Medieval Period 1066 - 1485. Language Battle of Hastings in 1066 marked the “end” of Old English...
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Transcript of Medieval Period 1066 - 1485. Language Battle of Hastings in 1066 marked the “end” of Old English...
Medieval Period
1066 - 1485
Language
• Battle of Hastings in 1066 marked the “end” of Old English and the beginning of Middle English
• Influences of French (Normans), Latin (clergy)
• But though the Normans spoke French, English still outnumbered French, and English won out with some borrowing of words such as business terms and terms of the upper class (noble, dame)
Society
• Leaders came from the Norman – French background – so lords, landowners, aristocracy, ruling class – were Normans
• Anglo-Saxons were now the peasant serfs who worked for them – slaves
• Isolation – not much trade – communal society (earliest societies were walled in)
• Feudalism: the system of land ownership and forced allegiance
a) class system – serfs lived poorlyb) geared to war – always battles
between countries, barons etc. (ie. War of Roses between Houses of York and Lancaster)
Church• Theocentric society: God
at top, then king, then lords or nobles, then serfs, and finally, women
• Only place where all Englishmen united (Canterbury Tales)
• Membership in church secured a place in society (if excommunicated, lost status)
• All classes could go on pilgrimage together
• Common language: Latin• Chief centers of learning
and art and architectural advances
• Gave a sense of nationality before nationalism existed
• If serfs wanted out of serfdom, could go to monasteries as workers and be educated in religion and scholarly pursuits. Girls could become nuns
b) pages and squires = were “pre” knights who were taught manners, fighting, etc.c) women = took on another status – not realistic – put on a “pedestal” – only upper class, though
4) Effect of chivalry on lit? Romance!- upper class lords and ladies and their courtships- heroes and heroines- adventure- mysticism
Other “markers” of late medieval period
• Black Death and 100 Years’ War – broke down barriers of people – had to work together – women allowed to hold positions
• Longbow invented – brought end to respect of knight
Medieval Literature
• Ballad1) literature of common people – oral tradition2) came from French Ballade – or dance song3) jovial mood in music and lit4) contains plot– poems told stories
3 Types of Ballads:
1) Folk ballad = oldest – composed by local singer to commemorate events of importance in community – repetition2) Minstrel ballad = more description – composed by minstrels or conscious artists (often of the court) – accounts of thoughts and feelings3) Coronach = lament – personal emotion – sadness
**Ballads closely in step with development of Lyric poetry
Ballad Stanza
• 4 iambic lines: u/ u/ u/ u/• 1st line = 4 accents – iambic tetrameter• 2nd line = 3 accents – iambic trimeter• Repeat for 3rd and 4th lines• Example of contemporary folk ballad =
“On Top of Old Smokie”
Geoffrey Chaucer1340? - 1400
•
• We guess he was about 53 years old when wrote Canterbury Tales
• Father a rich wine merchant, so of the upper class
• Knew Latin, French, and Italian – a man of letters and scholar (influenced by Italian Bocaccio, a bawdy writer of tales)
• Grew up in Court, and had several careers: Customs officer, member of Parliament, page to a countess, diplomat, soldier, writer (as a hobby)
• Sense of humor – “tongue-in-cheek”• User of dramatic irony = reader knows
more than character
Canterbury Tales • Largest work of Medieval
period• Written in 1378• Collection of short
stories/”tales”• Drew on the times as
setting• Pilgrimage to shrine of
Thomas a Becket who was killed by Henry II
• Comments on life/satirical• Narrative and poetry, rather than prose
The Canterbury Tales: The Prologue
Here bygynneth the Book of the tales of Caunterbury
1: Whan that aprill with his shoures soote2: The droghte of march hath perced to the roote,3: And bathed every veyne in swich licour4: Of which vertu engendred is the flour;5: Whan zephirus eek with his sweete breeth6: Inspired hath in every holt and heeth7: Tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne8: Hath in the ram his halve cours yronne,9: And smale foweles maken melodye,
• Here begins the Book of the Tales of Canterbury
When April with his showers sweet with fruitThe drought of March has pierced unto the rootAnd bathed each vein with liquor that has powerTo generate therein and sire the flower;When Zephyr also has, with his sweet breath,Quickened again, in every holt and heath,The tender shoots and buds, and the young sunInto the Ram one half his course has run,And many little birds make melody
,10: That slepen al the nyght with open ye11: (so priketh hem nature in hir corages);12: Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,13: And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,14: To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;15: And specially from every shires ende16: Of engelond to caunterbury they wende,17: The hooly blisful martir for to seke,18: That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke.
• That sleep through all the night with open eye(So Nature pricks them on to ramp and rage)-Then do folk long to go on pilgrimage,And palmers to go seeking out strange strands,To distant shrines well known in sundry lands.And specially from every shire's endOf England they to Canterbury wend,The holy blessed martyr there to seekWho helped them when they lay so ill and weal
• http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/CT-prolog-para.html
Prologue
- Harry Bailey says will give free dinner to whomever tells best tale at his restaurant- Each pilgrim to tell 2 stories on the way to Canterbury and 1 on the way back
• What season is this?• How does the season
contribute to the theme of the pilgrimage?
• What are the points of view that Chaucer takes on in the Canterbury Tales?
Writing Style
• Irony• Narrative in 1st person• Rhyme pattern = couplets• 5 beats per line = what is this called?• Loose rhythm• Spelling irregular (no standardization yet!)• Satire/humor/morals
Four Humours
• Sanguine = blood red: healthy person, pleasant personality
• Phlegm = indicates disease: dull, slow, pale, and sickly
• Choleric = yellow bile: obstinate, impatient, unfriendly
• Melancholy = black bile: melancholy, fat, backward, lazy, overly sentimental
Medieval Terms• Exempla• Courtly love• Chivalry• Irony• Dramatic irony• Fabliaux• Beast fable• Pasterel• Ballad
• Satire• Couplets• Narrative• Feudalism• 4 humours: sanguine,
phlegm, choleric, melancholy