Post Plague Social, Economic, and Historical...

Post Plague Social, Economic, and Historical Characteristics of Chaucer’s Pilgrims Waking up to the familiar sounds of a small English town is no longer an option. The stench of death permeates every inch of existence. Peering out of the window, afraid of stepping outside into the pestilence formerly known as home, you gaze past the mounds of rotting townspeople who used to be known as friends. Every breath catches, because breathing too deep may be too risky. A disease of unknown origin plagues the countryside farther than you can travel in a lifetime. Thoughts run through your mind as you watch your suffering family. The only chance to save them is to confess your sins in hopes that God’s wrath will end with you. There is nothing;†¦show more content†¦Between one third and one half of England’s entire population was wiped out due to the Black Plague of 1347-1350 (Given-Wilson 4). Geoffrey Chaucer (1342-1400), lived through the worst epidemics this world has seen. Growing up as a child, he was exposed to the effects of the plague daily. Thro ughout his life, it was almost impossible that the plague did not touch some aspect of his life. Chaucer uses his experiences and his observations, to accurately illustrate a proportionate cross section of English society in The Canterbury Tales. Chaucer capitalizes on social, economical, and historical events to place each pilgrim in his/her proper place in society. Most, if not all, of these events were created or effected by some aspect of the plague. Most important were the impacts on the Church, the economic stability of the lower classes, the negative effects on education, and the effects upon the economic markets. In turn, Chaucer’s pilgrims, most notably the clergy members, the laborers, and the learned, noticeably show some attitude or action influenced by an ill-fated age filled by disease and hardship. In 1300, the population in England was six million. Trade expanded, new towns were founded, but the standard of living was very low for many. The beginning of the fourteenth century marked an age of overpopulation, unemployment, and overpricing of staple goods. By 1400, the