The Middle English Period

Transcription

1 The Middle English Period Dates: Please know! * William the invaded England from Normandy (France) in 1066 and basically ended the Old English period. * To account for all the people and property in his realm, William ordered that a be taken. The results were recorded in the Domesday Book. * Literature written in English was not to be found for a hundred years after the Norman Invasion. * In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, religious literature written in, the language of the Roman church, became common. * At the same time, a new poetry written in, the language of the Normans, made its way into the courts of the aristocracy. Middle English Literature Old English 1. Subject matter: Mostly concerned with teaching the necessary to establish society in hostile circumstances and defend it against attack. 2. Genres: 3. Heroes: Middle English 1. Subject matter: Mostly concerned with teaching necessary to preserve society from degeneration Wycliffe, Chaucer, and (indirectly) Malory diagnose the ills of society and prescribe a remedy: a return to the of the. Wycliffe points to a spiritual remedy: the humbling of the soul before God and the acceptance of divine grace. To most authors of this period, duty to was inseparable from duty to ones fellow. 2. Genres: - Based primarily on the adventures of various and often abounding in the supernatural--enchanters, giants, dragons, prophetic visions, magic tokens - Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by the Pearl Poet - Long narrative poem celebrating the exploits and manners of a questing and emphasizing the of a civilized society 1 of 16

2 - Song, transmitted orally, which tells a - Characterized by simple verse forms, brevity of narration, understatement, and stylized repetition - Reflect the ills of society but find the remedy, if at all, in a folk hero like - Tragic subject matter - Presented from the common man's point of view - No directly stated - A ballad is a short narrative folk song which tells of a single (usually tragic) even in an objective, unbiased manner. Lyric - Fairly short poem, uttered by a single speaker, who expresses a state of mind or a process of perception, thought, and feeling Carols - Originated in medieval - Originally any joyous songs or hymns, but later the term carol became associated with hymns in particular - Morality plays * Plays that represented allegorically the battle which vices and virtues wage for the possession of the human soul * Everyman - Mystery plays- Group Bonus Project! * Plays on subjects * Arranged in a series or cycle and presented the major Biblical events * Acted out by the, incorporated associations of various trades and crafts in the towns * Produced on a movable platform called a pageant or pageant wagon - Miracle plays * Plays dealing with legends of * Produced by the 3. Heroes: The man Can laugh, cry, and fall in love 4. Chief virtue of Middle English literature: 5. Didacticism (instruction) Satire- corrective ridicule 6. Famous Middle English authors: Geoffrey (The Canterbury Tales) Sir Thomas (Le Morte d Arthur) John Wycliffe translated the Latin Bible into English. William Langland (Piers Plowman) 2 of 16

3 William Caxton set up the first in 1485 and printed Chaucer s Canterbury Tales, Malory s Le Morte d Arthur, and an English translation of Virgil s Aeneid. Society * Change from to a society of more towns, more landowners, and more yeoman. (Partly because of the in the 14 th century) * was the code of conduct set for the nobility and the knights. It demanded that knights exhibit such qualities as strength, courage, loyalty, and courtesy. * The Middle Ages were brutish times, and men and women alike were barbaric by today s standards. For example, they rarely, usually ate everything with their fingers, and generally had very coarse manners. Religion 1. Religion was VERY important. 2. Entire civilized world united by 3. Crusades to recapture 4. John Wycliffe: of the Protestant Reformation Said the Pope was the Most religious event: He enabled the translation of the Bible from Latin into English and put it into the common people s hands. John Wycliffe ( ) Facts Called the " of the Reformation" Lived at for most of his life Summoned twice to trial for his beliefs - John of Gaunt, duke of and Edward III s son, the most powerful noble in England stopped the first trial probably because he wished to use Wycliffe politically because of Wycliffe s influence among the common people. John's son became Henry IV, a later king of England. - The king s mother stopped the second trial. - A third trial resulted in retirement. Devised two ways to get spiritual truth to the people - Sending out itinerant preachers (his followers known as or poor priests ) - Translating the Scriptures into the common tongue Never left the Church Died a natural death In 1415 the Council of Constance exhumed and the body of Wycliffe. 3 of 16

