Middle English & Canterbury Tales

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 5

Literature & Culture

Beowulf Throwback

TASK

• Read part of the New Verse Translation of Beowulf (by Seamus Heaney). 
• Main focus: Character Interview
  

Literary Work

• Epic Poem [Story of a Hero]

The arm-thing

The mixed-up fairy tale-thing

The Anglo-thing

The monster-thing

#lifeofBeowulf

Normans &
Middle English

Norman Conquest

• 1066 - Battle of Hastings

Short History

Watch & Listen to the video and explain:

1.  William kiss
2. Tower of London
   
3. Feudal system
4. Difference between 'cow' & 'beef' 
5. The term 'Middle English'

Explain two of the following aspects after watching:
- "William kiss"
- Tower of London
- Feudal system
- Difference between 'cow' & 'beef'
- The term 'Middle English'

Middle English
= Old French + Old English 

• Familiar sounds?
• No dictionaries yet
• Change from bottom up.
  

• French:

language of power, refined

• Latin: 
  language of clergy and scholars
• English:
  language of servants and serfs 

Literature was written in French and courtly in nature, not heroic and intended for a warrior audience as in Anglo-Saxon days.

Geoffrey Chaucer (1343-1400)

• Son of a wine merchant (middle class)
• Society's estates
  
  

World Changing:

• Late 14th century, -> categories more complex [birth, wealth, profession, personal ability determined status]
• Chaucer’s life / works were influenced
• Growing middle class began to play important roles in church and state
• fluent in French and schooling in Latin.

Society's 3 ‘estates’:

• Nobility: ruled over and defended politic
  
• Church: spiritual welfare of the body
  
• Everybody else: do work, provided for physical needs
  

Canterbury Tales

While listening -> TAKE NOTES

Task 2 [page 8]

parts 1-2-3-4

agony aunt

noun [ C usually singular ] UK

UK /ˈæɡ.ə.ni ˌɑːnt/ US /ˈæɡ.ə.ni ˌænt/

a person, usually a woman, who gives advice to people with personal problems, especially in a regular magazine or newspaper article

Upload a picture of your chosen CT character.

Your chosen Pilgrim (profession)

Come up with one adjective that describes the MORAL character

website

Your very own Pilgrim :)

TASK 3

Canterbury Tales

• Example: "The Politician"
• Helpline
  
• Optional: picture / drawing