English Literature

The Medieval Period(Middle English)

What was it like to live in the Middle Ages?

Welcome to England and the English…an island of peoples, languages, and divisions...

Latin -- church, schoolsFrench -- court, castleEnglish -- commoners

The White Tower in London…

part of William’s legacyChartres Cathedral

The 3 Estates in the Middle Ages• The idea of estates, or orders, was

encouraged during the Age, but this ordering was breaking down.– Clergy

• Latin chiefly spoken, those who pray, purpose was to save everyone’s soul

– Nobles• French chiefly spoken, those who

fight, purpose was to protect—allow for all to work in peace—and provide justice

– Commoners• English spoken, those who work,

purpose was to feed and clothe all above them

The Middle Ages(1066-1485)

William, Duke of NormandyThe Battle of Hastings (October 1066)

• Daylong battle near Hastings, England• Defeated King Harold of England, the last of the Anglo-Saxon kings,

this began the Norman Conquest• The new group under William’s reign became known as the Anglo-

Normans. The Norman Conquest of England created a powerful Anglo-Norman entity and brought England into the mainstream of European civilization

• Why did William attack?– He was an illegitimate son of the previous Duke of Normandy and

cousin to the English king called Edward the Confessor.– When Edward died childless, Harold, the earl of Wessex, was crowned

the next day.– William claimed that the throne had been promised to him.

William the Conqueror:William the Conqueror:Battle of Hastings, 1066Battle of Hastings, 1066

(Bayeaux Tapestry)(Bayeaux Tapestry)

William the Conqueror:William the Conqueror:Battle of Hastings, 1066Battle of Hastings, 1066

(Bayeaux Tapestry)(Bayeaux Tapestry)

As a ruler . . .

• An efficient and ruthless soldier, William did not want to eliminate the Anglo-Saxons, he wanted to rule them.

• England did not start speaking French, they kept their own language.

• William’s first administrative feat –the Domesday Book—often called Doomsday Book– William the Conquerer had everyone’s personal property catalogued so he could tax it. For the first time people could be taxed on what they owned.

• Brought a new social system to England - feudalism

Feudalism

• Feudalism was an economic, social and military system in which vassals, or tenants, pledged their loyalty to a lord, exchanging work on his land, or service in his military in return for his protection.

• Land parceled out to lords who supported the Norman king

• Lords then granted land to vassals in exchange for loyalty/oath of military duty

• Feudalism is important as it created ties of obedience and fostered a sense of loyalty between the vassals and their lord.

Appointed for protection and to handle territory.

Appointed to protect both the lord and king.

Appointed to work the land and provide food.

Taxes

Feudalism

• Note: though the peasants were the largest group in society, they had the least power

•Pyramid of Power,religious concept of hierarchy, with the king at the top of the pyramid and peasants at the bottom. (Don’t forget about God,above king.)

Knighthood

• With feudalism came a sense of formalism – knighthood and the code of chivalry.

• Young males, above the serf class, were trained from an early age to become warriors.

• To be sure that their training was strict, they were removed from their home and trained elsewhere.

• Around the age of twenty, a young knight was “dubbed,” or ceremonially tapped on the shoulder, and only then does he get the full rights of the warrior caste and the title “sir.”

• Knighthood was grounded in the feudal ideal of loyalty. Knights had a system of social codes that they were not permitted to break.

Knighthood and Chivalry

• A product of feudalism, chivalry was an idealized system of manners and morals– Restricted to nobility

• The Medieval knight was bound to the chivalric code to be loyal to…– God– his lord– his lady

• Chivalric ideals encouraged knights to be: – generous– brave– honest– pious– honorable– to defend the weak and to battle

evil and uphold good.– benevolent– Sir Gawain is an example

Chivalry

Chivalry and Courtly Love

• A new element of courtly love served to distinguish romances from the earlier epics and gives rise to first romantic literature

• The knight’s deeds were not performed in the service of king or country, but on behalf of a beautiful, fair, and noble lady who was above him in status and usually married--and therefore unattainable.

• The tradition of courtly love began in the eleventh century by troubadours (poet-musicians) who sang lyrics based on the theme of courtly love.

• In its ideal form it was nonsexual, and viewed as ameans of self-improvement.

• The idea was that a knight acting in the name of a lady would make him braver and better.

• He might wear her colors in battle, glorify her in words, and be inspired by her, but she should always remain pure and out of reach

The Crusades (1095-1270)

• a series of wars waged by European Christians against the Muslims, with Jerusalem and the Holy Land as the prize

• Heathens could not occupy the land of Jesus in the minds of English

• England ultimately failed to hold Jerusalem

• BUT, they gained enormous amounts of knowledge in mathematics, astronomy, architecture, and crafts

Martyrdom of Thomas a Becket• Shrine of Sir Thomas a Becket located in Canterbury• Thomas had risen to great power as chancellor, and

was appointed the archbishop of Canterbury by KingHenry II

• King Henry II hoped by appointing a friend to the positionhe would gain an upper hand in any disputes with the Church

• BUT, Thomas took the pope’s side much more often than King Henry’s side

• In December 1170 Henry was furious and raged, “Will noone rid me of this turbulent priest?” Four of his knightstook him seriously and murdered Becket in his owncathedral.

