Transcript Canterbury Tales - Perry Local Schools

Middle Ages
1066~1485
October 1066
• Duke William of Normandy defeats King
Harold
– Aka William the Conqueror
The Doomsday Book
• Inventory of every piece of property in
England
– People are taxed on what they own
Feudalism
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Caste
Property
Military
Social Behavior
The Feudal System
•The basic chain of feudalism was as
follows:
1. God
2. Kings
3. Nobles (Barons, Bishops,
etc.)
4. Knights- who did not own
land
5. Serfs or peasants- who did
not own land
Chivalry
• Ideals and behavior codes that governed
both knights and gentlewoman
– Loyalty to the overlord
– Acceptance of certain rules of warfare
– Adoration of a particular lady
• Courtly love
Influences on English
Literature
The Crusades
• Muslims and Christians
• Began in 1096
• Mathematics, Astronomy, Architecture, and
Crafts
Thomas a Becket
• Where Chaucer’s pilgrims
are going
• Archbishop of Canterbury
– Middle man between King and
Pope
– King appointed him
– “Will no one rid me of this
meddlesome priest?”
– He then became a martyr
The Magna Carta
Written by aristocrats for
aristocrats.
Signaled end of papal
power
The Hundred Years’ War
• England vs. France
• 1337~1453
• Development of British national
consciousness
• End of feudalism
The Black Death
• Highly contagious
• Wiped out 1/3 of population
• Labor shortage
– More power
– Freedom of serfs
Intro to Canterbury Tales and
Chaucer
The Life and Work of Chaucer
• First name Geoffrey
– Father of English Literature & Poetry
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Born 1343
Father, John, was a wealthy man
Lived in Vintry District of London
Went to St. Paul’s Almonery School
– Learned Latin, rhetoric, religion, philosophy,
science, and French
Written works
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The Book of the Duchess
The Parliament of Fowls
The House of Tame
Troilus and Criseyde
The Legend of Good Women: A Life of St.
Cecelia
• The Canterbury Tales
Historical Background
• Set in 14th century London
• Ruled by King and nobles who had all the
political power and the Catholic Church had
all authority in spiritual matters.
• Rise in middle class because of trade and
commerce.
• Most of the population was agrarian, poor
peasants.
Historical continued
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Clergy became landowners.
Abuse and corruption began in the church.
The Plague wiped out 1/3 of the population.
1381: Peasants’ Rebellion
The Canterbury Tales
• Chaucer’s view of life in the city of London
– 3 Estates: Church, Nobility, Peasantry
• Many sources are quoted
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Ovid, Vigil
Augustine, Boethius
Descartes
Dante and Petrarch
The Canterbury Tales Continued
• Collection of short stories
• Framed by a journey and told by travelers
• Written in Middle English not French or
Latin.
– Vernacular
• Well-received
Types of medieval literature
• Romance: a narrative in metrical verse;
tales of love, adventure, knightly combat,
and ceremony.
• Fabliau: stories based on trickery and
deception; often involves adultery.
• Myth: a story originating in classical
literature.
Types Continued
• Breton Lais: a type of fairy tale; set in
Brittany province of France; contains
fairies, elves, folk wisdom, and folktales.
• Beast Fable: animals personify human
qualities and act out human situations;
usually teaches a lesson.
• Sermon: a Christian lesson
Types Continued
• Exemplum: a story which teaches a wellknown lesson
• Allegory: a tale in which a person
represents abstract qualities (death, virtue,
love)
• Mock Romance: parodies, or makes fun, of
the usual subjects of a romance.