1. Literature of the Middle Ages

2. English language development
Historical periods
English language development
Anglo-Saxon
Old English
Use of Runes, symbols
Middle English
Middle English
French influence
CTales is in Middle English
Renaissance
Modern English
1500-present

3. Medieval Drama Sponsored by church Miracle and mystery plays
Retold Bible stories or lives of saints
Morality plays, 15th century, dealt with ordinary people taught moral lessons

4. Johann Gutenberg 1454 – perfected movable type
Printing spread rapidly through Europe

5. William Caxton 1476 – first movable-type press in England
Literature no longer needed to be hand-copied by church scribes
One of first projects – Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales

6. Medieval Poetry

7. The Canterbury Tales By Geoffrey Chaucer
An exchange of tales by pilgrims on the way to Canterbury
Shows cross-section of Medieval society
22 of expected 120 tales completed

8. The Canterbury Tales Heroic Couplet A pair of rhyming lines
Five stressed syllables each

9. Lyric Poetry Popular instrument: lyre Strummed while verse recited
Two categories of poetry: secular and religious

10. Ballads
Popular poetic form
Folk song that tells a story
Robin Hood

11. A New Genre of Literature

12. Knighthood and Chivalry
It was the primary duty of all males
above the serf class to be trained to
be a knight.

13. After a boy completed years of training,
in a home other than his own...
He would be
“dubbed” a knight,
given the title,
“sir” and all rights
of the warrior
caste.

14. Knighthood was grounded in the idea of
extreme loyalty and a knight was bound
to certain codes of honor that forced him
act in a certain manner - even if it would
result in his certain death.

15. Knights had to adhere to strict codes of
honor…
Such as never
attacking an
unarmed opponent

16. Chivalry was a system of social codes
that governed the behavior of knights
...and ladies.

17. And, in addition, adoring a particular lady
was seen as a means of self-improvement.

18. Revering and acting in the name of a lady
would make a knight braver and better.
And even though
the relationship
was purely
platonic...

19. The Romance The stories of knights and ladies developed
into a new genre of literature...
The Romance

20. King Arthur Celtic knight/king Subject of most popular romances
Sir Thomas Malory: Le Morte D’Arthur, 15th century