The Canterbury Tales are the unfinished magnum opus of the great English poet Geoffrey Chaucer. Written in Middle English between 1387 and 1400, the tales are a collection of stories told by pilgrims en route from London to Canterbury to visit the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket. The stories, told as part of a competition amongst the travelers are frequently bawdy, violent and humorous, painting a critical portrait of English life in the middle ages. This epic poem is thought to be an important contribution to vernacular English as a legitimate literary language, as opposed to the prevailing French and Latin of the times.