1100-1500

MIDDLE ENGLISH LITERATURE

Chapter: 2

ENGLISH LITERATURE AND LANGUAGE

600 AD-1100 AD

Old English

1100 AD-1500 AD

Middle English

1500 AD-1950 AD

Modern English

The Norman (French) Conquest of England in 1066 was the

beginning of 200 years of the domination of French in English

letters. French cultural dominance, moreover, was general in

Europe at this time. French language and culture replaced English

in polite court society and had great effects on English culture.

Anglo-Saxon fragmented into several dialects and gradually

evolved into Middle English, which, despite an admixture of

French, is unquestionably English. By the mid-14th century,

Middle English had become the literary as well as the spoken

language of England.

BACKGROUND:

• Geoffrey Chaucer (1340-1400)

• WilliamLangland

• JohnWycliffe (?-1384)

• Sir Thomas Mallory (1405-1471)

IMPORTANT POETS AND WRITERS OF MIDDLE ENGLISH LITERATURE

The major poet of England in the late Middle Ages and the most significant

writer before Shakespeare. Born and educated in London, Chaucer served in

the court and the army and went abroad on diplomatic missions. He is known

as the father of English poetry. His works can be divided into three periods:

an early one based on French models, such as the Roman de la rose, and

which contains the allegorical Book of the duchess (1369).

The second period lasted to about 1387 and is characterized by his use of

Italian models above all Dante and Boccaccio. The main works of this period

are The house of fame, The parliament of fowls, The legend of good women.

The third and best period contains his work, The Canterbury tales written in

Middle English.

GEOFFREY CHAUCER

GEOFFREY CHAUCER

The major poet of England in the late Middle Ages and

the most significant writer before Shakespeare. Born and

educated in London, Chaucer served in the court and the

army and went abroad on diplomatic missions. He is

known as the father of English poetry. His works can be

divided into three periods:

1. an early one based on French models, such as the

Roman de la rose, and which contains the allegorical

Book of the duchess (1369).

2. The second period lasted to about 1387 and is

characterized by his use of Italian models above all

Dante and Boccaccio. The main works of this period

are The house of fame, The parliament of fowls, The

legend of good women.

3. The third and best period contains his work, The

Canterbury tales written in Middle English.

Chaucer also offers much insight into medieval

social attitudes to love, marriage and religion. The

linguistic importance of Chaucer is that he

established the dialect of London (south-east

midlands) as the input form for the standard in the

late Middle English period. Later modifications of

this language took place with the introduction of

printing press by William Caxton in the 15th

century.

THE CANTERBURY TALES

Short Note on The Canterbury Tales: The Canterbury tales, an unfinished work of approximately 17,000 lines. It tells the story of a group of pilgrims travelling from London to Canterbury to grave of St Becket. They pass the time of day by telling each other stories. There are more than twenty stories, and in the stories we get to know the pilgrims themselves.

The travelers like the merchant, the lawyer, the cook, the sailor,

are the ordinary people, but each one of them can be recognized

as a real person with his or her own character. Chaucer has

described them as if they are right in front of us.

WIFE OF BATHPAGE 16

A lusty young knight in King Arthur's court rapes a beautiful young maiden

(unmarried woman). The people are angry by the knight's behavior and demand justice.

Although the law demands that the knight be beheaded, the queen and ladies of the

court beg the king to be allowed to determine the knight's fate. The queen then gives

the knight a year to discover what women most desire.

The year passes quickly. As the knight rides dejectedly back to the court knowing that

he will lose his life, he suddenly sees 24 young maidens dancing and singing. As he

approaches them, the maidens disappear, and the only living creature is a foul old

woman, who approaches him and asks what he seeks. The knight explains his quest,

and the old woman promises him the right answer if he will do what she demands for

saving his life. The knight agrees. When the queen bids the knight to speak, he

responds correctly that women most desire sovereignty over their husbands.

Having supplied him with the right answer, the old crone demands that she be his wife

and his love. The knight, in agony, agrees. On their wedding night, the knight pays no

attention to the foul woman next to him. When she questions him, he confesses that

her age, ugliness, and low breeding are repulsive to him. The old hag reminds him that

true gentility is not a matter of appearances but of virtue. She tells him that her looks

can be viewed as an asset. If she were beautiful, many men would be after her; in her

present state, however, he can be assured that he has a virtuous wife. She offers him a

choice: an old ugly hag such as she, but still a loyal, true, and virtuous wife, or a

beautiful woman with whom he must take his chances. The knight says the choice is

hers. And because she has "won the mastery," she tells him, "'Kiss me . . . and you

shall find me both . . . fair and faithful as a wife." Indeed, she had become a lovely

young woman, and they lived happily ever after.

