For thousands of years, England has been home to many of the world's most famous and talented authors and playwrights. A short list of these famous British authors includes William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Francis Bacon, John Milton, Jane Austen, the Brontë sisters and Geoffrey Chaucer. People still read today and are influenced by the work of these literary geniuses. Generally, people also know about the lives of these avant-garde writers. However, little is known about the man behind the controversial and famous Canterbury Tales, one of Britain's most important literary masterpieces. Geoffrey Chaucer had an unusual and exciting childhood which would later be his inspiration for writing The Canterbury Tales. Most historians believe that Geoffrey Chaucer was born in his parents' house in London around 1343. He was the son of a wealthy miner and his family was part of Britain's bourgeois class. When Geoffrey Chaucer was twelve years old, his father was kidnapped by his aunt. His aunt committed the crime with the intention of forcing Geoffrey's father to marry his teenage daughter to his cousin so that she too could acquire part of her brother's land. Fortunately, she was arrested and imprisoned before the ransom was paid. Shortly after the incident, Geoffrey Chaucer attended St. Paul's Cathedral School where he was introduced to the arts. During his years at school, he spent most of his time studying the works of Ovid, Virgil and Horace. Ovid, Virgil, and Horace were famous Roman poets whose philosophical poems often focused on love and society. After attending St Paul's Cathedral School, Geoffrey Chaucer became a Council official...... middle of paper ......ey Chaucer was much more than just a poet: he was a soldier, civil servant, businessman, diplomat and well-to-do member of British society in medieval times. However, the most important thing to remember is that he was the father of contemporary political satire. Works Cited “Geoffrey Chaucer”. Biography. A&E Television Networks, 2014. Web. May 18, 2014. “Geoffrey Chaucer.” Encyclopedia of the New World. MediaWiki, December 9, 2013. Web. May 18, 2014. Moore, Thomas. “Detached thoughts.” Life, letters and diaries of Lord Byron. London, 1838. 263. Geoffrey Chaucer. Internet. May 18, 2014. Norcott-Mahany, Bernard. “Classic review: The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. » The Kansas City Public Library. April 23, 2012. The web. May 18, 2014. “The Canterbury Tales.” Encyclopedia of the New World. MediaWiki, December 1, 2008. Web. May 18 2014.