Chaucer

Question 1

Cobban English university life in the Middle Ages

Answer 1

Oxford and Cambridge have been around since the twelfth and thirteenth centuries and, because they were the only universities in England until after the Earl Modern Period, they exercise an unparalleled influence over English ideas of the intellectual life vs. the active life, where authority comes from
Informs the town vs gown conflict in MT

Question 2

Donaldson speaking of Chaucer

Answer 2

Looks at how the Miller is quitting the knight’s tale by ironically reusing his romantic vocabulary like hende and derne

Question 3

Muscatine Chaucer and the French tradition

Answer 3

Explains how Absolon and Alison are type characters in French fabliau and how Chaucer would have been trained to read it as a courtier.

Question 4

Astrik student life in ave Maria college mediaeval paris

Answer 4

Talks about the religious focus of colleges, highlighting that Nicholas was a gross aberration of what would’ve been expected, creating comic effect.

Question 5

Harding’s book chapter, “The prick which is not one : how women talk back in Old Frenchfabliaux

Answer 5

Feminist reading of Chaucer’s fabliau and views of alisoun

Question 6

Chaucer life

Answer 6

1340-1400

Question 7

Career

Answer 7

Civil servant tax collector ambassador to France

Question 8

Peasants revolt

Answer 8

1381 
Peasants after Black Death upset to be serfs 
All men free and equal
Cant tales followed feudal society 
Serfdom not abolished 
Rich not take advantage of poor
Shook society

Question 9

Black Death

Answer 9

1348
Killed half population
Caused rise of Lollards end of feudal system and peasants revolt
Instituted statute of labours
Poor people hated povery
Shortage of workers but gov wouldn’t raise wages

Question 10

Hundred Years’ War

Answer 10

1338-1453
Land of English duke belonged to French
French king related to English monarchy 
Royal revenue lost 
Englishmen rich off plunder increasing gap

Question 11

Lollardy

Answer 11

Translation of bible 1382
Questioned government and church authority
Enforced equality

Question 12

Why did Chaucer write in English?

Answer 12

Rise of merchants (cloth industry
Nationalism important
Regionalism important
Black Death caused people to consider consolidation of power making English official language
Wycliffite bible in English