KEY IDEAS The Monarchy War and Plague Three Social Forces Geoffrey Chaucer Medieval Romance King Arthur
The Monarchy William the Conqueror (ruled from 1066 until his death in 1087) Powerful and extremely organized leader Brought many changes to England The feudal system The Domesday Book (an extensive tax record of all owned property) Henry II One of medieval England’s most memorable rulers William the Conqueror’s great grandson Reformed England’s judicial system
The plague known as The Black Death killed nearly a third of England’s population. The Hundred Years’ War between England and France began in 1337 and lasted more than 100 years. The Wars of the Roses ending in 1485 as Henry VII took the throne also ended the Middle Ages in England.
THE FEUDAL SYSTEM A class system based on land ownership The king and the church are the two most powerful landowners Under William the Conqueror, the dominated Anglo-Saxons fell to the bottom of the system THE CHURCH Lead by the Pope in Rome Made its own laws, levied taxes, ran its own courts, and clashed with the monarchy When Thomas a Becket, an archbishop and friend of King Henry II, started to favor the church over the crown the king had Becket murdered. CHIVALRY A code of honor governing the behavior of knights Knights were to battle evil and uphold good. Improved the treatment of women without improving the rights of women Placed emphasis on honesty, generosity, and bravery
The Father of English Literature Chaucer’s masterpiece: The Canterbury Tales Chaucer chose to write in Middle English during a time when most notable writers chose to write in Latin, a scholarly language. This decision brought great respect to the English language. Literary Connection: THE FRAME STORY - a story that has an outer story or “frame”; This frame typically contains many inner stories. The FRAME of the Canterbury Tales: Thirty pilgrims meet at an inn planning to take a pilgrimage to Thomas a Becket’s shrine in Canterbury. To pass the time, they plan to tell stories on their journey to and from the shrine.
Medieval romances: stories of adventure, love, chivalry, and heroism These stories represent the social order and ideals of the Middle Ages. These stories are set in an ideal world that greatly contrast the reality of England. Stories of King Arthur are among the most popular medieval romances.
Scholars who believe that Arthur was a real person tend to believe that he lived during the Anglo-Saxon era as either a king or a military leader. Myths based on his possible existence became popular during the Middle Ages. Arthurian legends surround Arthur’s sword Excalibur, Merlin the magician, Queen Guinevere, Sir Lancelot, and his Knights of the Round Table. The Star Wars movies are modern interpretations of Arthurian romance stories.