The rules for this essay are simple: choose one of the three topics on the website, and write an essay on it, no longer than 500 words (not including intro or concluding paragraphs), and have a chance to win a lot of money. I chose the first topic: "What do you believe is the greatest literary work of all time, and why?" There are no sources cited, because it isn't a research essay, just an opinion one (thought I'd point that out so there aren't a lot of "You don't have sources!" crits).
The deadline is Sunday, so I'm hoping for some quick reviews before sending it in. Thanks in advance!
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Everyone has their opinion about what makes great literature. Some would say The Bible is great literature, because of how influential it is on our world, and because it provides great moral lessons that stand the test of time. Others would say the Harry Potter series is great literature, because of its ability to get children interested in reading when they appeared to be lost in a world of technology. But out of the entire canon of literature, one work that stands out is The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. The Canterbury Tales is the greatest literary world of all time because of the ambitious nature of the work, its ability to remain influential throughout hundreds of years, and because it is the first known work to include all classes of the feudal system in its cast of characters.
The Canterbury Tales would have been the most ambitious work of its time, had Chaucer completed it. According to the premise stated in the prologue, the cast of thirty characters, while on a religious pilgrimage, participated in a contest by telling four tales, two on the way to Canterbury and two on the way back, in order to win a free meal on behalf of the others. If Chaucer had completed the work, there would have been 120 tales. Chaucer only completed 24 of the proposed 120 tales, but when one looks at the ultimate goal of the work, it can still be considered an extremely ambitious work.
Because of its ambitious nature, The Canterbury Tales are still being studied to this day. Unlike current literary works, many authors, songwriters, and the like reference Chaucer and the Tales in their projects. The Tales are also a crucial staple of the curriculum of high school and college British Literature classes. With Chaucer being the most influential author behind Shakespeare, the Tales are a perfect example of a work of literature that can last through the ages, as they continue to provide moral lessons to generations of readers.
Along with providing these moral lessons, The Canterbury Tales offer us a glimpse into the world of England during the Middle Ages, due to the fact that all classes of feudal society are represented. The thirty characters of the Tales range from high-ranking, important people, like knights, nuns, and priests, to mere peasants, like the Wife of Bath, to Chaucer himself, telling tales to entertain the others. Chaucer does an excellent job of accurately depicting each member of these classes, which has caused historians to tout The Canterbury Tales not only as a great literary work, but also a great historical reference.
As we can see, no other work in the history of literature can compare to Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. No other work has the potential to be as ambitious a project, no other work has been able to last as long and be studied as furiously, and no other work has been so historically accurate as The Canterbury Tales. They stand alone, making them the greatest literary work of all time.
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