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English > Medieval Literature > Flashcards

Medieval Literature Flashcards

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Proverbs and Idioms flashcards
0
Q

What is chivalry?

A

A code of conduct developed by nobles that served as an expression of feudal ideas

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1
Q

What is feudalism?

A

A system of government or land ownership

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2
Q

What is a medieval romance?

A

Adventure stories that feature Kings, knights, and damsels in distress; also tales the quests, battles, and doomed love

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3
Q

What are legends?

A

Traditional stories about the past; the writer is often anonymous

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4
Q

What is a pilgrimage?

A

A religious quest to Thomas á Becket’s grave

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5
Q

Where are the Normans from?

A

Northern France

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6
Q

When did they invade England?

A

1066 A.D.

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7
Q

Where was the decisive battle fought, during such the Anglo Saxon King was killed?

A

Hastings

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8
Q

What was the result of losing this war?

A

Influx of the French language and culture

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9
Q

How many words did losing this war introduce to Old English?

A

10,000

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10
Q

Which version of English, with its strong French influences, is spoke at this point in history?

A

Old English

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11
Q

How did Thomas á Becket’s fight with the English monarchy and how it result in his death?

A

He fought to keep the English Church free from royal control. The king absently said he wished someone would get rid of á Becket, and his guards went and killed him.

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12
Q

Where is á Becket buried, and why do pilgrims make the trip to his tomb?

A

Canterbury; they go to ask blessings and he’s supposed to bless them

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13
Q

Through federalism, what powers did a novo have from his king?

A

Rule the lands they were over, judge legal cases, impose taxes, and maintain an army

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14
Q

What are the three chivalric characteristics of knights?

A
  1. Brave
  2. Virtuous Christian
  3. Selfless fighting style
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15
Q

What is the connection between chivalry and legends, like King Arthur?

A

Chivalry gave rise to legends (stories about chivalry and such)

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16
Q

Legends of King Arthur were popular by what century?

A

Originated in the 6th century

Was widespread in the 11th century

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17
Q

Who wrote Morte d’Arthur and where was he when he wrote it?

A

Sir Thomas Malory; jail

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18
Q

What does the title Morte d’Arthur mean?

A

The death of Arthur

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19
Q

What are the three main elements of a legend?

A
  1. Heroic figures and memorable deeds
  2. Quests, contests, or tests
  3. Patterned events (for instance, events repeated 3 times)
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20
Q

What are the 5 main elements of a medieval romance?

A
  1. Supernatural
  2. Chivalry
  3. Love
  4. Adventure
  5. Far-off setting
21
Q

What is the connection between Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales and religious pilgrimages?

A

In the Canterbury tales, the actual tales that were told are told going to and from Canterbury on a religious pilgrimage

22
Q

What is the contest that serves as the narrative framework for The Canterbury tales?

A

Whosoever tells the best story, wins a party thrown in their honor

23
Q

What are the criteria for determining the best tale?

A
  1. Morality

2. Entertainment

24
Q

Why dies Chaucer rank his characters by their station in society?

A

Because social classes were a way of life back then

25
Q

What are the social classes?

A
  1. Noble
  2. Clergy
  3. Middle
  4. Lower
26
Q

What is a noble?

A

A wealthy landowner

27
Q

What is the clergy?

A

Church officials

28
Q

What is the middle social class?

A

Learned professionals

29
Q

What is the lower social class?

A

Craftsmen, storekeepers, less prestigious labor

30
Q

What was Chaucer’s purpose for writing the Canterbury tales?

A

To record popular stories and to criticize the British society and church

31
Q

In general, what does Chaucer criticize in the Canterbury tales?

A

English traditions and ways of life, especially the church for hypocritical practices

32
Q

Why would Chaucer be considered a plagiarist today, and why was it ok for him to do what he did back in his day?

A

Because he took common stories and claimed them as his own; all the stories were just told orally, and he just wrote them down

33
Q

What are the five categories of stories Chaucer included in the tales?

A
  1. Romances
  2. Fabliaux
  3. Allegories
  4. Sermons
  5. Stories about saints lives
34
Q

What is a pair of rhyming lines with five stressed syllables per line?

A

Heroic couplet

35
Q

Why is the Canterbury tales’ historical importance as a work of English literature?

A

First major work written in the English language

36
Q

What is Geoffrey Chaucer’s nickname?

A

The father of poetry

37
Q

How did Chaucer, a merchant’s son, know so much about English nobility?

A

He worked in many different jobs and got to experience and observe many different people

38
Q

How many tales were supposed to be included in the Canterbury tales,and how many did Chaucer actually finish?

A

120; 24

39
Q

What is an allegory, and what are the allegorical elements of the Pardoner’s tale?

A

An allegory is where characters represent abstractions like pride, greed, or honor; the three guys represent greed, and it ended up killing them all.

40
Q

What is the Pardoner’s sermon topic and why is it ironic?

A

It’s about abstaining from greed, and the “preacher” telling the story, tells the story out if his own greed to get money

41
Q

What is Chaucer criticizing about the English church through the character of the pardoner?

A

That preachers or other church officials are hypocrites

42
Q

What elements of the wife of bath’s tale make it a romance?

A

A knight is given a challenge, he goes on a quest to a far away land, includes love in the story

43
Q

What did the knight learn about women?

A

That they want to have control

44
Q

What are his four complaints against his wife?

A
  1. Old
  2. Ugly
  3. Not of fine decent
  4. Poor
45
Q

Explain the final choice he knight has and what the outcome of his choice is

A

He decided to let her choose, and she became beautiful, young, and loyal

46
Q

How did feudalism affect English literature?

A

It gave a social system and became the inspiration for the stories

47
Q

What do the legends and romances we’ve studied this unit reveal about the things Medieval England valued?

A

Chivalry, bravery, selflessness, honesty, honor, etc.

48
Q

What does Gawain keep and what is the outcome of the beheading game?

A

The green girdle; he learns that he needs to become more honest

49
Q

Describe the 5 categories of stories Chaucer included in the tales

A
  1. Romances- tales of chivalry
  2. Fabliaux- inappropriate comedic stories
  3. Allegories- where the characters represent abstractions like pride, greed or honor
  4. Sermons
  5. Stories about saints’ lives
50
Q

What are the knight’s four complaints and what are the wife of bath’s responses?

A
  1. Old- being old means having respect
  2. Ugly- there’s no offense in being plain
  3. “Low born”- family doesn’t make you a gentleman
  4. Poor- being poor isn’t based on how much you possess

English (5 decks)

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