4 Beliefs The ultimate temporal authority of the over the That the church should not accumulate Condemned indulgences (heavenly merit that you can buy) Condemned praying for the Condemned confession of sins to a Condemned celibacy Condemned the adoration of images Denied "I believe that in the end the truth will conquer." Works For the Order of the Priesthood - The primary qualification for the clergy is a. Sentence of the Curse Expounded - Christ promised his followers tribulation and persecution. - Worldly clerks are seeking the world s peace and prosperity. - Cites, Peter, and Paul as examples of poverty - Cites of Clairvaux in his attack on worldly, wealthy clergyman First complete translation of the Latin (Wycliffe felt that the Holy Spirit could teach the people so he instigated this translation. He actually did not translate the Bible himself.) 4 of 16

5 The Canterbury Tales Character Sketch Presentation * For this assignment, you will be required to research one of the characters in the "General Prologue" of the Canterbury tales. You will then present this information in a 3-5 minute presentation in class. You must assume the role of your character and speak using the first person point of view relating the experiences of the figure as if they are your own. Your job will be to sell your figure as the most interesting and exciting character in the prologue. * You will present on Monday, 10/7/13. * You must use a visual aid in this presentation (power point with picture(s), drawing, poster, picture, costume, prop, etc.). * Seek to introduce your character just like you are that character. If your character is bold, you must be bold in your presentation. Please do not simply list off information; make it interesting. Perhaps, tell a story for your character's perspective. * You must choose one of the following characters. No more than two students may do the same character, and these two students may not collaborate. This is an individual project. - The Knight - The Wife of Bath - The Pardoner - The Miller - The Prioress - The Monk - The Host - The Parson - The Squire - The Clerk - The Man of Law - The Manciple - The Merchant - The Shipman - The Physician - The Franklin - The Reeve - The Plowman - The Guildsmen - The Cook - The Yeoman * Your primary source should be "The General Prologue." * After you have gleaned everything you can from the text itself you may reference articles on the internet--either specifically on your character or that profession during medieval times. If you find information that is not common knowledge please prepare a MLA works cited page to turn in. You may use knightcite.com to do this. * You should be prepare for the presentation itself. - Note cards. - Practice entire presentation including your use of visual. * If you are using a power point. Please save the power point on your flash drive as a ppt or pptx file. Next, give the flash drive to me by Wednesday, 10/2/13, so I can see if the power point works with the front computer. * Seek to address the following information if applicable: - Physical description - Clothing - Foods he/she likes - Hobbies - Work - Social rank - Moral condition (view of right and wrong) - Spiritual condition - Other - Based on the above information, what was medieval society like? 5 of 16

6 Geoffrey Chaucer: The Father of English Literature Life: Born in the rising middle class to a wealthy merchant in London In his early teens, he served as a in an aristocratic household. At nineteen, he accompanied the king on one of the many expeditions of the Hundred Years War. His occupations included, Controller of for the port of London, justice of the peace and of the shire for the county of Kent, member of for the county of Kent, and Clerk of the King s Works. His patron was John of, the Duke of Lancaster. He knew Latin,, and. He was the Chief of his Age. He was buried in Abbey. Chaucer's concern to entertain sometimes overpowered his concern to improve his audience. The works in your literature book omit the most objectionable passages in the original. It is fair to say that these objectionable elements often resulted from his contempt for the corrupt and his spotlighting of their practices. You should not read indiscriminately in Chaucer. Literature: The Book of the Duchess, a dream vision, was written during his period, under literary influences. -An elegy for John of Gaunt s wife Blanche. He wrote the House of Fame, a vision, and Troilus and Criseyde, one of the most famous love poems of all time, during his period. He wrote, a work designed to represent the wide sweep of English society, during his English period. - Written mostly during the last 14 years of his life. - Inspiration may have partially come from pilgrimages to the shrine of, an archbishop of Canterbury. - Written in heroic couplets, 2 lines of rhyming pentameter - Utilized the structural device of a story - His frame is a to the Canterbury Cathedral. 6 of 16