Th

e W

ife o

f B

ath

Tale

1. Troylus and Cryseyde

2. The Legend of Good Women

OTHER WORKS BY CHAUCER

William Langland, (born c. 1330—died c. 1400), the

author of one of the greatest examples of Middle

English alliterative poetry Piers Plowman, an allegorical

work with a complex variety of religious themes. One of

the major achievements of Piers Plowman is that it

translates the language and ideas of religious educated

people into symbols and images that could be

understood by the layman. In general, the language of

the poem is simple and colloquial, but some of the

author’s imagery is powerful and direct.

WILLIAM LANGLAND

John Wycliffe (1320-1384) was a theologian

and he started to change the Roman

Catholic Church during the 14th century.

He started the first translation of the Bible

into the English language and is considered

the main precursor of the Protestant

Reformation.

JOHN WYCLIFFE

Sir Thomas Malory, (1470), English writer whose

identity remains uncertain but whose name is

famous as that of the author of Le Morte

D’Arthur, the first prose account in English of

the rise and fall of the legendary king Arthur and

the fellowship of the Round Table.

SIR THOMAS MALORY

A story in which the characters and events are symbols that stand for ideas about human life or for a political or historical situation. One of the best known examples is Plato's Allegory of the Cave.

WHAT IS AN ALLEGORY?

• Mystery/Miracle Plays

• Morality Plays

• Interludes

TYPES PF MIDDLE ENGLISH DRAMAS

A religious play in the Middle Ages based on a story from the Bible (such as

the creation of the world or the birth of Jesus Christ). These plays were

presented in Latin by churchmen on church premises (Example: Page 20)

MYSTERY/MIRACLE PLAYS

Morality play is an allegorical drama popular in Europe especially during the

15th and 16th centuries, in which the characters personify moral qualities

(such as charity, good deeds or vice) or abstractions (as beauty, death or youth)

and in which moral lessons are taught. Of all morality plays, the one that is

considered the greatest, and that is still performed, is Everyman.

MORALITY PLAYS

This play is probably the finest and best known of the morality plays of the

Middle Ages that have come down to us. It is a translation from the Dutch

made probably toward the end of the 15th century.

EVERYMAN

THE God looks down on Everyman from on high. He sees that Everyman in his seeking

for riches and pleasure has forgotten God and He is much displeased. He calls His

messenger, Death, and asks him take to Everyman the message that he must go on a long

journey; that he must prepare to make his accounting before the Almighty God.

Everyman is loath to leave this earth. He pleads that that he is not ready and offers Death a

thousand pounds if Death will forget him. Death refuses saying that all the riches in the

world might be his if he were open to such bribes. Everyman next inquires if he will be

allowed to return after he has rendered his account to Almighty God. Death assures him

that from the place to which he is going there is no returning. At last, however, Death

consents that Everyman may try to find someone to bear him company on the journey.

Everyman first approaches Fellowship, Kinsmen, worldly goods who inquires the cause of

his sadness. However, when they find that Everyman is going on the journey of death, they

beg to be excused

At last he recalls his Good Deeds. She is so weak and helpless by means of Everyman's

neglect that she cannot stand. Only after Everyman is taken to Confession and does

penance for his sins does Good Deeds get strength enough to accompany him. Good

Deeds and Knowledge advise him to take with him on the journey Discretion, Strength, and

Beauty, and, as counsellors, his Five Senses. Everyman receives the Last Sacrament and sets

out on his journey with these companions. But when he actually reaches the grave, Beauty

makes haste to depart and is promptly followed by Strength. At last only Knowledge and

Good Deeds remain by his side. Good Deeds accompanies him to the Heavenly realm to

plead his cause before his Maker, and Knowledge, remaining behind, hears the joyful songs

of the angels.

EV

ER

YM

AN

:

An interlude was a short and witty parts in the morality plays in between the acts. They were intended to relax the people and entertain them. John Heywood, one of the most famous interlude writers.

INTERLUDES

Fill in the blanks:

[Religion, John Wycliffe, Chaucer, allegorical, love, 1066, Le MorteD’Arthur, William Caxton, marriage, Everyman]

1. The Norman Conquest of England in _______was the beginning of 200 years of the domination of French in English letters.

2. ___________ was the father of English poetry.

3. Printing press was invented by _______________________

4. Chaucer also offers much insight into medieval social attitudes to _____, _________ and ___________.

5. _____________ is one of the greatest morality play of Middle Ages.

6. _____________ is considered the main precursor of the Protestant Reformation.

7. ___________________ the first prose account in English of the rise and fall of the legendary king Arthur and the fellowship of the Round Table.

8. Piers Plowman is an _______work with a complex variety of religious themes.

QUESTIONS

1. What is an allegory?

2. What is a miracle/mystery play?

3. What are morality plays?

4. What is an Interlude?

5. Who was Geoffrey Chaucer?

6. Write a short note on The Canterbury Tales.

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS