1. English Literature
The Medieval Period
(Middle English)

2. What was it like to live in the Middle Ages?

3. The White Tower in London… part of William’s legacy
Welcome to England and the English… an island of peoples, languages, and divisions...
The White Tower in London…
part of William’s legacy
Chartres Cathedral
Latin -- church, schools
French -- court, castle
English -- commoners

4. The 3 Estates in the Middle Ages
The idea of estates, or orders, was encouraged during the Age, but this ordering was breaking down.
Clergy
Latin chiefly spoken, those who pray, purpose was to save everyone’s soul
Nobles
French chiefly spoken, those who fight, purpose was to protect—allow for all to work in peace—and provide justice
Commoners
English spoken, those who work, purpose was to feed and clothe all above them

5. The Middle Ages ( )

6. William, Duke of Normandy The Battle of Hastings (October 1066)
Daylong battle near Hastings, England
Defeated King Harold of England, the last of the Anglo-Saxon kings, this began the Norman Conquest
The new group under William’s reign became known as the Anglo-Normans. The Norman Conquest of England created a powerful Anglo-Norman entity and brought England into the mainstream of European civilization
Why did William attack?
He was an illegitimate son of the previous Duke of Normandy and cousin to the English king called Edward the Confessor.
When Edward died childless, Harold, the earl of Wessex, was crowned the next day.
William claimed that the throne had been promised to him.

7. William the Conqueror: Battle of Hastings, 1066 (Bayeaux Tapestry)

8. As a ruler . . . An efficient and ruthless
soldier, William did not want
to eliminate the Anglo-Saxons,
he wanted to rule them.
England did not start speaking French, they kept their own language.
William’s first administrative feat –the Domesday Book—often called Doomsday Book– William the Conquerer had everyone’s personal property catalogued so he could tax it. For the first time people could be taxed on what they owned.
Brought a new social system to England - feudalism

9. Feudalism King Lords Knights
Serfs (Peasants)
Lords
Knights
Appointed for protection and to handle territory.
Appointed to protect both the lord and king.
Appointed to work the land and provide food.
Taxes
Feudalism was an economic, social and military system in which vassals, or tenants, pledged their loyalty to a lord, exchanging work on his land, or service in his military in return for his protection.
Land parceled out to lords who supported the Norman king
Lords then granted land to vassals in exchange for loyalty/oath of military duty
Feudalism is important as it created ties of obedience and fostered a sense of loyalty between the vassals and their lord.

10. Feudalism
Pyramid of Power,religious concept of hierarchy, with the king at the top of the pyramid and peasants at the bottom. (Don’t forget about God,above king.)
Note: though the peasants were the largest group in society, they had the least power

11. Knighthood
With feudalism came a sense of formalism – knighthood and the code of chivalry.
Young males, above the serf class, were trained from an early age to become warriors.
To be sure that their training was strict, they were removed from their home and trained elsewhere.
Around the age of twenty, a young knight was “dubbed,” or ceremonially tapped on the shoulder, and only then does he get the full rights of the warrior caste and the title “sir.”
Knighthood was grounded in the feudal ideal of loyalty. Knights had a system of social codes that they were not permitted to break.

12. Knighthood and Chivalry

13. Chivalry
A product of feudalism, chivalry was an idealized system of manners and morals
Restricted to nobility
The Medieval knight was bound to the chivalric code to be loyal to…
God
his lord
his lady
Chivalric ideals encouraged knights to be:
generous
brave
honest
pious
honorable
to defend the weak and to battle evil and uphold good.
benevolent
Sir Gawain is an example

14. Chivalry and Courtly Love
A new element of courtly love served to distinguish romances from the earlier epics and gives rise to first romantic literature
The knight’s deeds were not performed in the service of king or country, but on behalf of a beautiful, fair, and noble lady who was above him in status and usually married--and therefore unattainable.
The tradition of courtly love began in the eleventh century by troubadours (poet-musicians) who sang lyrics based on the theme of courtly love.
In its ideal form it was nonsexual, and viewed as a
means of self-improvement.
The idea was that a knight acting in the name of a lady would make him braver and better.
He might wear her colors in battle, glorify her in words, and be inspired by her, but she should always remain pure and out of reach

15. The Crusades ( )
a series of wars waged by European Christians against the Muslims, with Jerusalem and the Holy Land as the prize
Heathens could not occupy the land of Jesus in the minds of English
England ultimately failed to hold Jerusalem
BUT, they gained enormous amounts of knowledge in mathematics, astronomy, architecture, and crafts

