Medieval Literature Flashcards
What is chivalry?
A code of conduct developed by nobles that served as an expression of feudal ideas
What is feudalism?
A system of government or land ownership
What is a medieval romance?
Adventure stories that feature Kings, knights, and damsels in distress; also tales the quests, battles, and doomed love
What are legends?
Traditional stories about the past; the writer is often anonymous
What is a pilgrimage?
A religious quest to Thomas á Becket’s grave
Where are the Normans from?
Northern France
When did they invade England?
1066 A.D.
Where was the decisive battle fought, during such the Anglo Saxon King was killed?
Hastings
What was the result of losing this war?
Influx of the French language and culture
How many words did losing this war introduce to Old English?
10,000
Which version of English, with its strong French influences, is spoke at this point in history?
Old English
How did Thomas á Becket’s fight with the English monarchy and how it result in his death?
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.
Where is á Becket buried, and why do pilgrims make the trip to his tomb?
Canterbury; they go to ask blessings and he’s supposed to bless them
Through federalism, what powers did a novo have from his king?
Rule the lands they were over, judge legal cases, impose taxes, and maintain an army
What are the three chivalric characteristics of knights?
- Brave
- Virtuous Christian
- Selfless fighting style
What is the connection between chivalry and legends, like King Arthur?
Chivalry gave rise to legends (stories about chivalry and such)
Legends of King Arthur were popular by what century?
Originated in the 6th century
Was widespread in the 11th century
Who wrote Morte d’Arthur and where was he when he wrote it?
Sir Thomas Malory; jail
What does the title Morte d’Arthur mean?
The death of Arthur
What are the three main elements of a legend?
- Heroic figures and memorable deeds
- Quests, contests, or tests
- Patterned events (for instance, events repeated 3 times)
What are the 5 main elements of a medieval romance?
- Supernatural
- Chivalry
- Love
- Adventure
- Far-off setting
What is the connection between Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales and religious pilgrimages?
In the Canterbury tales, the actual tales that were told are told going to and from Canterbury on a religious pilgrimage
What is the contest that serves as the narrative framework for The Canterbury tales?
Whosoever tells the best story, wins a party thrown in their honor
What are the criteria for determining the best tale?
- Morality
2. Entertainment
Why dies Chaucer rank his characters by their station in society?
Because social classes were a way of life back then
What are the social classes?
- Noble
- Clergy
- Middle
- Lower
What is a noble?
A wealthy landowner
What is the clergy?
Church officials
What is the middle social class?
Learned professionals
What is the lower social class?
Craftsmen, storekeepers, less prestigious labor
What was Chaucer’s purpose for writing the Canterbury tales?
To record popular stories and to criticize the British society and church
In general, what does Chaucer criticize in the Canterbury tales?
English traditions and ways of life, especially the church for hypocritical practices
Why would Chaucer be considered a plagiarist today, and why was it ok for him to do what he did back in his day?
Because he took common stories and claimed them as his own; all the stories were just told orally, and he just wrote them down
What are the five categories of stories Chaucer included in the tales?
- Romances
- Fabliaux
- Allegories
- Sermons
- Stories about saints lives
What is a pair of rhyming lines with five stressed syllables per line?
Heroic couplet
Why is the Canterbury tales’ historical importance as a work of English literature?
First major work written in the English language
What is Geoffrey Chaucer’s nickname?
The father of poetry
How did Chaucer, a merchant’s son, know so much about English nobility?
He worked in many different jobs and got to experience and observe many different people
How many tales were supposed to be included in the Canterbury tales,and how many did Chaucer actually finish?
120; 24
What is an allegory, and what are the allegorical elements of the Pardoner’s tale?
An allegory is where characters represent abstractions like pride, greed, or honor; the three guys represent greed, and it ended up killing them all.
What is the Pardoner’s sermon topic and why is it ironic?
It’s about abstaining from greed, and the “preacher” telling the story, tells the story out if his own greed to get money
What is Chaucer criticizing about the English church through the character of the pardoner?
That preachers or other church officials are hypocrites
What elements of the wife of bath’s tale make it a romance?
A knight is given a challenge, he goes on a quest to a far away land, includes love in the story
What did the knight learn about women?
That they want to have control
What are his four complaints against his wife?
- Old
- Ugly
- Not of fine decent
- Poor
Explain the final choice he knight has and what the outcome of his choice is
He decided to let her choose, and she became beautiful, young, and loyal
How did feudalism affect English literature?
It gave a social system and became the inspiration for the stories
What do the legends and romances we’ve studied this unit reveal about the things Medieval England valued?
Chivalry, bravery, selflessness, honesty, honor, etc.
What does Gawain keep and what is the outcome of the beheading game?
The green girdle; he learns that he needs to become more honest
Describe the 5 categories of stories Chaucer included in the tales
- Romances- tales of chivalry
- Fabliaux- inappropriate comedic stories
- Allegories- where the characters represent abstractions like pride, greed or honor
- Sermons
- Stories about saints’ lives
What are the knight’s four complaints and what are the wife of bath’s responses?
- Old- being old means having respect
- Ugly- there’s no offense in being plain
- “Low born”- family doesn’t make you a gentleman
- Poor- being poor isn’t based on how much you possess
