Final answer:
The Canterbury Tales provides insight into English society during the High Middle Ages, a period characterized by political consolidation, feudalism, and conflicts such as the Crusades and the Hundred Years' War.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Canterbury Tales gives us a good sample of English society during the High Middle Ages. This period, which began after AD 1000, was characterized by the consolidation of power by kings, the organization of peasants into manors, and the use of feudalism. It was also a time of conflict, including the Crusades and the Hundred Years' War between England and France.