7 - He planned to write 120 stories. Each pilgrim, including Chaucer, would tell on the way to Canterbury and on the way back. - He died after writing only stories. - A satiric commentary on the times - He used characters from the three most important groups of people in his day. * (related to the land)- knight, squire, etc. * Ecclesiastical ( )- parson, prioress, pardoner, etc. * (professional people)- miller, guildsman, merchant, etc. The Canterbury Tales: "The General Prologue * Bonus: Memorize the first 18 lines of "The General Prologue" to The Canterbury Tales in Middle English. * What month do the pilgrims go to Canterbury? * It is the that proposes that the pilgrims pass the time by competing in the telling of tales and that the winner be rewarded by a supper at the others' expense on their return to his inn. * Characters - The Narrator- Chaucer's persona, Chaucer characterizes himself as an extremely outgoing and person. These character traits fictionally justify his knowledge of the pilgrims and his meticulous reporting of details of dress, personality, and conversation. - The Nun She is very amiable, prim, and proper; she speaks ; her manner is graceful; she is tenderhearted; she has a noble head, gray eyes, and a small, soft, red mouth; she wears a fashionable cloth, a wimple, a coral rosary, and a locket on which is engraved Conquers All. Her name is Madame Eglantine. - The Parson He is kind, scholarly, wise, holy, thrifty, fair, and pure. He is a good minister for he cares for his people, teaches them properly, visits them, takes care of them, and lives as an example of. He is Chaucer's clerical Christian. + The from Prioress to Priest to Monk to Friar presents increasingly repulsive representatives of spiritual among the regular clergy. Each shows unconcern for a religious ideal. The motive is no longer service of God and man but service of (the pursuit of worldly recognition, material goods, and sensual gratification). The morality, if any, is no longer Christian but secular. The discipline of the religious order has been relaxed. The vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience are not taken. - The Pardoner He is deceitful and takes advantage of ignorant people for his gain. He has stringy yellow. He sums up all the types of depravity represented in the prologue. He is a materialist, a clever operator, an arrogant professional, and a murderer (of souls rather than merely of bodies. - The Knight He is a model of. He is chivalrous and possesses truth, honor, freedom, and courtesy. He is a brave warrior but is. 7 of 16

8 - The Squire He is a version of the knight. He is young, pleasant, romantic, courteous, meek, and able. He has skill in horsemanship and music. He wants news of his fame to reach his ears. - The Yeoman He is a serving man to the knight; he also is a gifted and knows the art of woodcraft. - The Oxford Scholar He is studious, thin, and poor; he would rather spend his gold on than on anything else. He does not speak often, but he is clearly understood when he does. He loves his, has high ideals, and is of virtuous speech. He loves to learn and to teach. - The Friar- Chaucer suggests with the line, "Many a girl was married by his doing," that the Friar impregnated young women and then them off. - Chaucer wants to portray a of characters, both good and bad. He particularly desires to point out the corruption in the. - Et cetera The Nun s Priest s Tale Summary A poor, elderly widow lives a simple life in a cottage with her two daughters. Her few possessions include three sows, three cows, a sheep, and some chickens. One chicken, her rooster, is named Chanticleer, which in French means sings clearly. True to his name, Chanticleer s cock-a-doodle-doo makes him the master of all roosters. He crows the hour more accurately than any church clock. His crest is redder than fine coral, his beak is black as jet, his nails whiter than lilies, and his feathers shine like burnished gold. Chanticleer has many hen-wives, but he loves most truly a hen named Pertelote. She is as lovely as Chanticleer is magnificent. As Chanticleer, Pertelote, and all of Chanticleer s hen-wives are roosting one night, Chanticleer has a terrible nightmare about an orange houndlike beast who threatens to kill him while he is in the yard. Fearless Pertelote berates him for letting a dream get the better of him. She believes the dream to be the result of some physical malady, and she promises him that she will find some purgative herbs. She urges him once more not to dread something as fleeting and illusory as a dream. In order to convince her that his dream was important, he tells the stories of men who dreamed of murder and then discovered it. His point in telling these stories is to prove to Pertelote that Mordre will out (3052) 8 of 16

