¡Descarga Medieval English Literature: From Old English to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales - Prof. Álvare y más Ejercicios en PDF de Idioma Inglés solo en Docsity! Tema I: Medieval lit. ● From 415 AD, when the Romans abandon England to 1066 AD (The Battle of Hastings) is the period of Old English. The language is more alike to German than English. From 1066 to 1485 is the period of Middle English. Edward the Confessor dies in 1066 w/out an heir, his brother-in-law (Harold II) is named king. He is later killed in the Battle of Hastings by Normandy troops led by William the Conqueror who takes the throne. Various religious duties are filled in by the French, and their culture is imposed. French becomes the official language and is associated w/ social prestige and laws. Latin remained the language of culture and English of the lower class. During XIII and XIV, English dominates over French, although it is still preserved in official documents. The first public document to be written in English appears in 1258 (The Provisions of Oxford). The first session of parliament in English in 1366. English becomes the official language in 1400. Two events made this possible: ○ The 100 Years War (1337-1435): Between France and England, in which French, for the British, was the tongue of the enemy. ○ Black Death (1348): It especially affected the lower classes that spoke only English, as they demanded better living conditions. It also killed many French officials, that were replaced by representatives of the people. ● Poetry: It is in the second-half of XIV that the first poems, w/ pagan origins, are written. They are anonymous and translated into Latin. The most famous is Beowulf. 3 groups: ○ Chronicles (verse) ■ Robert Manning of Brunne: Story of England (1338): Starts w/ Noahic Deluge and ends w/ the death of Edward the 1st. Written in Alexandrine verses that have 12 syllables with major stresses on every 6th ○ Religious and Didactic Poetry: ■ The Ormulum (1200): Written by an augustine monk, religious sermons. Unique in its complicated form of spelling created by the author. The title derives from the name of the author; Orm. ■ The Owl and the Nightingale (1225): A dispute; they disagree on which has the finer song. The nightingale enjoys the finer things in life, while the owl represents wisdom. Rooted in anthropomorphism dating back to ancient greece. ■ Cursor Mundi (14th cent.): Recounts the tales from the old and new testament, divided into 7 ages; creation to the final judgement. 24,000 lines. Influences future playwrights. ○ Romances and other poems: Surge in popularity during the 12th and 13th century w/ a French influence. The first time that the word is applied to romantic exploits or heroic adventures, in both verse and prose. They have similar characteristics w/ Epics; in an epic there is a character w/ divine skill and wisdom who leads through a period of crisis (Beowulf). In both, love is never the most important aspect. The hero is idealistic and stereotypical, no room for the individual. ● The Romances - The “Alliterative Revival”: A literary movement born in GB in 1350. It is the resurgence of low-class lit., recovering saxon tradition and heritage. ○ Middle English Romances: Main form of secular lit. Modern lit. slightly owes its roots to it: Based on English history. Great realism in the description of battles and hunts. ■ The Matter of England ● Havelok the Dane (13th cent.): Narrates various Viking invasions ● Guy of Warwick (14th cent): 7,000 lines. The adventures of a knight. Ends up a monk ■ The Matter of Rome: Classical themes, based on the Greco-Latin culture. ● King Alisaunder: 8,000 lines. Found in a manuscript from 1330-40. Based on Alexander the Great ● The Siege of Troy: About the Trojan war ■ The Matter of France: Quality is lower, despite their popularity ● Song of Roland (13th century): Based on Charlemagne ■ The Matter of Britain: Fascination w/ King Arthur. Development of the Arthurian legends from French 12th century sources; Marie de France and Chrétien de Troyes. Focused on chivalry and courtly love ● Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: It combines elements of love, mythology and history. Although most of the text is alliterated, some of it is in rhyme. Second half of the 14th century w/ 2530 lines. Anonymous; known as the Gawain Poet. The manuscript lies in the British Library. It includes 3 religious manuscripts and poems by the same author ○ Pearl: A man’s daughter dies at 2. He later dreams of seeing her in the underworld w/ a river between them. She tells him he cannot cross because of Adam's original sin. He wakes up feeling calm and released from the pain of death ○ Purity: A collection of bible stories whose focus is purity as the only way to get closer to God ○ Patience: Jonah and the whale, focus on the virtue of patience ● Allegory: A story or poem in which the characters and places symbolize religious views ● Geoffrey Chaucer (1340-1400): The father of modern English poetry, sets the base for what would later be Middle English. Fought in the 100 years war, Clerk, Justice of
