1. Middle Ages or Medieval Period 1066-1485

2. King Edward died without leaving a clear successor
King Edward died without leaving a clear successor. He promised two-three people the kingdom. The final battle occurs at Hastings, England in 1066 between William of Normandy and Harold of Wessex.

3. William of Normandy (aka the Conqueror) becomes the new king of England in 1066
Accomplishments:
Built castles in England, including
the Tower of London
Wrote Domesday Book,which was a book of property
Instituted Feudalism
Incorporated French
language
Bayeaux Tapestry

4. Feudalism, a system of hierarchy

5. Stone castles and monasteries popped up all over the English countryside. The Normans even imported stone from France.

6. William's half brother, Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, commissioned a tapestry to commemorate his brother's victory—now called the Bayeux Tapestry— hand sewn cloth and embroidery 76.6 yards long depicting William's victory at Hastings.

7. William changed England's laws and inflicted harsh punishments for offenders. Murder became a punishable crime in England and slavery was abolished.

8. The Domesday Book
Oldest surviving public record. Used to settle land disputes and assess taxes. William wanted to know who owned what, how much it was worth, and how much was owed to him as King in tax, rents, and military service.

9. Language influences: The combination of French (Norman) and Old English became Middle English -- the first time the English language was really beginning to have the vocabulary it has today.
Anglo-Saxon Origin Words
Old French Origin Words
Cow (Old English Cū)
Beef (Anglo-Norman Beof; Old French Boef)
Calf (Old English Cealf)
Veal (Anglo-Norman Vel; Old French Veel, Veal)
Swine (Old English Swīn)
Pork (Old French Porc)
Sheep (Old English Scēap) / Lamb (Old English Lamb)
Mutton (Old French Moton)
Hen (Old English Hen, Henn) / Chicken (Old English Cicen)
Poultry (Old French Pouletrie)
Deer (Old English Dēor)
Venison (Old Norman Venesoun)
Informationfrom
dia.org/wiki/Li
t_of_English
words_with_d
al_French_an
_AngloSaxon
_variations

10. Old Saxon Origin kingly ask lord bring/bear smell uphold buy eld
belief
weep
lawyer
shirt
fall
hue
darling
forgive
folk
drink (n)
Old French Origin
royal
enquire (inquire)
liege
carry
odor
support
purchase
age
faith
cry
attorney
blouse
autumn
colour
favourite
pardon
people
beverage
Informationfrom
dia.org/wiki/Li
t_of_English
words_with_d
al_French_an
_AngloSaxon
_variations

11. Geoffrey Chaucer
Considered the “Father
of English literature.
Keen observer of
human nature
Author of our major
piece of literature,
The Canterbury Tales.
Wrote C.T. as a satire
to criticize the corruption
of the Church.

12. Writing Style
Unusual to choose Middle English for literature during this time—literary works usually written in Latin or French
Because Middle English considered ordinary, it might seem Chaucer's intended audience was the general population, not nobility

13. The Canterbury Tales Chaucer wanted to depict people from
different backgrounds
traveling together.
“The Prologue” describes
29 people
their occupation
their clothing,
their temperament
their flaws (sins) according to Chaucer, who is the 30th traveler

14. Canterbury Cathedral
These people, or pilgrims, were going to the shrine of St. Thomas a Becket, the martyred priest of Canterbury Cathedral.
They either were going to pay their respect or ask for a blessing by touching the tomb of the dead priest (archbishop).

15. Summary of “The Prologue
The pilgrims meet up at the Tabard Inn and are traveling together for protection.
The host of the inn decides
to go also and proposes
an activity to pass the time
away while they are traveling
Any guesses on what kind of contest?

16. A storytelling contest.
The innkeeper would judge the stories and the winner would get a prize paid for by the others—a nice, hot supper when they got back to the Tabard Inn
Each pilgrim would tell 2
stories on the way and 2
stories on the way back.

17. How many stories would Chaucer have if he had completed them all?
But Chaucer died only having completed
“The Prologue”
Twenty stories
Two unfinished stories
116

18. Another look at Old English

19. First eighteen lines of “The Prologue” in Middle English
Whan that Aprill, with his shoures soote
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote
And bathed every veyne in swich licour,
Of which vertu engendred is the flour;
Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth
Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
Hath in the Ram his halfe cours yronne,
And smale foweles maken melodye,
That slepen al the nyght with open eye(
So priketh hem Nature in hir corages);
Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages
And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes
To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;
And specially from every shires ende
Of Engelond, to Caunterbury they wende,
The hooly blisful martir for to seke
That hem hath holpen, whan that they were seeke.

20. Translation When in April the sweet showers fall
That pierce March's drought to the root and all
And bathed every vein in liquor that has power
To generate therein and sire the flower;
When Zephyr also has with his sweet breath,
Filled again, in every holt and heath,
The tender shoots and leaves, and the young sun
His half course in the sign of the Ram has run,
And many little birds make melody
That sleep through all the night with open eye
(So Nature pricks them on to ramp and rage)
Then folk do long to go on pilgrimage,
And palmers to go seeking out strange strands,
To distant shrines well known in distant lands.
And specially from every shire's end
Of England they to Canterbury went,
The holy blessed martyr there to seek
Who helped them when they lay so ill and weak

21. Satire: a literary element in literature ridiculing or poking fun of an institution (religion, gov't, education, etc.) in the hopes of changing it using wit, sarcasm, or irony.

22. Irony: a literary element that depicts a difference/ contradiction in what is said/meant; what is said/done; what is expected/happens