1 2 3 4 An Introduction to Medieval Life and The Canterbury Tales British Literature Mrs. Fitzgerald A Brief History of Middle English The Norman Conquest and Middle English (1100-1500) n The Normans, north men were descendants of Vikings n After settling on the coast of France, they adopted French customs and language The Norman Conquest and Middle English (1100-1500 n King Edward the Confessor of England died in 1066 n Harold Godwinson (Harold II) was chosen to be king n William of Normandy claimed that Edward had left the throne to him n William invaded and conquered England in 1066 at the Battle of Hastings 5 6 7 The Bayeux Tapestry 70 meter long embroidery Commissioned by Bishop Odo to commemorate the events leading to the Battle of Hastings and the events that unfolded afterward The Norman Conquest and Middle English (1100-1500) (cont d) William suppressed Anglo-Saxon nobility and took their land Business and government were conducted in Norman French (diff. from Parisian French) About 10,000 French words were introduced The Norman Conquest and Middle English (1100-1500) (cont d) q This mixture of the two languages came to be known as Middle English. 1
Middle English. q Unlike Old English, Middle English can be read, with some difficulty, by modern English-speaking people. 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 English words derived from French n More than 1/3 of the words in English were influenced by French n attorney, bailiff, court, crime, evidence, government n abbot, chaplain, clergy, friar, prayer, priest, religion, sacrament, saint n army, artillery, battle, captain, corporal, marine, navy, sergeant, soldier n beef, mutton, pork, poultry, veal Medieval Times The Feudal System The Origin of The Black Death Believed to have originated in the Far East Was able to spread quickly along major trade routes A Disease By Any Other Name The Black Plague The Bubonic Plague The Pestilence The Great Mortality So What Was It? Bacteria-born disease Carried in the blood of fleas on rats Symptoms Bites swell to the size of fists Intensely painful Swelling starts red and turns black 2-6 days for death What was the result? In England, 30-40% of pop. gone 2
In England, 30-40% of pop. gone Not enough field workers 40% of clergy 16 17 The Medieval Church Key Terms Penance remorse for your past conduct; voluntary selfpunishment in order to atone for some wrongdoing Crusade any of the military expeditions undertaken by European Christians in the 11 th, 12 th, and 13 th centuries to recover the Holy Land from the Muslims; a holy war undertaken with papal sanction 18 19 Key Terms, cont. Mendicant depending on alms or charity for a living; practicing begging Chastity abstaining from sexual relations; celibacy; morality with respect to sexual relations Key Terms, cont. Sanctify to set apart for sacred use; to make holy; purify Holy Grail according to medieval legend, this was a chalice used by Jesus Christ at the Last Supper and later became the object of many chivalrous quests; supposedly possessed miraculous powers Church Hierarchy Pope head of church, Latin for daddy Cardinals advisors to the Pope; papal candidates Archbishops controlled archdiocese Bishops controlled diocese in larger cities or provinces made of many parishes Abbots in charge of monasteries Priests - local church or parish 20 Monasteries Usually in the countryside; isolated 3
Usually in the countryside; isolated Vows of poverty, obedience, and chastity Monks were expected to do manual labor, study, and pray Governed by the Rules of St. Benedict Very strict 21 22 23 24 25 26 Monastery Inside libraries, monks copied manuscripts Wrote in beautiful handwriting Drew elaborate illustrations Illuminated letters Scandals in the Church Immorality, ignorance of clergy Immorality of people purchasing indulgences Simony sinful practice of giving or obtaining an appointment to a church office for money Medieval Professions Medieval Society Society could be broken into three major groups: Those who pray (oratores) Those who fight (bellatores) Those who work (laboratores) Those Who Pray Clergy including priests, monks, and friars Society held special expectations of them. Clergy were the guardians of society who kept the spiritual order Those Who Fight Knights of the Middle Ages mounted warriors Initially, anyone who could afford it could be a knight Eventually, knights had to prove their noble ancestry (coats of arms) Knighthood rises in status 4
Knighthood rises in status 27 Those Who Work Manual labor Usually peasants, who were the majority of medieval society 28 29 30 31 1 2 The Chivalric Code and Courtly Love What is Chivalry? o Chivalry was a code of behavior that allowed medieval knights to put their ability to fight to good use o Chivalry offered knights a positive role in society o There was not one exact code of honor or chivalry The Code of Chivalry n Live to serve King and Country. n Live one's life so that it is worthy of respect and honor. n Live for freedom, justice and all that is good. n Never attack an unarmed foe. n Administer justice. n Protect the innocent. n Exhibit self control. n Show respect to authority. n Respect women. n Exhibit Courage in word and deed. n Defend the weak and innocent. n Destroy evil in all of its monstrous forms. n Fight with honor. n Avenge the wronged. n Always keep one's word of honor. n Die with honor. n Exhibit manners. n Be polite and attentive. Courtly Love o Knight finds a lady to whom he devotes all his attention 5
o Knight finds a lady to whom he devotes all his attention o The knight's love for the lady inspires him to do great deeds, in order to be worthy of her love or to win her favor. o Ennobled by love and inspired to be more honorable than ever o Could be a chaste, platonic love or an adulterous love relationship 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 Characteristics of Courtly Love o Practiced by noble lords and ladies o Ladies usually received songs, poems, flowers, etc. o Nobles needed only to receive a mere shadow of affection o Courtly lovers were pledged to strict secrecy Heraldry o Heraldry is a system of signs and symbols o Originated in the Middle Ages as a means of recognizing warriors on the battlefield. o Each man bore a shield of a unique design. St. Thomas Becket St. Thomas Becket Martyr, Archbishop of Canterbury Born in London in 1118 (?) Was well-educated St. Thomas Becket, cont. In 1141, entered the service of Theobald, Archbishop of Canterbury He became Theobald s most trusted clerk Ordained a deacon in 1154 St. Thomas Becket and King Henry II Henry II became king and chose Thomas of London as his chancellor St. Thomas Becket and King Henry II, cont. 6
