Geoffrey Chaucer, The Cook's Tale

Craig Bertolet (Auburn University)

Ed. by , Richard Utz, Georgia Institute of Technology
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.02: English Writing and Culture: High and Late Medieval, 1066-1485.
Vol. editors: Kate Ash-Irisarri (University of Edinburgh), Rory Critten (Université de Lausanne), David Fuller (University of Durham), Natalie Hanna (University of Liverpool), Hugh Magennis (Queen's University Belfast), Jamie McKinstry (University of Durham), Sarah Peverley (University of Liverpool), Sebastian Sobecki (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen)

Dates

First circulation or publication c. 1387

Places

England (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Poetry (any)
Story

Resources

The fourth story begun in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales is told by the London Cook whom the Host, Harry Bailey calls Roger of Ware. The Cook’s Tale is also the first incomplete tale in The Canterbury Tales. Three other pilgrims do not complete their tales: the Squire, the Monk, and Chaucer himself with his “Tale of Sir Thopas”. Each of these tale-tellers are interrupted by another pilgrim, but the Cook is not. The scribe who wrote the Hengwrt Manuscript (the earliest manuscript containing the tales) noted that “Of this Cokes tale maked Chaucer no moore”, recognizing that the tale breaks off, rather than concludes. In this manuscript, space appears at the end of the last line as if …

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2231 words

Citation: Bertolet, Craig. "The Cook's Tale". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 09 October 2006 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=19961, accessed 22 November 2024.]

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