Transcript Medieval Literature (Cir. 500

Medieval Literature
(Cir. 500-1500)
Medium + aevum

Mediaeval/ Medieval, Middle Ages

Early Middle Ages (Early Medieval Period)
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High Middle Ages

Late Middle Ages
Early Middle ages
(5th - 10th centuries)

from the decline of the Western Roman Empire
to the High Middle Ages

also called Dark Ages
construction of a fortified town during Dark
Ages
Early Middle Ages
(5th-10th centuries)
feudalism
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farmers, noble men

no commerce
High Middle Ages
(c. 1001–1300)
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the end of Early Middle Ages-Late Middle Ages
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rapid increase of population in Europe

brought about great social and political changes
trade revival during the High Middle Ages
trade revival during the High Middle Ages
one of the first banks established during 11th12th centuries in the High Medieval
Universities in Europe were first established in
Bologna, Salerno, Paris and Modena.
In 1095 Pope Urban II preached the First Crusade with
the intention to reestablish Christian rule in the Holy
Land/ Palestine.
Late Middle Ages
(cir.1301-1500)
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end of High Middle Ages-the onset of
Early Modern Era
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progress of arts and sciences
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a renewed interest in ancient Greek
and Roman texts
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Italian Renaissance began
Literature of Western Europe
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1. Poetry
2. Drama
3. Prose
Poetry
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1) French and Spanish la chanson de geste
2) French Roman Courtois
3) French Fabliau
4) Italian Epic
5) English Verse
6) English Metrical Romance
7) Ballad
la chanson de geste
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praise the heroic deeds of the national heroes
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La Chanson de Roland (The Song of Roland)
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El Cid (The Song of the Cid)
Roman Courtois
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Tristan et Iseult
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Chrétien de Troyes
Tristan et Iseult
Chrétien de Troyes

Le Chevalier a la Charette
Yvain
Perceval
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legends of King Arthur and his knights
King Arthur among his knights
Fabliau
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comical fable told in verse of the French genre
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jongleurs in northeast France
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Roman de Renart  Renart vs Ysengrin
 fox vs wolf
confrontation of Renart and Ysengrin in a battle
Epic
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La Divina Commedia (The Divine Comedy)
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Inferno, Purgatorio, Paradiso

Dante Alighieri
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greatest Italian epic
Dante holding a copy of the Divine Comedy, with the entrance to
Hell on the left, the seven terraces of Mount Purgatory in the
middle and the city of Florence on the right, with the spheres of
Heaven above
English Verse
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Canterbury Tales
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Geoffrey Chaucer
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a collection of stories in a frame story
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a group of 29 pilgrims from all layers of society
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tell stories to each other to kill time while travelling to
Saint Thomas Becket’s shrine in Canterbury
Canterbury Tales
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Decameron
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Giovanni Boccaccio
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frame narrative technique
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tale within tale
influence of Decameron’s frame narrative
technique on Canterbury Tales
Decameron: stories with the theme of
tragic love told on the fourth day
frame narrative technique of Canterbury Tales
influenced by Decameron
The Nun’s Priest’s Tale
the story of a rooster,
Chanticleer and a fox,
told by the nun’s priest
English Metrical Romance

