English Flashcards
In what year did the Medieval period begin
1066
In what year did the Medieval period end
1485
What is the Medieval period also known as
The Middle Ages
Why is the Medieval period also known the Middle Ages
Came between two cultural high points
What French king claimed the English throne at the end of the Anglo-Saxon period
William the Conqueror
In what battle did the French army defeat the Anglo-Saxons
The Battle of Hastings
On what date was William the Conqueror crowned king of England
December 25, 1066
What was the strict Medieval class system called
Feudalism
In the Feudal system system, all land belonged to whom
King
In the Feudal system, the King loaned some land to the Church and to whom
Baron
In the Feudal system, the Barons then granted property to whom
Vassal
In the Feudal system, the Vassals paid fees to the king and supplied him with what
Knight
In the Feudal system, who worked the manors and were the lowest class
Serf
During the Crusades, the Christians tried to drive the “infidels” from what location
The Holy Land
What English king spent a great deal of England’s money on the Crusades
Richard I
In Medieval society, what were associations of merchants or craftsmen called
Guilds
Approximately what percentage of Europe’s population was killed by the Black Death
One-third
Where in Europe did the Black Death begin
Sicily
Approximately how many of England’s 5 million citizens were killed by the Black Death
2 million
What famous children’s song references the Black Death in its lyrics
Ring Around the Rosey
How did the Black Death mainly spread
Fleas on rats
What was the great land survey of 1086 called
The Domesday Book
Name two things The Domesday Book was commissioned to do
1) Assess England’s resources
2) Assess the taxes that could be raised
To what did the English people compare The Domesday Book
The Last Judgment
What English king inherited England’s debts and signed The Magna Carta
King John
Name two things this King John promised by signing The Magna Carta
1) Not to tax without first meeting with the Barons
2) To only choose officers who know that law and mean to observe it
The Magna Carta is believed to mark the beginning of what in England
Constitutional government
What is a narrative
Writing that relates a series of events
What is irony
contrast between expectation and reality
Name the four techniques of Characterization
1) Description of appearance
2) Examples of speech, thoughts, or actions
3) Response to other characters
4) Narrator’s comments
What became the preferred language of the aristocracy in England
French
What language evolved out of Old English to become the language of the commoners
Middle English
Name the three languages in the trilingual worlds of business and the professionals in England
1) French
2) Latin
3) English
What was the official language of England in the Medieval period
French
After three centuries, who was the first king of England whose mother tongue was English
Henry IV
In what year did the English Renaissance begin
1485
In what year did the English Renaissance end
1660
What does the word “Renaissance” literally mean
Rebirth
Where did the Renaissance originate
Italy
What is a “Renaissance Man
A many-faceted person who cultivated his innate talents to the fullest
What war ended the Medieval Period
The War of the Roses
Who was the first king of the English Renaissance
Henry VII
What house did Henry VII belong to
Lancaster
Who began and led the Protestant Reformation
Martin Luther
Who succeeded Henry VII to the throne
Henry VIII
What church did Henry VIII begin
The Church of England
What title did Henry VIII grant unto himself
Head of the Church of England
Who was Henry VIII’s first wife
Catherine of Aragon
Who was Henry VIII’s second wife
Anne Boleyn
Who was Henry VIII’s third wife
Jane Seymour
Who was Henry VIII’s fourth wife
Anne of Cleves
Who was Henry VIII’s fifth wife
Kathryn Howard
Who was Henry VIII’s sixth wife
Katherine Parr
Who was Henry VIII’s eldest son
Edward VI
Who was Henry VIII’s eldest daughter
Mary
Who was Henry VIII’s youngest daughter
Elizabeth I
After Elizabeth I died, who became king
James I
From what country did James I originate
Scotland
What English king dismissed parliament and started the English Civil War
Charles I
Who became leader of England after Charles I was beheaded
Oliver Cromwell
What religion was Oliver Cromwell
Puritan
What title did Oliver Cromwell have
Lord Protector
Now that England was no longer a monarchy, what did England become
Commonwealth
The return of what king re-established the monarchy and ended the Renaissance
Charles II
The change of English vowels and sounds during this time is referred to as what
The Great Vowel Shift
In what country did the sonnet originate
Italy
What does the word “sonnet” translate to in English
little song
Define lyric poem
A short poem in which a single speaker expresses personal thoughts and feelings
Who are the three major sonnet poets
Francesco Petrarch
Edmund Spenser
William Shakespeare
How many lines are in a sonnet
14
What is the meter of a sonnet
Iambic Pentameter
How many feet, or metrical units, are in Iambic Pentameter
5
What is the pattern of syllables in Iambic Pentameter
Unstressed, Stressed
What is the structure of a Petrarchan sonnet
Octave
Sestet
What are the two complete rhyme schemes of a Petrarchan sonnet
abbaabba cdcdcd
abbaabba cdecde
How is the subject matter of a Petrarchan sonnet organized
Situation
Resolution
What is the structure of a Spenserian sonnet
Quatrain
Quatrain
Quatrain
Couplet
What is the rhyme scheme of a Spenserian sonnet
abab bcbc cdcd ee
How is the subject matter of a Spenserian sonnet organized
Main Idea or Question
Summary or Answer
What is the structure of a Shakespearean sonnet
Quatrain
Quatrain
Quatrain
Couplet
What is the rhyme scheme of a Shakespearean sonnet
abab cdcd efef gg
How is the subject matter of a Shakespearean sonnet organized
Situation
Exploration
Exploration (turn)
Resolution
In what year did the Anglo-Saxon period begin
449
In what year did the Anglo-Saxon period end
1066
What is the Anglo-Saxon period also known as
The Dark Ages
Name the six early invaders of Britain in order
1) Romans
2) Jutes
3) Angles
4) Saxons
5) Danes
6) Normans
What language evolved out of the invaders’ different languages
Old English
How many words do we believe were Old English
25,000
Give one example of Latin’s influence on Old English
Altare
Give one example of Old Norse’s influence on Old English
Knif
Give one example of the Norman influence on Old English
Castle
What King of England “swore the throne to his French cousin”
Edward the Confessor
What French king led the Norman Invasion of Britain?
