Literature Network » Geoffrey Chaucer

WAS CHAUCER A RAPIST? 14th-century documents reveal that the author of The Canterbury Tales once paid a young woman to halt a court case, raising a very disturbing question...

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From: The Daily Mail (London, England)
Date: 20070129
Author:

Byline: GARRY O'CONNOR

WHEN Geoffrey Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales he created our greatest poem: a bawdy, colourful romp through the lives of a group of pilgrims on their way to the shrine of Thomas c Becket.

Such was the enduring popularity of his work that after his death in 1400, Chaucer was buried in Westminster Abbey. In 1556 his remains were moved and he became the first writer to be entombed in what became known as Poets' Corner. Even today, hundreds file past his grave.

During his life, Chaucer was the leading court and literary celebrity, and he enjoyed ...

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