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 (The Roman Invasion & The English Renaissance)
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 system, the King loaned some land to the Church and to whom?
Baron
In the Feudal system system, the Barons then granted property to whom?
Vassal
In the Feudal system system, the Vassals paid fees to the king and supplied him with what?
Knight
In the Feudal system 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?
The 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 (Tudor)
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 (Anglican)
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
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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
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 (flock)
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?
A 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?
To summon sinners to the church
How did we know the cook wasn’t worried about cleanliness?
He 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?
A 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?
A 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?
To 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?
The 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?
The 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
