Notes on The Medieval Period & The Canterbury Tales

The Medieval Period (1066 – 1485) The Anglo-Saxon period is typically considered to have ended in 1066, with the Norman invasion. William the Conqueror was crowned king of England after the Battle of Hastings. With the invasion of Normans (Vikings who settled in the area France known as Normandy), came an introduction of French ways into the formerly Anglo-Saxon society.

Feudalism A political and economic system in which the hierarchy of power is based on the premise that the king owns all the land in the kingdom. Image on next slide taken from webquest: http://capweb.capital.k12.de.us/pub/dhs/dbeck/awebfeudal1.htm

Rulers of the Medieval Period Henry II – instituted royal courts throughout the country, established system of juries and formed English common law. His wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine (former French queen) brought from France the “code of chivalry” Code of Chivalry – ethics governing knightly behavior. Encouraged knights to honor and protect ladies and go on holy quests, like the Crusades (military expedition that European Christians used to wrest the holy city of Jerusalem from Muslim control).

Richard I – a.k.a Richard the Lion-Hearted spent most of his 10 year reign fighting in the Crusades While gone, his brother John (the villain of the Robin Hood tales) plotted against him. When Richard died and John became king, he discovered that the royal treasury had been bankrupted by overseas warfare. In 1215, King John signed the Magna Carta, which limited royal authority by giving more power to the barons.

Henry III - under him, parliament was officially established from the group of barons who served as an advisory council to the king, per the Magna Carta Edward I, the next king, included commoners in the parliament (House of Commons) as well as barons (House of Lords), and the British Parliament became a representative body of the people of the country.

Trivial Pursuit of Medieval Times As a result of the Crusades, a money economy developed. Thus, the government established a _____ system to finance society. Answer: TAX 2. Merchants and craftspeople formed guilds to help control the flow and price of goods. In America, guilds are more commonly known as _____. Answer: UNIONS 3. As a result of the growth of towns on lords’ lands, _____ as a way of governing declined. Answer: FEUDALISM 4. The downside to the formation of towns was the onslaught of widespread diseases, called ______. Answer: PLAGUES 5. With the advancement of society came the desire for more education. Thus, __________ (pl.) were formed for higher studies. Answer: UNIVERSITIES

The End of the Medieval Era The Hundred Years’ War began in 1337 between England and France, battling on and off for over a century. The Hundred Years’ War was fraught with notable episodes, such as the French army’s lifting of the siege of Orleans under the inspired leadership of a young peasant woman, Joan of Arc. At the same time, England experienced several domestic crises such as the Black Death, a plague that killed 1/3 of the population, the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381, and Richard II’s forced abdication in 1399, which brought Henry IV to the throne. When the war finally ended in 1453, England had lost nearly all of its French possessions, including speaking the language.

The War of the Roses In 1485, 2 rival families claimed rights to the throne – the Stuarts, whose symbol was a white rose, and the Tudors, whose symbol was a red rose. The fighting, known as The War of the Roses, ended in 1485, when Henry Tudor killed the Stuart king, Richard III, and took throne as Henry VII. Thus, the Medieval period ended, and a dramatic shift into the Renaissance took place.

Who were the characters in The Canterbury Tales? They were travelers making a religious road trip called a… Pilgrimage- a religious journey undertaken for penance and grace. Pilgrims traveled to visit the remains of Saint Thomas Becket, archbishop of Canterbury, who was murdered in 1170 by knights of King Henry II. Soon after his death, he became the most popular saint in England. The pilgrimage in The Canterbury Tales is not only solemn, but offers the travelers a vacation.

Importance of Social Class in Medieval Society The pilgrims represent a diverse cross section of 14th century English society. Medieval society was divided into three broad classes called “estates”: the military, the clergy, and the laity. In the portraits in “The Prologue,” the Knight and Squire represent the military estate. The clergy is represented by the Prioress (and her nun and three priests), the Monk, the Friar, and the Parson. The other characters, from the wealthy Franklin to the poor Plowman, are the members of the laity.

Literary style: Romance Romance - a style of heroic prose and verse narrative written in Europe from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. The term originally distinguished popular material from scholarly and religious literature. Romance deals with traditional themes: the adventures of a chivalrous, heroic knight, who, abiding chivalry's strict codes of honour and demeanour, fights and defeats monsters and giants, thereby winning favour with a beautiful princess. In later romances, particularly those of French origin, there is a tendency to emphasize themes of courtly love. Romance may or may not be realistic depending on the story and its events.

Literary style (cont’d) Poetic Form: rhymed couplet - two successive lines of poetry that rhyme. Tone: ironic - Chaucer often says the opposite of what he means, and he uses understatements to criticize his subjects. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBa5nN_JyPk

About the author and his times… For Homework tonight – learn about Medieval times and Geoffrey Chaucer! Read pgs. 107-110, 139-140 in text and complete worksheet. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/launch_tl_ages_english.shtml