1. The History of the English Language
(a not-too-ambitious powerpoint)

3. Three Different Languages
Old English—mid- 5th c. c.e (survives as a “lower class” language for over a century more)
Middle English ( )
Modern English (1550-today)
Many dialects of Old English and Middle English were spoken.
One “standard” modern English (printing press in England in 1470s)

4. Old English (Anglo-Saxon)
A Germanic language
5th c. CE until 1066 CE
Conquered language spoken by lower class afterwards
Famous works include Beowulf

5. First page of Beowulf manuscript

6. “Caedmon’s Hymn” (first poem in English)--Old English alliterative (strong-stress) meter
Nu sculon herigean   heofonrices
weard,
meotodes meahte     and his
modgeþanc,
weorc wuldorfæder, swa he wundra
gehwæs,
ece drihten,         or onstealde.
He ærest sceop        eorðan
bearnum
heofon to hrofe,       halig scyppend;
þa middangeard       moncynnes
ece drihten,         æfter teode
firum foldan,         frea ælmihtig.
Now we must hail
Heaven-kingdom’s Protector
The might of the Measurer
and his mind’s thought
The work of the Glory Father as each wonder
The eternal Lord
formed in the first.
He first shaped
for the sons of Earth
Heaven as roof,
the Holy Maker
Then Middle-earth mankind’s guardian,
made afterwards
Solid ground, the almighty ruler.

7. Middle English 1066—Norman invasion
Upper class=French; lower class=Old English (Anglo-Saxon)
French + Anglo-Saxon + Latin = Middle English
Chaucer’s language

8. The Prologue of The Canterbury Tales
Whan that Aueryłł wt his shoures soote,
The droghte of Marcħ, hath perced to the roote;
And bathed euery veyne in swich lycour,
Of which vertu engendred is the flour;
Whan zephirus eek wt his sweete breeth,
Inspired hath in euery holt and heeth;
The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne,
Hath in the Ram, his half cours yronne;
And smale foweles, maken melodye,
That slepen al the nyght with open iye;
So priketh hem nature, in hir corages,
Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrymages;

9. Modern English (You speak this! No, really!)
Approx. 1550—The Great Vowel Shift
1476—First printing press in England
Includes Shakespeare and us
Early Modern English (through mid-1600s)
Spelling and other conventions not standardized until 18th century (1755—Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary)

10. Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary (1755)
Patron: n. One who countenances, supports or protects. Commonly a wretch who supports with insolence, and is repaid in flattery.
Lexicographer: n. a writer of dictionaries; a harmless drudge that busies himself in tracing the original and detailing the signification of words
Oats: n. a grain which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people
Monsieur: n. a term of reproach for a Frenchman

11. The Canterbury Tales—Geoffrey Chaucer
Late Middle Ages (bridges medieval and Renaissance)

13. Geoffrey Chaucer
b , d. 1400
“upper middle class” (anyone who had a fairly decent income but wasn’t a nobleman)

14. Chaucer’s career (greatly abbreviated)
1357: page in household of Prince Lionel
1359–60: w/ army of Edward III in France
Studied law
Distant connections to Edward III and Richard II
Diplomat (Italy and France)
Comptroller
Clerk of the king’s works

15. Geoff Chaucer

16. Chaucer’s Influences French courtly love models
Dante’s Divine Comedy (vernacular)
Bocaccio’s Decameron

17. Courtly Love

18. Chaucer’s Works
Patrons included John of Gaunt (Book of the Duchess) and Richard II
No evidence that The Canterbury Tales was commissioned—it seems to have been his own project

19. The Story 30 people (including the Host) meet at The Tabard (an inn).
Chaucer (the narrator) is one of them.
They are going on pilgrimage to Canterbury (home of martyr, Thomas a Beckett). (This makes them pilgrims.)
The host proposes to ride with them—each will tell two stories on the way there and two on the way back
The best story wins!

21. More Canterbury Tales info
Unfinished
Fragmentary (w/ textual and historical clues as to the order of some pieces)

22. The Canterbury Tales is medieval
very concerned with heaven and the after-life
Heavily allegorical
Stereotypes
The journey as allegory?

23. The Renaissance in England
The rise of the middle class=concern w/ more material things
Weren’t serfs and therefore could attain things
Greater emphasis on the behavior of human beings (humanism)
Canterbury Tales = end of medieval, beginning of Renaissance

24. The Canterbury Tales is Renaissance
Critique of the church and government
Realistic personalities and motivations (psychological element):
the loudmouthed woman,
the nun who cares too much for appearances,
the bawdy, beer-drinking miller,
the starving student
(types, but believable types)

25. The Prologue What is the tone? (What words lead to that tone?)
Pilgrimage in April—Why are they going on a pilgrimage?
The Knight—what do we know about him?
With a partner—You will be assigned a character. What does Chaucer say about that character? What does Chaucer REALLY say about the character?

26. The allegory (maybe)
All types traveling together to the holiest place in England
All on the road to heaven together
Glorifies England—all things are held w/in England
Chaucer’s death before finishing—do they get there? (presumably, but we don’t know for sure)