9 murder will reveal itself even and especially in dreams. Chanticleer cites textual examples of famous dream interpretations to further support his thesis that dreams are portentous. One day in May, Chanticleer has just declared his perfect happiness when a wave of sadness passes over him. That very night, a hungry fox stalks Chanticleer and his wives, watching their every move. The next day, Chanticleer notices the fox while watching a butterfly, and the fox confronts him with dissimulating courtesy, telling the rooster not to be afraid. Chanticleer relishes the fox s flattery of his singing. He beats his wings with pride, stands on his toes, stretches his neck, closes his eyes, and crows loudly. The fox reaches out and grabs Chanticleer by the throat, and then slinks away with him back toward the woods. No one is around to witness what has happened. Once Pertelote finds out what has happened, she burns her feathers with grief, and a great wail arises from the henhouse. The widow and her daughters hear the screeching and spy the fox running away with the rooster. The dogs follow, and pretty soon the whole barnyard joins in the hullabaloo. Chanticleer very cleverly suggests that the fox turn and boast to his pursuers. The fox opens his mouth to do so, and Chanticleer flies out of the fox s mouth and into a high tree. The fox tries to flatter the bird into coming down, but Chanticleer has learned his lesson. He tells the fox that flattery will work for him no more. The moral of the story, concludes the Nun s Priest, is never to trust a flatterer (sparknotes.com). A fable- a moral tale in which animals act the parts of human beings Moral 1: Beware of flattery. Moral 2: Hold your tongue. A epic- treats a trivial subject in heroic terms Parodies courtly - Chanticleer and Partlet are the typical lord and lady. The priest may be ridiculing the literary tastes of the prioress. Can be interpreted as an allegory of the of man - Chanticleer can be considered an archetypal male (a recurring character type) who illustrates, has a lordly look, demonstrates self-infatuation, and condescends toward his mate. - Harem- Chanticleer has wives. - Partlet (originally Pertelote) is Chanticleer s favorite wife. She is the essential female with a demure persistence of purpose. She attempts to persuade her mate through his emotional nature to act against his better judgment, "I cannot love a coward," and ignore the dream. This accusation of cowardice is terrible to use on a husband, especially when coupled with the threat of withheld love. Yet Chanticleer deserves the greater blame. For all his profession of rational superiority, he finally submits to the hen and willfully disregards the ominous, just like Adam made the to eat the fruit in the garden. - Chanticleer is the victim of his illusion of which is the product of his wife's words and the fox, a malicious deceiver. Whereas Partlet uses intimidation, the fox uses. He has heard of Chanticleer's ability to sing and wonders if this ability can match his father's. This flattery encourages self-satisfaction and self-confidence and discourages self-criticism and. The story states metaphorically the old truism that flattery : After the fox flatters him, Chanticleer shuts his eyes to sing. The person thus flattered is an easy prey to his enemies. The main subject of the story is natural and supernatural, harmless and ominous. Its main target is the self-conceit that insulates a person from reality, making him vulnerable to the evils of life, and, of course, to. 9 of 16

