literature Gowher Ahmad Naik, Lovely Professional University

Notes Unit 2: The Age of Chaucer

CONTENTS
Objectives
Introduction
2.1 Chaucer's Age-Both Medieval and Modern
2.2 The Hundred Years’ War
2.3 The Age of Chivalry
2.4 The Black Death, Peasants' Revolt and Labour Unrest
2.5 The Church
2.6 Literary and Intellectual Tendencies
2.7 Summary
2.8 Keywords
2.9 Review Questions
2.10 Further Readings

Objectives

After studying this unit, you will be able to:
Describe chaucer’s age-both medieval and modern.
Define the age of chivalry.
Explain the church.
Describe literary and intellectual tendencies.

Introduction

For a profound and comprehensive study of an author’s literary work is required, among other
things, a thorough understanding of the age which produced and nurtured him. Without
acquaintance with the historical context our evaluation and apprehension of literature is bound to
be lop-sided, if not altogether warped and garbled. Every man is a child of his age. He is influenced
by it though, if he is a great man, he may influence it also. A great writer like Shakespeare or
Chaucer is generally said to be “not of an age, but of all ages.” But, in spite of his universal appeal,
the fact remains that even he could not have escaped “the spirit of the age” in which he lived and
moved and had his being.

So, for understanding him and his works in their fullness it is imperative to familiarize ourselves
with the influential currents of thought and feeling and sensibility (not to speak of the socio-
politico-economic conditions) obtaining in the times in which he flourished. Probably the Reverse
of it is also true: we may acquire some understanding of these tendencies and currents, the ethos
of the age, through the writer himself. Emphasizing this point, W. H. Hudson says: “Every man
belongs to his race and age; no matter how marked his personality, the spirit of his race and age
finds expression through him” The same critic cogently expresses the relationship between
history and literature. “Ordinary English history’ he says, “is our nation’s biography, its literature
is its autobiography; in the ‘one we read the story of its actions and practical achievements; in
the other the story of its intellectual and moral development.” Though Chaucer transcends the
limits of his generation and creates something which is of interest to the future generation too,
yet he represents much of what his age stands for. And therein lies his greatness.

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