10H Test 2

middle/medieval english

around 1066(Norman invasion)-middle/late 15th century

Author of Canterbury Tales

Geoffrey Chaucer

direct characterization

tells the audience what the personality of the character is

indirect characterization

shows things that reveal the personality of the character

STEAL - (S)

Speech

STEAL - (T)

Thoughts

STEAL - (E)

Effects on others

STEAL - (A)

Actions

STEAL - (L)

Looks

What is the best contemporary picture we have of 14th century England?

Canterbury Tales

How many pilgrims went on the pilgrimage to Canterbury?

30

How many stories were supposed to be told?

120

How many were finished?

24

frame story

a story set within a story, narrative, or movie, told by the main or the supporting character

Father of English Poetry

Chaucer

heroic couplets

a pair of rhyming lines with five stressed syllables each

Canterbury Prologue

introduces us to the characters, who met at a tavern in London

Knight

highest status, chivalrous, fought nobly in many battles, modest clothing, wants to render thanks on the pilgrimage

Squire

hot lover, writes poems and songs, knights son, plays flute and songs, short and agile, curly hair, about 20 years old

Nun/Priestess/Madame Eglantyne

spoke French, loyal to St. Loy, pretends to care, golden broach that says "love conquers all" in Latin, fake

Monk

keeps expensive horses and greyhounds, served St. Benedict & St. Maurice but ignored them, flaunting of wealth is looked down upon, too worldly for monk life

Frair/Hubert

selfish, begs for money and keeps it, good with speech, wears expensive clothing, only wants to be around rich people

Oxford Cleric

no ranking in church, only cares about books, thinks hes better than everyone

Cook/Roger of Ware

makes amazing foods, but is not very sanitary

Doctor

very smart, greedy, prescribes medicine using astrology, has a deal with the pharmacy

Wife of Bath

somewhat deaf, good at sewing, had loose teeth, 5 husbands, gives excellent love advice, always wears a hat

Parson

poor but educated, doesn't like tithes, would help someone no matter what

Plowman

brother of parson, kind hearted, never slacks, helps the poor pay their taxes, pays tithes to the church

Miller

224 lbs of muscle, nose with a wart that has red hair, big nose and mouth, carried a sword and shield, bad language, took grain and sold it 3x its worth, plays bagpipes

Summoner

acne covered face, so ugly children run from him, heavy drinker, smells badly, will get people out of trouble for a bribe

Pardoner

rode with the summoner, sings and plays the trumpet, sings at church sometimes, claims to have holy relics, cant grow a beard, feminine, gay(?)

The Pardoners Tale (background)

The Pardoner is probably drunk when telling the tale, brags about how he swindles people, is an example of an exemplum

exemplum

a short anecdote or story that illustrates a particular moral point

When and why were exemplums created

In the late middle ages to be used in sermons

Pardoners Tale (synopsis)

about how the love of money is the root of all evil, three rioters kill each other in an attempt to get the most money

Wife of Baths Tale (background)

in the so called "marriage group" of the Canterbury tales, directed at the Pardoner(who is considering marriage), the tale is set in the times of King Arthur, the prologue is longer than the tale, discusses each of her five husbands

Wife of Baths Tale (synopsis)

Knight rapes a woman and is about to be killed when Queen Guinevere decides to make him find out what women truly desire, and, he doesn't find it out until an old lady tells him, which saves his life, and so he has to marry her, and he gives her full control so she becomes a beautiful young woman

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (background)

One of the best known Arthurian stories, Pearl Poet, 1/4 alliterative poems written by Pearl Poet, bob and wheel story written in mid-late 14th century in middle English

medieval romance

adventure stories that feature kings, knights, and damsels in distress and tell of quests, battles, and doomed love

legends typically include

heroic figures and memorable deeds, quests, contests, or tests, patterned events

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Setting

Medieval England and Wales; begins at Arthurs Castle in Camelot; Green Chapel

Sir Gawain

King Arthurs nephew, thinks hes the weakest, low self esteem

Green Knight/Bertilack of Haughtdesert

the knight who challenged someone to take his head off, gave Gawain a knick on the neck