• Public outrage led to devotion of St. Thomas the Martyr, this weakened the king’s power and strengthened the church’s

The New City Classes

• Because the population continued togrow, people began living in towns andcities, eventually making the feudal castle obsolete

• A lower, middle, and upper class developed, theirlives not dictated by a feudal lord

• First cities were London and Canterbury

• People of the cities were free, tied neither to theland nor to knighthood

The Magna Carta

• Power to (some of ) the people• return to older, democratic tendencies• signed by King John in 1215• the English barons pushed (in other words,

FORCED) him to sign the document, thus endingcentral monarchical power.

• Magna Carta later became the basis for Englishconstitutional law, which gave rights such as trial by jury and legislative taxation

The Hundred Years’ War• First major national war for England,

waged against the French

• Why? based on the dubious claims to the throne of France by two English kings – Edward III andHenry V

• It was ultimately unsuccessful for the English, but it did change the look of England – no longer known by a knight in shining armor, rather a green clad yeoman with his longbow, these yeoman formed the nucleus of the English armies

• How long was the Hundred Years’ War?– 116 years (1337-1453)

The Black Death

• bubonic plague, struck England around 1348• highly contagious, spread through infected fleas from

rats• the disease reduced the population by a third, thus

causing a labor shortage• this led to the serf’s freedom (he was needed for

labor elsewhere) and the complete end of feudalism• (this ends the Middle Ages)

Enough already!

I thought this was an English class!

Languages

• Latin was the language of the Roman Catholic Church, which dominated Europe

• The Church was the only source of education

• Thus, Latin was a common language for Medieval writings.

Characteristics of Medieval Literature

• Heroism– from both Germanic and Christian traditions,

sometimes mingled• Beowulf• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

• Presentations of idealized behavior– literature as moral lesson• loyalty to king• chivalry

Use of Allegory

• An allegory is a figurative (symbolistic) mode of representation conveying a meaning other than the literal.

• Much of medieval literature relied on allegory to convey the morals the author had in mind while writing--representations of abstract qualities, events, and institutions are thick in much of the literature of this time.

• Everyman is a good example of allegory during this time period.

Characteristics of Medieval Literature

• Romance– Sir Gawain and the Green Knight– A narrative in prose or verse that tells of the

adventures and heroic exploits of chivalric heroes• exploits of knights• often a supernatural element involved

• Christian message– concern with salvation and the world to come– no interest in social change• until the late 14th century• Chaucer signals new thinking, up-ending social order

Characteristics of Medieval Literature

• The Quest• In addition to the theme of Courtly Love, the

Quest was highly important:• A quest is a hero’s journey towards a goal. The

objects of quests require great exertion on the part of the hero, and the overcoming of many obstacles.

• The hero must obtain something, or someone, by the quest and with this object return home.

The Hero• Is often of divine descent endowed with “great strength

and ability" or "a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities"

• Usually, an inner and outer problem for the character is set.

• The hero is introduced; audience identifies with them • The hero lacks something, has a tragic flaw, or a deep

wound • The call often produces disorientation and discomfort for

the hero • The call is often in the form of a dire warning

Characteristics of Medieval Literature

The Hero• Excuses are used to avoid the call • This hesitation illustrates the formidability of the challenge ahead • Resistance creates change and strength, allowing the hero to grow • A physical or metaphorical crossing is made• The crossing is an irrevocable leap of faith, from which there’s no

turning back• The hero faces his greatest fear• The hero “dies,” so he can be reborn • The hero gains new perception • This new perception may create a moment of clarity• The moment may be of great self-realization for the hero • It may also be an epiphany for the hero’s companions

Characteristics of Medieval Literature

Authors and Works of the Middle Ages

Everyman

A morality/miracle play to teach a lesson to its viewers. It’s about a character named

Everyman who confronts Death and has to find which of his friends will go with him.

Dante Aligheri (writes Divine Comedy 1307)

Author of the Divine Comedy which is comprised of The Inferno, Purgatorio

and Paradisio.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (1375)

A tale about Arthur’s knights and the Round Table, Sir Gawain accepts the Green Knights

challenge to exchange blows. The story might really be about redemption and sin.

Canterbury Tales (written 1387)

Canterbury Tales was written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer who is often called the father of English poetry. He is

credited with making English respectable. Until Chaucer most literature and

documents of importance were done in Latin.