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Historical Period

Medievalism was a dominant influence in peoples' lives but a renaissance mentality began to have an effect on Londoners as England stood on the threshold of the modern world.  Medievalists believed in the spiritual and abstract.  The community, not the individual, was the ideal.  Man had no right to think for himself or make judgments that did not benefit England as a whole.  This growing national patriotism led to several wars with France and other European countries for the next hundred years.  At this time, people also began to demand more of a role in the government and the church began a descent into corruption.

Chaucer's immediate audience were extremely educated members of high society.  They were sophisticated and worldly individuals who most likely had a strong knowledge of several languages and genres of text.