Lady Bertilak

tried to tempt Gawain, gave him the green belt

beheading trope

can be told to ensure crop growth, Irish tale is supreme courage, 12th century French romance is similar

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - exposition

King Arthur and the Boyz celebrate New Years/Christmas in Camelot

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - rising action

Green Knight gives the test and Sir Gawain accepts and cuts the Green Knights's head off

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - climax

the third swing of the axe

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - falling action

Green Knight says Gawain can keep the belt

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - denouement

Green Knight invites Gawain to next years New Years celebration

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - theme

loyalty, honor your promises

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - symbols

green girdle: failure -> honor and loyalty, green branch: peace

Morte d'Arthur - author

Sir Thomas Malory

Morte d'Arthur - background

written in Middle English prose, based on Arthurian legend, apart of a series of 8 books starting with Arthur's birth, first English novel ever published(published after Malorys death)

Morte d'Arthur - setting

Medieval England

King Arthur

King of Camelot

Sir Gawain - Morte d'Arthur

nephew to King Arthur, died, came to his uncle in a vision and tried to warn him of his death

Mordred

Illegitimate son of Arthur, killed Arthur

Sir Lucan the Butler

Sir Bedivere's brother, loyal until death, tried to save the King, guts fell out

Sir Bedivere

last of the Knights of the Table, disobeyed the dying King about putting Excalibur into Nimue's lake twice, put Excalibur into the lake, and prayed for Arthurs soul until death

Morte d'Arthur - exposition

dreams

Morte d'Arthur - rising action

someone sees a snake, draws blade to kill snake, which starts the battle where only four survive

Morte d'Arthur - climax

the throwing of the sword into the lake

Morte d'Arthur - falling action

Bedivere takes Arthur to the ship with the 3 queens

Morte d'Arthur - denouement

Arthur gets buried and Bedivere prays for Arthurs soul

Excalibur

a symbol of power, honor, and strength, given to Arthur by the lady of the lake, scabbard could heal wounds, Morgan le Fay stole the scabbard

Margaret Paston Letters - background

written from 1465-1467 to her husband and son, written in Norwich, England(100 miles from London), gives us first hand information about life from the middle ages(women were still not respected), showed us what a remarkable woman she was

primary sources

documents from the past that report or indicate events or values of the time; includes inscriptions, legal documents, and songs

Land Rights

a time of upheaval due to War of Roses, roaming armies, reward for faithful service, cleaver lawyers got people land, women still had limited rights and land ownership

folk ballad

narrative poem intended to be sung, four line stanzas(quatrains) in which the 2nd and 4th lines usually rhyme, dialog, recounts tragic, comic, or heroic stories with an emphasis on a central dramatic event

folk ballad common themes

death by murder or accident

dialect

a form of language spoken by people in a particular region or group

Twa Corbies - background

a border between England and Scotland, ballad of the Anglo-Saxon tradition

Twa Corbies

Stanzas: 5

Rhyme Scheme: AA BB

Twa Corbies

Dialect: gang - go, twa - 2

Twa Corbies

Synopsis: Ravens eating a forgotten knight

Twa Corbies

Lord Randall - background

Anglo-Saxon border ballad consisting of dialogue between a young lord and his mother

Lord Randall

Stanzas: 5

Rhyme Scheme: ?

Lord Randall

Dialect: wald - would

Lord Randall

Synopsis: A man gets poisoned by his lover

Lord Randall

Get Up and Bar the Door - background

a humorous medieval Scottish ballad about a battle of wills between a husband and wife

Get Up and Bar The Door

Stanzas: 11

Rhyme Scheme: ABCB

Get Up and Bar The Door

Dialect: muckle - much, hussytskop - chores

Get Up and Bar The Door

Synopsis: Husband and wife play the quiet game over closing the door and strangers barge in; wife wins

Get Up and Bar The Door

Barbara Allan - background

A Scottish ballad

Barbara Allan

Stanzas: 9

Rhyme Scheme: ABCB

Barabra Allan

Dialect: gin - if, rase - rose

Barabra Allan

Synopsis: A man loves Barbara, he dies because he is lovesick, and Barbara is going to die after he does because she is lovesick

Barabra Allan