Storytelling and the Canterbury Tales

Storytelling plays an important part in literature and the world. It’s a great way to pass down stories to generation to generation. It’s also a good way to learn about history, as well as learning about language and how it has changed over the years.

Canterbury Tales was written in 1392 by Geoffrey Chaucer and it was written in Middle English which is so much different than modern writing now. It’s interesting to see how the English language has evolved over time to where it is now. Which is what makes literature and story telling so important. It’s important to see the evolution of language and how stories have been passed down.

One thing that really stood out to me in the General’s Prologue is how it’s written and how the words have changed over the years. Holpen and seke used to mean helped and sick. Now, those words are no longer used.

Reading stories such as the Canterbury Tales gives the reader a doorway to the past. Stories are a way to learn and a way to study language. Without stories we wouldn’t really know anything about writings in different parts of the world. We wouldn’t know how they have evolved. If people stopped telling stories, we probably wouldn’t have books to read. We wouldn’t have anything to pass down.

In modern times, we tell stories in all sorts of ways. We use music, tv shows, movies, our own experiences, and of course books. Taylor Swift, 98 Degrees, Backstreet Boys, Carrie Underwood, and Kelly Clarkson are just a few of wonderful storytellers who use music. Even painters use art to tell a story. One of my favorite paintings is by Herbert Draper called Ulyssess and the Sirens. Theatre is another great way to tell stories. Whether we know it or not there’s a story begging to be heard. We just need to listen carefully in order to hear it.