1. The Middle Ages: 1066-1485 Texts we will study from this time period:
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales

2. Important Dates Prior to this time:
Historical highlights prior to the Middle Ages:
The Romans occupied Britain until about 400 A.D. when their own wars at home called them away
The Anglo-Saxon invaders (Angles, Saxons, Jutes) arrived in about 450 A.D. and much of their occupation was tormented by Viking raiders who pillaged towns starting at 700 A.D.

3. The Invasion That Changed Everything
A weak Britain was invaded by the Duke of Normandy, thus the Norman conquest of 1066
Christianity links Britain to rest of Europe and brings England into mainstream European culture
Duke of Normandy emphasized law and order
He kept an inventory of every bit of property (land, cattle, etc) in the Domesday Book

4. Language
French: used by higher classes, officials, in court, literature
English: speech of the common people (Normans ultimately gave up French)
Latin still used for literature through 12th c.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was originally written in English (Middle English) in alliterative verse.

5. Feudalism
Divine right: God owns everything, but King is chosen by Him to rule. King rules side-by-side with God.
King, therefore, owns all land in the country
He awards land to those who plead fealty to him
Noblemen have larger estates
They then award land to lesser noblemen, who do the same, all the way down to serfs
Religious nature of serfs’ pledge: “By the lord before whom this sanctuary is holy, I will to ___ be true and faithful, and love all which he loves and shun all which he shuns, according to the laws of God and the order of the world. Nor will I ever with will or action, through word or deed, do anything which is unpleasing to him, on condition that he will perform everything as it was in our agreement when I submitted myself to him and chose his will.”

6. Feudalism, cont.
William the Conqueror divided land amongst many noblemen
Results in a strong central government
Society divided into classes (social rank and wealth)
Thus you start to see the gap between the wealthy and the poor widen
Knights were vassals of the King, often awarded for military service and loyalty
form of nobility
upheld the idea of courtesy...

7. Courtly Tradition
Courtesy – comes from “court” = how people should behave
Thirty-one rules of Courtly Love
Instantly and hopelessly in love
Suffering (sighing and moaning); Romans had considered romantic love a form of insanity
Jealousy: if you aren’t jealous enough, you aren’t really in love
Lady is haughty and disdainful; knight is not worthy

8. Courtly Tradition
Knight risks his life for the lady. She will offer a token (ribbon, scarf, girdle); then, lady takes knight as lover.
Marriages were for convenience, alliance, etc.
Idea that real love was only possible outside of marriage.
Therefore, adultery = pure love. (By the time of Gawain, the church had put a stop to the adultery part.)
Courtesy: prowess at arms, intelligence, eloquence, skillful at charming the lady (dancing, singing, reciting poetry)
Humility: lady was superior in all things
Language of love: disguises the fact that illicit relationship is the goal of courtly love
Gawain is the idealistic courtly lover (as I’m sure you just realized)

9. The Romance: Idealized Courtly Tradition
Characteristics of the Romance:
Supernatural or mysterious elements
Old, archaic quality
Simple, inevitable plot
Quest
Test of hero
Events and characters in sets of three
When/if romantic hero dies, takes on feature of a God or is memorialized
Good triumphs over evil
Female in need

10. Next time… Chaucer A poet OF the people FOR the people.
Rather than idealizing, he presents the everyday man