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

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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 awaiting the rest of the tale to be found and added.

Later in The Canterbury Tales,

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2231 words

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

Geoffrey Chaucer, The Cook's Tale

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