10 The theme of the story takes on special significance when one considers the of the pilgrimage. The Nun's Priest is a parish priest, who serves the Prioress as her secretary and confessor. His tale follows that of another member of the regular clergy, the Monk, whose material abundance and leisure are at the furthest extreme from the life of the ordinary parish priest. The Nun's Priest rides on a poor horse and in nondescript apparel--certainly not in the style of the other church workers. He doubtless has been aware of a between the Widow of Bath and certain other pilgrims concerning the relationship between husband and wife. He slyly tells a tale in which female domination proves the man's undoing, or very nearly so, reinforcing his point by analogy with the first and greatest of man. His tale thus reflects on his subjection to the Prioress as well as on the Widow's theory of submission in marriage (expressed in the prologue to her tale). The tale especially indicts --the kind of pretense and parade a person puts on for others and eventually comes to believe in about himself. One cannot help connecting Chanticleer's description with the high look of the Monk and the Prioress's concern to be a lady. The Priest moralizes at the end of his tale with a prayer to remind the audience to avoid recklessness and negligence and be wary of flattery. His final admonition expresses the medieval theory of fiction. Notice the between the homely realism of the description of the widow and the vain, aristocratic self-delusion of the barnyard royalty. Pride in medieval society was considered the root vice, the first of the deadly sins. Application of The Canterbury Tales: Don t forget that the of life is a biblical concept (Heb ). Man s life is a journey toward an encounter with his Maker. This concept reappears quite often in literature, most notably in The Pilgrim's. Sir Thomas Malory Whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone and anvil is rightwise king born of all England. "For love that time was not as love is nowadays." 10 of 16

11 Born into the Allegedly committed many heinous such as cattle raiding, theft, extortion, attempted murder, and robbing churches But... he was a framed Lancastrian during the Yorksist reign (War of Roses- House of York vs. the House of Lancaster), and some of these may have been trumped up charges. Spent most of his life in Wrote Le Morte d Arthur while he was imprisoned in Prison in London near the well-stocked Grey Friars library Le Morte d Arthur Synthesis of French, English, and Latin manuscripts Originally entitled The Book of King Arthur and His Noble Knights of the Round Table William, the man who introduced printing into England, published it and renamed it when he divided the work into 21 volumes and edited it. William published it after Malory s and gave the work the credibility it deserved. Finest example of Middle English prose narrative - He did for what Chaucer did for poetry. - He inaugurated the tradition of English prose. Style: - Short - To the - You may not think so, but this work details action after action and only gives the necessary details. Plot: King Arthur is conceived, pulls the sword from the stone, is crowned by the Archbishop of Canterbury, receives Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake, marries Guinevere, and starts the Round Table concept. Next, the work follows the quests of other knights Gawain, Gareth, Galahad (Knight Perilous), and Sir Lancelot (the greatest knight) and ends with Lancelot s and Guinevere s affair and subsequently King Arthur s death. Exalts the system (This is not surprising since Malory is from the nobility.) Stirs readers to recall a land of, respect, and loyalty (This is interesting since Malory s reputation does not resemble the ideals he upholds.) Malory altered the French manuscripts to achieve this ulterior goal (emphasizing chivalry more.) Malory could not achieve his goals completely because he could not deny his characters (i.e. Lancelot s and Guinevere s affair) The Tudor King Henry VII encouraged the belief that he was returned. Contains both elements of (i.e. Guinevere goes to a convent) and Celtic mythology (i.e. The sword in the stone resembles the Destiny Stone that supposedly would cry out for the true king.) The Tale of Sir Gareth Who Was Called Beaumains - Organized as an * The narrative proves a : the worthiness of the unidentified youth. 11 of 16

12 - Theme: The meaning of true (which requires 3 things) * Noble birth (Sir Lancelot will not knight Gareth until he knows who he is.) * Noble character * Social manners. - Its theme of worthiness being eventually revealed and honored is like that of the fairy tale "Cinderella." - Gareth shows he is worthy of by * His acceptance and fulfillment of menial, degrading and * His request and fulfillment of a knightly, the liberation of a maiden in a besieged castle. - Characters: * King Arthur (grants Gareth s three requests) * (knights Gareth) + The careers of Gareth and Lancelot later intersect in an unhappy circumstance that reinforces the of Le Morte d'arthur and leads on to its tragic conclusion. Lancelot, in defending Guinevere from punishment for their adulterous relationship, unintentionally kills Gareth and thereby transforms Gawain, Gareth's brother, from his devoted friend into his bitterest. * Sir Kay (mistreats and unfairly attacks Gareth) + Has the social requirement (noble birth) for gentility * Sir Gawain (Gareth s brother) * Beaumains (Fair Hands)- actually + Beaumains shows humility in his subjection to Sir Kay and fortitude in his success against Sir Kay (at a disadvantage) and Lancelot. + Has the social and moral components of true gentility + Notice also that Gareth remains modest at the end. is not associated with heroism here as in Old English literature. * Lyonet (surly lady who fetches help for her sister) + She shares Sir Kay's negative opinion of Gareth and this lack of discernment shows a corresponding lack of true nobility. * Lyonesse (the lady who Sir Gareth ) What is chivalry today? What character qualities must be present for a person to be considered chivalrous? Does reminding a people of times of chivalry inspire them to live better? Does Malory's "solution" of the evils of society last? What must be done to bring about lasting change in a society? 12 of 16

