Which genres appear in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales?

Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales is a diverse collection of stories that incorporates a wide variety of literary genres. Because the work utilizes a pilgrimage as a framing device, Chaucer was able to include tales from many different social types, resulting in a rich mix of styles.1

The genres featured in the collection include:

• Religious legend1
• Courtly romance (such as The Knight’s Tale)12
• Racy fabliau (a short, often comic and coarse verse tale)134
• Saint’s life (hagiography)1
• Allegorical tale1
• Beast fable1
• Medieval sermon1
• Alchemical account1

The work also contains mixtures of these genres and presents these narratives primarily in verse, alongside two expositions written in prose. This variety allows the collection to explore complex themes, ranging from worldly pleasures and lustful cuckoldry to spiritual aspirations and union with God.15