1. The Medieval Period 1154 – 1485 A.D.
Period ends when Henry VII becomes king – first Tudor
Changes from Anglo-Saxon times:
1066 Norman Invasion – French and Latin languages
Rise of Middle English – less Germanic
Development of feudalism
Church becomes the central institution
The Medieval Period
November 7, 2018
Honors British Literature

2. 1154: Norman rule ends when Henry II ascends throne (Plantagenet line of kings)
Thomas Becket appointed archbishop of Canterbury
Henry and Becket disagree
1170: Some of Henry’s knights murder Becket in cathedral in Canterbury; Henry condemns knights; takes pilgrimage to Canterbury
1190: Third crusade
1209: Cambridge University founded
1215: Magna Carta
1337: Beginning of Hundreds Years’ War with France
1348/49: Black Death
1/3 – 1/4 of population of Europe dead
1381: Peasants’ Revolt
The Medieval Period
November 7, 2018
Honors British Literature

3. The Medieval Period 1399: Lancaster house on throne (Henry IV, V, VI)
: Wars of the Roses
Lancaster vs. York
Henry Tudor, of the house of York, defeats Richard III
Henry becomes Henry VII – starts a line of Tudor kings
Medieval Society
For many years - nobility, church, and “everyone else”
Social system starts to change in the 1300s: Feudalism wanes, the middle class grows
Rise of the middle class – traders, merchants, etc.
Greater church power leads to corruption
The Medieval Period
November 7, 2018
Honors British Literature

4.
Son of a successful wine merchant, middle class
Educated
Became a page in an aristocratic household
Traveled throughout Europe
Worked in customs
Obtained works of Dante and Petrarch on trips to Italy
Career gave him insight into many different walks of life
Geoffrey Chaucer
November 7, 2018
Honors British Literature

5. Tales told by pilgrims on their way to Canterbury, holy site of the murder of Thomas Becket
The narrator meets 29 pilgrims at the Tabard Inn in London
Host of the Inn suggests a contest:
Each pilgrim tells two stories there and back
The best storyteller will receive a feast
Framed narrative
The narrator is telling a story about the pilgrims’ stories meta-fiction
The Canterbury Tales
November 7, 2018
Honors British Literature

6. The Canterbury Tales The narrator (Chaucer) introduces the pilgrims
Each character represents a different aspect of medieval life – different occupations and social classes
Medieval stereotypes
In reality, such a wide variety of people probably wouldn’t have socialized
Chaucer throws all of these pilgrims together so he can make a social commentary
The Canterbury Tales
November 7, 2018
Honors British Literature

7. Social Commentary – writing that offers insight into society, its values, and its customs
Means of pointing out flaws
Characterization – ways the author reveals the characters
Direct – direct statements about a character
Indirect – use of actions, thoughts, and dialogue to reveal a character’s personality
Chaucer uses both
Connection to modern times
Social stereotypes in our culture
TV shows with social commentary
The Canterbury Tales
November 7, 2018
Honors British Literature

8. CT is a story about the act of telling stories (an early example of metafiction/ meta-poetry)
Many medieval genres are present in CT
Romances (tales of chivalry)
Fabliaux (short, bawdy, humorous stories)
Stories of saints’ lives
Sermons
Allegories (narratives in which characters represent abstractions like Pride or Honor)
Each character tells a tale consistent with his or her social standing (see Character Map on p.93)
Poetic invention
Chaucer adapted French poetic forms to the English of his day.
Uses heroic couplets: a pair of rhyming lines w/ five stressed syllables each
November 7, 2018
Honors British Literature