<P> Chaucer uses the same meter throughout almost all of his tales, with the exception of Sir Thopas and his prose tales . It is a decasyllable line, probably borrowed from French and Italian forms, with riding rhyme and, occasionally, a caesura in the middle of a line . His meter would later develop into the heroic meter of the 15th and 16th centuries and is an ancestor of iambic pentameter . He avoids allowing couplets to become too prominent in the poem, and four of the tales (the Man of Law's, Clerk's, Prioress', and Second Nun's) use rhyme royal . </P> <P> The Canterbury Tales was written during a turbulent time in English history . The Catholic Church was in the midst of the Western Schism and, though it was still the only Christian authority in Europe, was the subject of heavy controversy . Lollardy, an early English religious movement led by John Wycliffe, is mentioned in the Tales, which also mention a specific incident involving pardoners (sellers of indulgences, which were believed to relieve the temporal punishment due for sins that were already forgiven in the Sacrament of Confession) who nefariously claimed to be collecting for St. Mary Rouncesval hospital in England . The Canterbury Tales is among the first English literary works to mention paper, a relatively new invention that allowed dissemination of the written word never before seen in England . Political clashes, such as the 1381 Peasants' Revolt and clashes ending in the deposing of King Richard II, further reveal the complex turmoil surrounding Chaucer in the time of the Tales' writing . Many of his close friends were executed and he himself moved to Kent to get away from events in London . </P> <P> While some readers look to interpret the characters of The Canterbury Tales as historical figures, other readers choose to interpret its significance in less literal terms . After analysis of Chaucer's diction and historical context, his work appears to develop a critique of society during his lifetime . Within a number of his descriptions, his comments can appear complimentary in nature, but through clever language, the statements are ultimately critical of the pilgrim's actions . It is unclear whether Chaucer would intend for the reader to link his characters with actual persons . Instead, it appears that Chaucer creates fictional characters to be general representations of people in such fields of work . With an understanding of medieval society, one can detect subtle satire at work . </P> <P> The Tales reflect diverse views of the Church in Chaucer's England . After the Black Death, many Europeans began to question the authority of the established Church . Some turned to lollardy, while others chose less extreme paths, starting new monastic orders or smaller movements exposing church corruption in the behaviour of the clergy, false church relics or abuse of indulgences . Several characters in the Tales are religious figures, and the very setting of the pilgrimage to Canterbury is religious (although the prologue comments ironically on its merely seasonal attractions), making religion a significant theme of the work . </P>

Where do the pilgrims meet to begin their journey