The Canterbury Tales (Middle English: Tales of Caunterbury) is a collection of 24 stories that runs to over 17,000 lines written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer.In 1386 Chaucer became Controller of Customs and Justice of peace and then three years later in 1389 Clerk of the King's work.he Canterbury Tales were far from complete at the end of Chaucer's life. In the General Prologue, some thirty pilgrims are introduced. Chaucer's intention was to write two stories from the perspective of each pilgrim on the way to and from their ultimate destination, St. Thomas Becket's shrine.