Middle English Flashcards
When was the Middle English period?
The Middle English period was in 1066 - 1500
What event marks the beginning of the Middle English Period?
The Norman Conquest of England in 1066, which led to a significant influence of Norman French on the English language and culture.
What language became very important for a long time after 1066 and why?
Norman French due to the Norman Conquest. It was the language used by the ‘first class’
What other two languages were used and by whom?
Latin was used in religious and scholarly writings, and English continued to evolve among the common people.
What is the Bayeux Tapestry?
It’s a remarkable embroidered cloth depicting the events leading up to the Norman Conquest, particularly the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
Give a definition of the feudal system.
It’s a social structure based on land ownership and service, where the king granted land (fiefs) to nobles in exchange for loyalty and military support.
Explain in what way the feudal system organized the country.
It created a hierarchical society, with the king at the top, followed by lords, knights, and peasants, each having specific roles and obligations.
Which book was commissioned by William the Conqueror?
The Domesday Book, created in 1086, was a comprehensive survey of land and property in England.
Explain the title of the book.
It was named “Domesday” because its decisions were irreversible, akin to the Last Judgment on the Day of Doom.
What is the Magna Charta and for what two reasons mentioned is it considered a founding document of English and thus American liberties?
It’s a charter signed in 1215 that limited the power of the king, establishing principles like due process and protection of individual rights.
Which two natural disasters had a great impact on 14th century Europe?
The Great Famine in the early 14th century and the Black Death in the mid-14th century had profound impacts on Europe.
What do you know about the Hundred Years’ War?
A prolonged conflict between England and France (1337-1453) over territorial disputes and claims to the French throne.
Can you explain the name “Wars of the Roses”?
It was a series of civil wars in England (1455-1487) between two rival houses, Lancaster (symbolized by a red rose) and York (symbolized by a white rose).
Which technological invention towards the end of the Middle English Period is most important?
The printing press, invented by Johannes Gutenberg, revolutionized communication and spread of ideas.
How can you explain for the lack of prose in the Middle English Period?
Literature was primarily oral and written in verse due to limitations in literacy and printing technology.
Give title, author, and date of publication of the best-known Middle English prose work.
“The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer, published around 1400.
Comment on the difference in mood and rhyme between Old English and Middle English poetry.
Old English focused on alliteration and grand themes, while Middle English featured rhyme and explored diverse subjects.
A new type of poetry in this period is the romance. What is a romance?
It’s a narrative genre focusing on chivalry, adventure, and courtly love, often involving knights and quests.
What is meant by the term Arthurian romance?
Stories involving King Arthur and his knights, often emphasizing chivalric code and quests for the Holy Grail.
There is also a lot of religious literature in this period. How does this literature present life?
It depicted life as a moral journey, teaching lessons and emphasizing virtues and sins.
If a literary work is said to be didactic, what does this mean?
It aims to teach or instruct readers, often imparting moral or ethical lessons.
What term is used “telling one story by means of another story”?
This literary technique is called “an allegory.”
What is personification. Give an example.
It’s attributing human characteristics to non-human entities. For example, “Death” portrayed as a character.
Another type of poetry which is new is the lyric. What is a lyric?
Short, emotional poems expressing personal feelings, often about love, nature, or emotions.
Compare the Old-English epic and the Middle English lyric. What are basic differences?
Old English epics focused on heroic deeds, while Middle English lyrics were more personal, emotional, and introspective.
What two types of lyrics can we distinguish?
They include courtly love lyrics and carpe diem (seize the day) lyrics.
The two types of lyrics differ in target audience and contents. Comment.
Courtly love lyrics were for the elite, focusing on idealized romantic love, while carpe diem lyrics urged seizing immediate pleasures, often addressed to a broader audience.
Cite an example of a Middle English allegorical poem.
“Piers Plowman” by William Langland.
Cite an example of a Middle English alliterative romance.
“Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” is a notable example.
Who is the “father of English poetry”?
Geoffrey Chaucer.
What is the title of his greatest work and around what date was it written?
“The Canterbury Tales,” written around 1400.
Describe in some greater detail how drama developed in the Middle English Period?
Drama evolved from religious performances into plays performed in towns, often by guilds, reflecting religious, moral, or comedic themes.
There are essentially two types of drama at the end of the Middle English Period. Name them.
Mystery Plays (biblical events) and Morality Plays (moral lessons).
What are the differences between these two drama genres? (Mystery Plays (biblical events) and Morality Plays (moral lessons).)
Mystery plays depicted biblical stories, while morality plays conveyed moral lessons using allegorical characters.
What is the name of the most famous morality play?
“Everyman” (1500) is a well-known example
domesday book
1086
Magna Carta
1215
The crusades
1095 and 1290
The Great famine
1315 - 1322
100 years War
1337 - 1453
War of the Roses
1455 - 1487
Wife of Bath
1387 - 1410
Middle English period
1066 - 1500
