Bard of the Middle Ages: The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer

About the Course: Had Geoffrey Chaucer not written, or not written so well, the last 600 years of English literature would have been decidedly different. His creative style and use of language served as one of the primary foundations on which later writers built. Through his writing, Chaucer's wit, charm, and eloquence give us a deeper understanding of not only the time in which he lived, but of how human emotion, fraility, and fortitude are the base elements of human existence. There are 14 lectures on 7 tapes with a manual included which are: Lecture 1- Chaucer's Life, times, and importance Lecture 2- Language, style, and literary background Lecture 3- The Book of the Duchess, the Romance of the Rose, and the Minor Poems Lecture 4- The House of Fame, Anelida and Arcite, The Parliament of Fowls, and Beothius Lecture 5- Troilus and Criseyde, Books I-II Lecture 6- Troilus and Criseyde, Books III-V Lecture 7 The Legend of Good Women Lecture 8- The Canterbury Tales : "The General Prologue" Lecture 9- The Canterbury Tales: "The Knights Tale" "The Miller's Tale" "The Reeve's Tale" and "The Cook's Tale" Lecture 10- The Canterbury Tales: "The Tales of Law's Tale" "The Wife of Bath's Tale" "The Friar's Tale" and "The Summoner's Tale Lecture 11- The Canterbury Tales: "The Clerks Tale" "The Merchant's Tale" "The Squire's Tale" and "The Franklin's Tale" Lecture 12- The Canterbury Tales: "The Physician's Tale" "The Pardoner's Tale" "The Shipman's Tale" and "The Prioress's Tale" Lecture 13- The Canterbury Tales: "Sir Thopas" The Tale of Melibee" "The Monk's Tale" "The Nun's Priest's Tale" and "The Second Nun's Tale" Lecture 14- The Canterbury Tales: "The Canon's Yeoman's Tale" "TheManciple's Tale" The Retraction" and Our conclusions