Transcript File - Ms. Hoban`s English III and English IV

Middle Ages 1066-1485
From democracy to feudalism:
The world of Geoffrey Chaucer
Governmental change
 1066-
William the Conqueror arrived from
Normandy and defeated the Anglo-Saxon
armies of King Harold. William was an
efficient and ruthless soldier who took
control of the land with an iron fist. He
established the feudal system where
everything belonged to, and revolved
around, the King.
The Hierarchy Concept
 William’s

King
 Prince
 Duke
 Marques
 Earl/Count
 Viscount
 Baron
 Baronet
 Knight/Lady
 Lord/Lady
positions of power.
Feudal pyramid

Since William, as king,
was highest on the
hierarchy everything
belonged to him and he
rewarded his loyal
followers with land.
William
Duke
Earl

Duke
Earl
Earl
In return for the land
grants and monies
Baron
Baron
Baron
Baron
received from the land,
the followers would
then repay William in
funds and men for the Knight
Knight
Knight
Knight
Knight
army.
Peasants- owned no land and had to pay rent to
farm.
The changing face of feudalism
 Closer
to the end of the middle ages,
during Chaucer’s life time, there was an
emergence of a class system, sort of:



Nobility- ( feudal system) anyone who had a
connection to land or property,
Clergy/clerical- who worked with the church
and religious laws,
Lay person- merchants, peasants, and people
who worked for a living.
• Chaucer wrote his famous Prologue to the
Canterbury Tales with these social divisions in
mind.
Geoffrey Chaucer
1343-1400
Father of English Poetry
 History


Spoke Middle English
Served under the graces
of three kings.
• Edward III, Richard II, and
Henry IV.

Born to the merchant
class
• Father was a wine
merchant

Held several jobs
• Court page, justice of the
peace, ambassador,
parliamentarian, writer,
lawyer, King’s forester.
The Prologue to the Canterbury
Tales

Written around 1387.
 Chaucer died before it was complete.
 Revolved around the holy pilgrimages taken by
penitent travelers going to the Shrine of
Canterbury.


The shrine is in Canterbury Cathedral where a bishop, Thomas a
Beckett, was assassinated by knights of the king.
The 28 pilgrims were to tell a total of 4 stories each on the way to
and back from the shrine. (It would have totaled 112 stories but
since Chaucer died before completing the tales only a little over
half had been written.)
• All of the pilgrims with the exception of 3 suffer from one or more of
the seven deadly sins.
Class level expectations and behaviors.

Nobility (The wealthy and land owners)- were supposed to
represent all things noble and good.

Were to follow the code of chivalry
• Honesty, kindness, protection, truthful, loyal, etc.

Clergy/clerical (All religious orders-Monks, Friars, Priests,
etc)-were supposed to represent the religious ideologies.

Were to follow the ideals of Christ
• Humble, penitent, honest, render care to and for others, vow of poverty,
celibate.

Merchant (Inn keepers, Craftsmen, Peasants, etc.)-were
supposed to represent the hard-working, humble, defacing
service providers: generally to the nobles.

Were to provide goods and services to the wealthy.
• Humble, complacent, never take on manners that put them above their
social station (which was the lowest of the three).
Things you need to know







French was spoken only at court by the
nobility.
Clothes were made by hand and cost a
fortune.
It could take hours to do hair styles for one
day.
Peacocks were considered to be a bird of
vanity/pride.
Only the wealthy and nobility had leisure time
to play, hunt, or just sit around.
Religious figures were to be chaste and take a
vow of poverty.
Books were copied letter by letter, word by
word, by hand using goose quill pens and
hand made inks. As a result were very rare
making them priceless.
Characteristics you need to know

Gaping teeth-sensuality.
 Ram-like appearance-strength.
 Sow like appearance-dirtiness.
 Fox like appearance-slyness.
 Goat like appearance-lechery.
 Rat like- death and decay.
 Thin fastidious type-bad temper,
irritability.
 Flaring or open nostrils-passion.
 Puss filled sores-lechery and
drunkenness.
 High forehead- intelligence, breeding.
 White neck- looseness or immorality.
The Seven Deadly Sins







Greed
Lust
Envy
Pride
Sloth
Gluttony
Wrath

All but three characters in
The Canterbury Tales have
one or more sin.
THE END