William the Conqueror
What battle ended the Norman Conquest, and subsequently the Anglo-Saxon period
The Battle of Hastings
On what exact date was William the Conqueror crowned King of England
December 25th, 1066
What does the word wyrd mean in modern English
Fate
Who is known as the first English religious poet
Caedmon of Whitby
What King of England encouraged the English language rather than Latin
Alfred the Great
What was a scop
Professional poets
What is a stock epithet
Compound adjectives
What is a kenning
Descriptive phrase or compound word
Name the three criteria of the Heroic Tradition
1) Battle between good and evil
2) Superhuman feats of valor
3) Loyalty to one’s king or leader
Explain the Elegiac Tradition
Mourns the passing of earlier better times
What is the name of the first English history book
A History of the English Church and People
Who wrote the first English history book
The Venerable Bede
The responsibilities of the cook were to prepare meals and what
Clean after meals
What made the Merchant bad at his job
He was debt
What was the Host’s main job
Manager of the Tabard Inn
How old is the Squire
20 years old
Where had the Wife of Bath traveled to three times
Jerusalem
Who was the Plowman’s brother
The Parson
What does it mean that The Sergeant at Law was also a Justice of Assize
He traveled around to hear cases
The Friar has a specific license to what
Beg
The Franklin was a sheriff. In medieval times, what did the sheriff do
Checked audits and entries
What was a Manciple in the middle ages
The person in charge of purchasing and storing food for an institution
What did the Parson see his parishioners as
His sheep
What did the Skipper have at the end of his cord around his necklace
A dagger
What is the prize for the best story told
meal paid for by the group
What medal did the Yeoman wear on his chest
Medal of St. Christopher
What was the Summoner’s job in medieval times
summon sinners to the church
How did we know the cook wasn’t worried about cleanliness
had an open ulcer on his knee
The Host had to be good at mathematics and what
Money
What is a Squire
Young man acting as an attendant to a knight
At what building did Monks in the middle ages work in
monastery
Instead of knowing Latin like a normal Nun would, what language did she know
French
What kind of institution did Chaucer’s Manciple work for
law school
What is a Miller
Someone who owns a grain mill
What was the Yeoman’s job
Forester
Why was the Summoner bad at his job
He took bribes
What was Chaucer’s Reeve like
He was a very mean old man
How did the Guildsmen act
Like they were on a higher level of society than everyone else
What did the Pardoner say he had but was really a pillowcase
The Virgin Mary’s Veil
What was the Monk’s favorite thing to do in his spare time
hunt
Why would the Sergeant at Law appear to be more busy than he actually was
He was very lazy at his job
A nun is a ranking just below what
Abbess
The Friar was what to those who didn’t know him
Intimidating
Our Franklin was called Epicurus’ son. Why
He lived for pleasure and joy
The Doctor carried around medicine and what
Gold
What does the Miller steal
Grain
Why were Merchants in the middle ages discriminated against
They were outsiders
What was the Reeve responsible for
management of a village
What was Chaucer’s opinion of the Guildsmen
They were foolish
What were Pardoners originally called
Questors
What was the medieval job of the Plowman
To supply food
Parsons in the middle ages were exempt from what
Paying taxes
What was inserted inside the beak of the mask worn by plague doctors
Flowers
What did the skipper do when he fought enemies and won
Made them walk the plank
What types of people would the Wife of Bath try to help
Heartbroken
What happens if a pilgrim refuses to tell a story on their journey
They have to pay for everything bought on the trip
What does the Host plan to do on the pilgrimage
Act as the storytelling judge
How do the pilgrims decide who their story first
They draw straws
What is a Cleric
student preparing for priesthood
Unlike our Knight, how did medieval Knights travel
By walking
Why does the Oxford Cleric not eat well
He only uses his money on books
Why is the Knight discussed first in “The General Prologue
He has the highest social ranking of all the pilgrims
