The Canterbury Tales - General Prologue Video Summary

Visit us at to read the full video transcript and our study guide for this classic poem, which includes a full list of characters, themes, and much more. The Canterbury Tales, by Geoffrey Chaucer, was written in the late 1300s, soon after the bubonic plague killed millions of people in England and throughout Europe. Chaucer was one of the first English poets to write in the vernacular of Middle English, popularizing the language of his day. The poem is a collection of 24 stories built around a frame narrative about a group of pilgrims making their journey to Canterbury. Chaucer’s work addresses gender relations, religion, and sexual immorality within English society. He critiques members of the nobility, clergy, and peasantry, who were often in conflict with each other, and uses satire to call attention to the pilgrims’ hypocrisy. Chaucer unveils the vast spectacle of human failings by expos