From 1950 he worked regularly in all the theatrical media. He became an actor in 1947 in Michael Redgrave’s Macbeth and then spent two years in repertory at Buxton and Croydon, where he met his future wife, the late Gwen Watford. This is followed by a witty modern verse translation, and provides a fascinating contrast with the original.ĭownload PDF booklet More product details ISBN:īorn in London in 1927, Richard Bebb was educated at Highgate School and Trinity College, Cambridge. It is an authoritative performance that brilliantly evokes the fourteenth-century world, both for the general reader and the student alike. On this recording the ‘General Prologue’ and ‘The Physician’s Tale’ are read in Middle English by Richard Bebb, under the direction of a leading Chaucerian scholar, Professor Derek Brewer. The Middle English in which they were first written differs sufficiently from modern English, in vocabulary and usage, that most of us require a contemporary translation. The Canterbury Tales are widely read and studied. Richard Bebb, Philip Madoc & Stephen Tompkinson unabridged In Middle English and modern verse translations In felaweshipe, and pilgrimes were they alle,Īnd shortly, whan the sonne was to reste,īut nathelees, whil I have tyme and space,Īnd whiche they weren, and of what degree,Īnd eek in what array that they were inne Īnd at a knyght than wol I first bigynne.Audio Sample Geoffrey Chaucer The General Prologue & The Physician’s Tale That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke. To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,Īnd palmeres for to seken straunge strondes, The droghte of March hath perced to the roote, This early and handsomely ornamented manuscript copy, from c.1450, was made within a generation of Chaucer's death.Įre begynneth the book of tales of Canterburye compiled by Geffraie Chaucer of Brytayne chef poete. This suggests the tales were enormously popular in medieval England. No text in his own hand still exists, but a surprising number of copies survive from the 1500s - more than 80. Chaucer began the tales in 1387 and continued until his death in 1400. The Canterbury Tales was one of the first major works in literature written in English. In the centuries following the Norman invasion, French was the language spoken by those in power. One of the reasons Chaucer is so important is that he made the decision to write in English and not French. Some of the characters' tales are humorous, rude and naughty, while others are moral and reflective. These characters come from all corners of 14th century society, and give Chaucer the chance to speak in many different voices. The best storyteller, he says, will be rewarded with a free supper on his return.Ĭhaucer introduces us to a vivid cast of characters, including a carpenter, a cook, a knight, a monk, a prioress, a haberdasher, a dyer, a clerk, a merchant and a very bawdy miller. Setting off from a London inn, the innkeeper suggests that during the journey each pilgrim should tell two tales to help pass the time. Written in Middle English, the story follows a group of pilgrims who are travelling the long journey from London to Canterbury Cathedral. The Canterbury Tales is one of the best loved works in the history of English literature.
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