Chaucer - the historical context: Henry IV 1399-1413

Geoffrey Chaucer did not live long after John of Gaunt and his newphew, Richard II, died. Geoffrey was probably murdered around 1400 somewhere near Westminster Abbey, having taken refuge there a short time before. The new regime was one of fear and as Chaucer was not liked by Henry IV and the Church "his days", as the saying goes, "were numbered".

Chaucer - the historical context of Richard II (1377-99)

Although this video focuses on the king and less on social history it still conveys a sense of how unsettled people were during the time Chaucer wrote his "Canterbury Tales". You can also get a sense of why Chaucer set out to satirise various types of people in his Tales. (BTW, John of Gaunt, Richard II's uncle, was Chaucer's main source of patronage and protection during this period.)