416. The Canterbury Tales (Part 4)
Books Mentioned
“The Pardoner's Tale, there are three riotous friends, and they're told news of a guy who's been killed. And there came a privy thief, men clepeth death, that in this country all the people slayeth.”
“Chaucer's great inspiration for telling a series of short stories is the Decameron by Boccaccio, which involves people isolating during the plague.”
“There’s a wonderful biography by Marian Turner, Chaucer, a European life. She gives a brilliant portrait of Chaucer and the work of John of Gaunt.”
“The speaker mentions reading 'Who Dares Wins' and appreciates its social richness, comparing it to the complexity found in 'The Canterbury Tales'.”
“The discussion revolves around the structure and characters of 'The Canterbury Tales', where pilgrims tell stories on their way to Canterbury, reflecting social hierarchies and complexities.”
“Marian Turner wrote a wonderful biography of the wife of Bath, suggesting she is the first ordinary woman in English literature, with agency and desires of her own.”
“Henry IV, parts one and two. And Henry V and Agincourt and one of the most evil characters in history, Joan of Arc, will be making her debut on the radio.”