The Canterbury Tales

The Canterbury Tales is a frame narrative—a story within a story. The outer frame involves the pilgrims’ journey to Canterbury, and the inner frame consists of the stories they tell along the way. Chaucer originally planned for each of the 30 pilgrims to tell four tales (two on the way to Canterbury and two on the return journey), but he never completed the project. As it stands, there are 24 tales, each varying in length, style, and tone.