St. Thomas shared the king s imperial views and love of splendor He identified with the king s interests, however, only to the limits of what his conscience permitted 39 40 41 42 43 44 Archbishop of Canterbury Theobald died in 1161 Henry II wanted to secure St. Thomas for the position St. Thomas I know your plans for the Church. You will assert claims which I, if I were archbishop, must needs oppose St. Thomas gave in upon the advice of a cardinal who said it would be a service to religion Archbishop of Canterbury, cont. He was ordained one day, and was consecrated bishop the next day A great change took place in St. Thomas s life He fasted, wore hair shirts, held vigils, and was in constant prayer The Archbishop and The King A major disagreement over legislation ended their relationship The Exile and The Return St. Thomas was in exile for six years Returned to England in 1170 Henry II was infuriated when St. Thomas excommunicated the bishops who supported the king Murder in the Cathedral Who will rid me of this meddlesome priest?" - King Henry II His outrage inspired four knights to take action They arrived on December 29 and searched for the Archbishop. Murder in the Cathedral, cont. The knights found him at the altar of the Cathedral, drew their swords and began hacking at their victim finally splitting his 7
The knights found him at the altar of the Cathedral, drew their swords and began hacking at their victim finally splitting his skull. 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 The Holy Blissful Martyr His tomb in Canterbury became a famous shrine St. Thomas Becket was canonized in 1173; feast day December 29 The king was forced to do public penance at Becket s tomb The shrine was a place of pilgrimage all through the Middle Ages until 1538 Pilgrimages in the Middle Ages Why did people go on pilgrimages? In the Middle Ages the Church encouraged people to make pilgrimages (journeys) to special holy places called shrines. Forgiveness of sins Curing of illnesses Travel and socializing What did people do on pilgrimages? At other shrines people went to see the teeth, bones, shoes, combs etc. that were said to have once belonged to important Christian saints. These were called relics How did people go on pilgrimages? Traveling on long journeys in the Middle Ages was a dangerous activity. Pilgrims often went in groups to protect themselves against outlaws. Wealthy people sometimes preferred to pay others to go on a pilgrimage for them. Geoffrey Chaucer The Father of English Poetry The most famous example of Middle English is Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. 8
Canterbury Tales. French and Latin had been the preferred language of poetry since 1066 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 The Canterbury Tales Originally written in Middle English, capturing the everyday speech of people Vivid and varied portrayals of pilgrims Only 22 tales completed, 2 fragments; he intended to write 124 Literary Terms Characterization the process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character DIRECT CHARACTERIZATION tells the audience what the personality of the character is INDIRECT CHARACTERIZATION shows things that reveal the personality of a character INDIRECT CHARACTERIZATION S peech T houghts E ffect on other charcters A ctions L ooks Estate Satire Writing that ridicules or holds up to contempt the faults of individuals or groups Relates to estates, or classes Often humorous, but hopes to lead to the correction of the flaw Verbal Irony Words are used to suggest the opposite of their usual meaning Situational Irony 9
An event occurs that directly contradicts expectations 59 60 61 Frame Tale A larger story, inside which are smaller stories Physiognomy The art of discovering temperament and character from outward appearance The Four Humors Theory that health depended on the balance of four body fluids Blood, yellow bile, phlegm, and black bile Blood (sanguine) happy, generous Yellow bile (choleric) violent, hot tempered Phlegm (phlegmatic) dull, unmotivated Black bile (melancholic) - introspective 62 63 64 65 66 The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer Vocabulary from The Prologue Solicitous (adj) Showing care or concern My best friend was sincerely solicitous when she asked me if I was feeling better after my illness. Garnished (adj) Decorated; trimmed Her rhinestone garnished jacket was positively hideous. Absolution (n) Act of freeing someone from sin or of a criminal charge The convicted murderer, who had been wrongly accused, was finally given absolution and was released at the age of 65. Commission (n) Authorization; act of giving authority to an individual 10
Authorization; act of giving authority to an individual In early colonial times the king of England gave commission to proprietors to rule over each colony. 67 68 69 70 71 72 Sanguine (adj) Confident; cheerfu The football team was not feeling particularly sanguine after the star player was injured. Avouches (v) Asserts positively; affirms I can only avouch a student s performance if I have had him or her as a student for at least one year. Prevarication (n) Evasion of truth Kristy s frequent prevarication caused her mother to question her true whereabs Glutton (n) One who eats a great deal; having capacity to receive or withstand something Jack was a glutton for punishment; no matter how many times Anne broke his heart, he kept going back to her. Countenance (n) A person s face, especially the expression The commander s countenance belied his true feelings of anxiety and fear. Erudite (adj) Deeply learned; scholarly Students who go to law school take classes in speech in order to become verbally erudite. 11