9. Fantasy Flashcards
(18-21)
Who has the ideal knight model of behaviour?
King Arthur.
What can you say about King Arthur?
The greatest king, an ideal knight with a model behaviour.
What’s the dynamic shift in the ME literature?
It’s mostly positive (in the 14th century), then the doubting and questioning Renaissance arises.
What’s the first book of travels? When was it publishes? Who’s the author? What is it about?
It’s “Travels” written by John Mandeville in the 14th century. It’s an entertaining guide for pilgrims to the Holy Land. It’s more fantasy than fact.
Who began the long tradition about faraway places?
John Mandeville.
Who’s the first of the major English writers?
Geoffrey Chaucer, who encompasses many of the earlier traditions.
What’s Chaucer’s first work? Characterize his language.
“The Book of the Duchess”. His language is simple and direct.
Whom is Geoffrey Chaucer influenced by? In which is it reflected?
By the Italian of Dante. The work reflecting the influence is “The House of Fame”.
What’s happening in Geoffrey Chaucer’s work “The House of Fame”? What is its main topic?
Chaucer is the participant of his own writing who visits the Latin poet Ovid’s “house of fame” to learn about love. He brings together the aspects of love which will become the frequent subject matter of poets throughout the ages.
What’s the first modern novel?
“The Canterbury Tales” by Chaucer.
What’s the theme of Chaucer’s works?
Pain of love and joys, which appears more and more through his writing.
Which is the first Eng. poem to use heroic couplets?
“The Legend of Good Women”, which is about famous classical women sacrificing themselves for love (Cleopatre).
What can you say about the status of “The Canterbury Tales”? How many tales are there? How many were planned?
It got unfinished because of Chaucer’s death. 120 tales were planned with each character (30 in sum) telling 2 on their way to Canterbury and back to the Tabard Inn (in London).
Why is April the season of “The Canterbury Tales”?
It symbolizes rebirth.
What’s special about Chaucer’s writing of characters?
He prefers not to take sides and gives the reader the freedom of interpretation. He also creates an ironic gap of what characters think about themselves and how others see them, which is new to English literature.
