Retaining the thrill and tone of oral storytelling as the written word became increasingly widespread was the charge of early English writing. Beginning in the Old English period and continuing through the Medieval and Renaissance periods, writers such as Geoffrey Chaucer and William Shakespeare began to elevate the place of literature in society. This volume details the evolution of early English literature And The enduring works that have withstood centuries of linguistic and cultural change.

The physician's tale (canterbury tales)
This is a domestic drama about the relationship between a daughter and her father and it is one of the earliest extant poems in English about such subjects and relationships. The tale comes from the Histories of Titus Livius and is retold in The Romance of the Rose, John Gower's Confessio Amantis which Chaucer drew on for inspiration along with the biblical story of Jephtha. Most of the other versions of the story focused on the cruel and arbitrary officials but Chaucer was far more concerned with the daughter as the central figure.

The summoners' tale ( canterbury tales)
The Summoner's Tale is one of The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer.
The tale is a fierce counterpunch to the preceding tale by The Friar which had been an offensive attack on summoners. Summoners were officials in ecclesiastical courts who summoned people to attend and worked in a similar way to ushers. The Friar had accused them of corruption and taking bribes and the Summoner seeks redress through his own story.

shipman's tale (canterbury tales )
 Shipman's Tale (also called The Sailor's Tale) is one of The Canterbury Tales
Chaucer launches another attack against the Ecclesiastical community by having the Shipman portray a Monk in a most unsavory light. The Monk breaks his vows with God and he shows himself as a manipulator by falsely claiming that he is related to the Merchant.  Not content with taking advantage of the wife’s desperate position regarding money, he betrays her confidence, and his actions risk her unfaithfulness being revealed.

Man of law's tale (canterbury tales )
The Man of Law's Tale (also called The Lawyer's Tale) is the fifth of the Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer.
The prologue to the Wife of Bath’s tale is actually longer than her tale.Chaucer uses it to justify the five marriages that the Wife of Bath entered into.The clear suggestion is that what women most desire is to have complete control over their husbands.There are also additional comments concerning the chastity of women. It was widely thought in Medieval England that a life of chastity would bring the person closer to God.