13 Ballads A ballad (known also as the folk ballad or traditional ballad) is a song, transmitted orally, which tells a story. Ballads are impersonal with, detached authors. Ballads are often and use understatement and bizarre contrasts. qualities The ballad stanza (most common stanza form) is a with an rhyme scheme. Many ballads employ set formulas (which helped the singer remember the course of the song) including - phrases such as blood-red wine and milk-white steed - A in each stanza (The last line or two of each stanza is repeated.) - Incremental (repeated variation) in which a line or stanza is repeated, but with an addition that advances the story Popular themes include tragic, jealousy, revenge, disaster, deeds of adventure and daring, and historical or semi-historical events. Thomas was first to compile ballads in his collection, Reliques of Ancient English Poetry. Sir Patrick Spens Based on an ill-fated 13 th century voyage bringing a Scottish princess to her wedding with the king of Norway The author does not judge this incident or show any emotion regarding it at all. The eldern knight that suggested Sir Patrick s name to the king was an not a friend. Theme: The man suffers at the whims of a ruler. What is Sir Patrick s attitude in face of the voyage? 13 of 16

14 Can you find an example of a stock phrase? The ballad uses the ballad stanza in stanzas 5-11 with the rhyme scheme of. Can you find an example of incremental repetition? understatement appears in stanza 8: The Scottish nobles disliked getting their shoes wet, but even their hats got wet as the water climbed higher up the slanting deck. understatement emphasizes finality in stanzas 9 and 10: the ladies will have to wait a long time before their husbands come home. The Twa Corbies Corbies are, scavengers that eat warriors after a battle, but in this situation the knight did not die in a big battle. Who knows the knight is dead? Two ravens converse, and they are heard by a passerby. The effect is to divulge a : the identity of one responsible for the knight s death ( A little bird told me! ) The gruesome of the ravens exulting in their prize and envisaging their feast heightens the reader s indignation. Their report of total unconcern is obviously intended to produce general awareness and concern. 14 of 16

15 "The Wife of Usher's Well" Notice the incremental in stanzas two and three. It would take a week for a ship to be reported missing; in three weeks it would be clear that there was no hope of its return. The is further intensified by the irony of line 28; she is deluded that her sons are fine, but this delusion is short-lived. The reference to the bonny may hint at the reason the mother sent her sons over the sea: They may have quarreling over the girl and threatening to injure each other. If this is so, the outcome is more ironically ; the mother, in seeking to preserve her sons, brought about their deaths. The of the cock was believed to cleanse the night of wandering spirits. Ballads often reflect folk superstitions. "Robin Hood and the Widow's Three Sons" This ballad, though artistically not the equal of the previous, is representative of the cycle and pleasant to read. In this excerpt the sons of a widow are restored to her by Robin Hood. The central narrative device is the ambiguity of line 8. Ultimately, it is the that is hanged, not the three men. Is vigilantism outside the law ever appropriate for the Christian? Why or why not? 15 of 16

16 Get Up and Bar the Door (November 11, St. Martin s Day), in ballad literature, is a time when strange happenings are likely. tone Theme: When a husband is inconsiderate and a wife God s order for the family is disrupted. Why wouldn t the wife shut the door? What does An it should nae be barred this hundred year, / I s no be barred for me mean? What did the two strangers do? What is the wife s attitude at the end of the ballad? What is the incremental repetition in this poem? 16 of 16