Pearl Poet/ Gawain Poet
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Gawain and the Green Knight
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one of a better-known Arthurian stories
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a hero, Gawain, goes on a quest that test his
prowess and bravery in a beheading game
challenged by the Green Knight
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Green Knight
challenging
Gawain to join
the beheading
game
ballad
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oral literature
ballads of outlaws  celebrating the lives of
outlaws or criminals such
as Robin Hood
ballads of magic  recounting stories about
fairies, witches and ghosts
ballads of betrayal love
ballads of domestic tragedy
most ballads were set to music, as they were meant
to be sung rather than read
drama
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the revival of drama in the 10th century
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the medieval priest gives birth to the
liturgical drama, Quem quaeritis?,
as a means to teach
Quem Quaeritis?
(Whom Seek Ye?)
performance of
Quem Quaeritis?
in a Medieval
Cathedral/
monastery
performing place: cathedral / monastery /church
Cathedral of
Florence
performing place: cathedral / monastery /church
Church of
San Lorenzo
medieval stage: platea, mansion
medieval stage within a church
medieval stage: pageant wagon
Types of Medieval Drama
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1. liturgical play
2. religious play
3. secular play
1. liturgical play
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Quem Quaeritis?
2. religious play
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mystery play: biblical stories from the creation to
the Judgment Day
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miracle play, saint play: lives and miracles of saints
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morality play: designed to teach a moral and
improve the behavior of the audience
Noah’s Ark, a mystery play, at York
St. George and the Dragon, a miracle play/ a saint play,
performed on April 23, 2008 at Scotland
Everyman, the best known English morality play
3. secular play
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folk play
farce
interlude
folk play: Robin Hood
farce: Pierre Pathlin
interlude
prose
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chivalric romance
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Le Morte d’ Arthur
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Sir Thomas Malory
Le Morte D’ Arthur
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narrates the story of King Arthur, a legendary British leader
of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who led the defence
of Britain against Saxon invaders
Camelot, the
dwelling of
King Arthur
Arabic Literature
The Bedouins in the Arabian Desert
Arabic Literature
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early Arabic literature  oral literature
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the contents  wars, desert, camels, horses,
love
Arabic Literature
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the finest / the most important piece
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The Qur’an
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basis for a new religion and community known
today as Islam
the Qur’an inscribed during 8-9th century
the Qur’an inscribed in 12th century
Arabic Literature
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flourished during the Islamic Golden Age
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the best-known story of the Islamic world
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A Thousand and One Nights
The Arabian Nights
A Thousand and One Nights
The Arabian Nights
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frame narrative technique
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tales within tale
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Sinbad the Sailor
Ali Baba
Aladin and the Magic Lamp
วรรณคดียุคกลาง
ยุโรป
อาหรั บ
จีน
61
Persian Literature
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Rubaiyat
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Omar Khayyám
Chinese Literature
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Tang Dynasty (618 - 917)
Song Dynasty (960 - 1279)
Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368)
Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644)
Tang Dynasty
(618 - 917)
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Golden of Age of Chinese Literature
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1. Poetry
2. Prose
Tang Poetry
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Golden Age of Poetry
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more than 2,200 poets
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more than 48,900 pieces of poems
Tang Poets
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Li Bai/ Li Bo
Wang Wei
Tu Fu  greatest Chinese poet
Tang Prose
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Chuánqi (ฉวนฉี)
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miracles
love
heroic deeds
satire the noblemen
instructive moral at the end
Tang Prose
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Bian Wen (เปี้ ยนเหวิน)
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episodes from the Buddha’s life
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non-Buddhist stories from Chinese history
and folklore
Song Literature
(960 – 1279)
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 improvement of printing  increase literary
output
 storytelling in the vernacular arose in this period
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these tales reflected the style of the
storyteller who entertained audiences
gathered in marketplaces, fairgrounds,
or temple yards
Yuan Dynasty
(1271-1368)
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Mongol
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first alien dynasty
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Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan
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cancellation of civil service examination
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drama was the greatest achievement
Ming Literature
(1368-1644)
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prosperous period of printing in China
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popularity of long fiction / novel
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms (สามก๊ ก)
Outlaw of the Marsh (ซ้ องกั๋ง)
Journey to the West (ไซอิว๋ )
Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Luo Guanzhong (หลอกว้ านจง)
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part historical, part legend, and part myth
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
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romanticises and dramatises the lives of
feudal lords and their retainers
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to replace/ restore the dwindling Han dynasty
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three political factions
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Outlaw of the Marsh (ซ้ องกัง๋ )
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a group of 108 outlaws forced by
the harsh feudal officialdom
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form a sizable army on
Mount Liang /Liangshan Marsh
Journey to the West (ไซอิ๋ว)
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Wu Cheng’en (หวูเฉินเอิน)
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fictionalized account of the legendary pilgrimage of a
Buddhist monk, Tang Sanzang (พระถังซาจั๋ง)  India
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loosely based on a historic text, Great Tang Records
on the Western Regions, some traditional folk tales and
records of a Buddhist monk, Xuan Zang (หลวงจีนส้ วนจัง)
the cover of Journey to the West with Tang Sanzang (พระ
ถังซำจั๋ง) , the White Dragon Horse, Sun Wukong (ซึงหงอคง) ,
Zhu Bajie (ตือโป้ ยก่ าย) and Sha Wujing (ซัวเจ๋ ง)