Who wrote "The Canterbury Tales"?

The work "The Canterbury Tales" was written by Geoffrey Chaucer, making this the correct answer. Chaucer is often referred to as the father of English literature and he wrote "The Canterbury Tales" in the late 14th century, which is a collection of 24 stories presented as part of a story-telling contest among a group of pilgrims traveling to Canterbury Cathedral. This work is notable for its vivid character portrayals and contributions to the development of the English language.

The other authors mentioned are significant figures in literature but belong to different time periods and styles. William Shakespeare is renowned for his plays and sonnets in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Charles Dickens is celebrated for his novels in the Victorian era, notably in the 19th century, while Jane Austen is known for her early 19th-century novels that explore themes of love and social commentary. None of these authors wrote "The Canterbury Tales," which distinctly marks it as Chaucer's work.