1. The Medieval Period in English Literature (1066-1485)

2. Major literary forms:
romance
fable
Fabliau (Pl. fabliaux)
allegorical poem
ballad

3. Emergence of Drama: mystery plays miracle plays morality plays
liturgical plays
folk plays
Drama - a composition in prose or verse presenting in dialogue
or pantomime a story involving conflict or contrast of
characters, especially one intended to be acted on the stage; a
piece of drama = play.

4. Romance - a long medieval narrative in prose or verse that tells of adventures and heroic exploits of chivalric heroes.
A number of romances were based on Celtic legends, especially those about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. The finest romance in verse written by unknown poet is Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

5. King Arthur and His Knights
In the 15th century, Sir Thomas Malory collected the romances about King Arthur and arranged them in a series of stories in prose. The work was published in 1485 by William Caxton, the first English publisher, under the title Sir Thomas Malory’s Book of King Arthur and His Noble Knights of the Round Table.

6. Basic Notions:
fable - a short tale to teach a moral lesson, often with animals as characters
fabliau (-aux) - a medieval tale in verse characterized by comic treatment of themes drawn from life

7. Fabliau Originally a form adopted from French models
A comic tale with a plot that usually involves a husband deceived by unfaithful wife
Characters include peasants, tradesmen, greedy clergy, restless young wives, and young scholars
The plots are realistically motivated tricks and ruses
The fabliaux thus present a lively image of everyday life among the middle and lower classes

8. allegorical poem – a poem in which abstract ideas and principles are described in terms of characters, figures and events (allegories often have a strong moral or lesson)
ballad – a poem that tells a story (often about love); may be performed as a song

9. Notable Authors: Marie de France William Langland John Lytgate
Thomas Hoccleve
John Gower
Geoffrey Chaucer

10. Marie de France (12th century)
Translated fables from French
into Anglo-Norman
Authored Lais de Marie
de France
* lai – a short rhymed tale of love and chivalry

11. William Langland (?1332-?1400) (a dream allegory)
The Visions of William Concerning Piers Ploughman
(a dream allegory)

12. John Lydgate (?1369-1426) - poetry: allegorical poems Troy Book
The Story of Thebes
The Falls of Princes
Complaints of the Black Knight
Temple of Glass

13. Thomas Hoccleve (?1368-1426) - poetry: moral and religious poems
The Regiment of Princes
Dialogue with a Friend

14. John Gower (? )
allegorical poetry, ballads, collection of tales in Middle French and Latin:
Mirour de l’omme
Vox Clamantis
Confessio Amantis

15. Geoffrey Chaucer (1340?-1440) The Book of Duchess The House of Fame
The Parliament of Fouls
Troilus and Cressida
The Legend of Good Women

16. Chaucer’s masterpiece
The Canterbury Tales ( ) includes 24
stories written in verse. The framework which
serves to connect them is pilgrimage to
Canterbury. Sums up all types of stories
that existed in the Middle Ages.
*pilgrimage – a journey made to a
sacred or reverent place as a mark
of religious devotion