16. Martyrdom of Thomas a Becket
Shrine of Sir Thomas a Becket located in Canterbury
Thomas had risen to great power as chancellor, and
was appointed the archbishop of Canterbury by King
Henry II
King Henry II hoped by appointing a friend to the position
he would gain an upper hand in any disputes with the Church
BUT, Thomas took the pope’s side much more often than King Henry’s side
In December 1170 Henry was furious and raged, “Will no
one rid me of this turbulent priest?” Four of his knights
took him seriously and murdered Becket in his own
cathedral.
Public outrage led to devotion of St. Thomas the Martyr, this weakened the king’s power and strengthened the church’s

17. The New City Classes Because the population continued to
grow, people began living in towns and
cities, eventually making the feudal
castle obsolete
A lower, middle, and upper class developed, their
lives not dictated by a feudal lord
First cities were London and Canterbury
People of the cities were free, tied neither to the
land nor to knighthood

18. The Magna Carta Power to (some of ) the people
return to older, democratic tendencies
signed by King John in 1215
the English barons pushed (in other words,
FORCED) him to sign the document, thus ending
central monarchical power.
Magna Carta later became the basis for English
constitutional law, which gave rights such as trial by jury and legislative taxation

19. The Hundred Years’ War
First major national war for England, waged against the French
Why? based on the dubious claims to the throne of France by two English kings – Edward III and
Henry V
It was ultimately unsuccessful for the English, but it did change the look of England – no longer known by a knight in shining armor, rather a green clad yeoman with his longbow, these yeoman formed the nucleus of the English armies
How long was the Hundred Years’ War?
116 years ( )

20. The Black Death bubonic plague, struck England around 1348
highly contagious, spread through infected fleas from rats
the disease reduced the population by a third, thus causing a labor shortage
this led to the serf’s freedom (he was needed for
labor elsewhere) and the complete end of feudalism
(this ends the Middle Ages)

21. Enough already!
I thought this was an English class!

22. Languages
Latin was the language of the Roman Catholic Church, which dominated Europe
The Church was the only source of education
Thus, Latin was a common language for Medieval writings.

23. Characteristics of Medieval Literature
Heroism
from both Germanic and Christian traditions, sometimes mingled
Beowulf
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Presentations of idealized behavior
literature as moral lesson
loyalty to king
chivalry

24. Use of Allegory
An allegory is a figurative (symbolistic) mode of representation conveying a meaning other than the literal.
Much of medieval literature relied on allegory to convey the morals the author had in mind while writing--representations of abstract qualities, events, and institutions are thick in much of the literature of this time.
Everyman is a good example of allegory during this time period.

25. Characteristics of Medieval Literature
Romance
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
A narrative in prose or verse that tells of the adventures and heroic exploits of chivalric heroes
exploits of knights
often a supernatural element involved
Christian message
concern with salvation and the world to come
no interest in social change
until the late 14th century
Chaucer signals new thinking, up-ending social order

26. Characteristics of Medieval Literature
The Quest
In addition to the theme of Courtly Love, the Quest was highly important:
A quest is a hero’s journey towards a goal. The objects of quests require great exertion on the part of the hero, and the overcoming of many obstacles.
The hero must obtain something, or someone, by the quest and with this object return home.

27. Characteristics of Medieval Literature
The Hero
Is often of divine descent endowed with “great strength and ability" or "a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities"
Usually, an inner and outer problem for the character is set.
The hero is introduced; audience identifies with them
The hero lacks something, has a tragic flaw, or a deep wound
The call often produces disorientation and discomfort for the hero
The call is often in the form of a dire warning

28. Characteristics of Medieval Literature
The Hero
Excuses are used to avoid the call
This hesitation illustrates the formidability of the challenge ahead
Resistance creates change and strength, allowing the hero to grow
A physical or metaphorical crossing is made
The crossing is an irrevocable leap of faith, from which there’s no turning back
The hero faces his greatest fear
The hero “dies,” so he can be reborn
The hero gains new perception
This new perception may create a moment of clarity
The moment may be of great self-realization for the hero
It may also be an epiphany for the hero’s companions

29. Authors and Works of the Middle Ages

30. Everyman
A morality/miracle play to teach a lesson to its viewers. It’s about a character named Everyman who confronts Death and has to find which of his friends will go with him.

31. Dante Aligheri (writes Divine Comedy 1307)
Author of the Divine Comedy which is comprised of The Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradisio.

32. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (1375)
A tale about Arthur’s knights and the Round Table, Sir Gawain accepts the Green Knights challenge to exchange blows. The story might really be about redemption and sin.

33. Canterbury Tales (written 1387)
Canterbury Tales was written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer who is often called the father of English poetry. He is credited with making English respectable. Until Chaucer most literature and documents of importance were done in Latin.