The frame story is a literary device that joinstogether one
or more stories within a larger story, or frame. Frame stories have been used
throughout the world and date back to antiquity. The Panchatantra, a collection ofSanskrit fables gathered around 200 b.c., is an ancient Indian example of a frame story.
Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron is a well-known Italian frame story in which a collection of
stories are told by different characters.
The Canterbury Tales is one of the most famous examples of the
frame story. In his innovative use of the device, Chaucer interwove the frame
with the tales. The plot of the frame involves pilgrims on a pilgrimage who are
challenged to compete in telling the best tale. Chaucer reveals the pilgrims’
personalities not only through their interactions between tales but also by the
tales they tell. As a result, the frame itself
acts as a long and engaging narrative
whole.
