THEMIDDLE

AGES5th-15th century

MEDIEVAL GOVERNMENT

Norman Rule ends 1154 Henry II

Conflict with the ChurchThomas Becket =

archbishopBecket defies king, sides

with the PopeHenry’s knights murder

BecketAtone holy pilgrimage

to Becket’s tomb

MEDIEVAL GOVERNMENT, CONT.

Richard IMilitary expeditions King John inherits debts

JohnTries to raise taxes on barons, resisted

England on brink of civil war

Avoiding trouble Magna Carta Promises not to tax land without

meeting First restrictions on royal power

MEDIEVAL LITERATURE Dramas, poetry, romances, ballads

Medieval life, knights, love, outlaws Dramas:

Church sponsored plays- Bible storiesMorality plays ordinary people, moral

lessons 1454- Printing press church scribes

Chaucer = one of first worksprinted in England

GEOFFREY CHAUCER

1343?-1400 Considered the greatest English poet in

his own lifetime Merchant class, father = vintner Servant to aristocratic household

Career administrating just below aristocracyAble to observe all kinds of peopleWindow overlooking pilgrim road

THE CANTERBURY TALES

Moves literature beyond themes of courtly love and knightly adventures

Cross-section of medieval society Exchange of tales among pilgrims

journeying to the shineof Thomas Becket

Humor, realism

THE PROLOGUE Tabard Inn, in a suburb of London Narrator + 29 other pilgrims Inn host, Harry Bailey, sets a challenge

Each pilgrim must tell 2 stories on the wayto Canterbury and 2 on the way back. The personwho tells the best tale will be treated to a feast.

Pilgrims accept, Bailey joins to judge

CHAUCER’S CHARACTERS

Chaucer writes of rank and stereotypesBUT presents them as real people, individuals who defy categorizing i.e.: outward appearances suggest one

thing, Chaucer reveals some other truth e.g.: Outside Merchant = wealthy

Inside Merchant = secretly deep in debt

Great insight into lives ofmedieval people

SOCIAL COMMENTARY

Writing that offers insight into society, its values, and its customsChaucer notes virtues and faults of

his characters Each character in The

Canterbury Tales represents a different segment of society

Supposed to be 120 tales, only 24 written

CHARACTERIZATION Direct: presents direct statements

about a characterE.g.: the Knight “followed chivalry / Truth,

honor…” Indirect: uses actions, thoughts, and

dialogue to reveal a character’s personalityE.g.: “he was not gaily dressed” suggests

that the Knight is not vain and takes the pilgrimage seriously enough to rush straight from battle

“Show vs. Tell” = Indirect vs. Direct

CHAUCER’S CHARACTERIZATION EXAMPLE