Historical English Literature: The Canterbury Tales

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• Studiejaar 2

HEL Session 2

  

Middle English 

period 1100-1500 

Chaucer's The Wife of Bath

Recap

What do you remember about last week's text

Beowulf?

Which parts of Anglo-Saxon warrior society do we see reflected in Beowulf?

Which parts of Anglo-Saxon warrior society do we see reflected in Beowulf?

When does the story of Beowulf take place?

1. ca 750 AD
2. 100 BC
3. 1250 AD
4. pre-history

Who does Beowulf not fight?

1. Grendal
2. Grendal's Mother
3. The king of the Danes
4. A dragon

From whom is Grendel descended?

1. Satan
2. Shield Sheafson
3. Cain
4. Beowulf

After Beowulf defeats Grendel’s mother, how long does he rule over the Geats?

1. 10 years
2. 20 years
3. 8 years
4. 50 years

Who comes to Beowulf’s aid in the dragon fight and then becomes the future Geat king?

1. Aeschere
2. Heardred
3. Hygelac
4. Wiglaf

Beowulf contains both pagan and Christian elements, can you name a few?

Do you have any questions about Beowulf? Anything that is still unclear?

Middle English Period

• Late Middle Ages 1066 - 1500 
• 1066: William the Conqueror - Norman Conquest  
• Changes in language and culture: 
• Political: feudalism 
• Cultural: from saxon (germanic) to norman (french) 
• Language: French dominant until late 14thC 

Peck and Coyle 

You've read Peck & Coyle, Chapter 2, pp. 14-33 about Middle English Literature.

What stood out? Which words come to mind?

Fill out the mind map on the next slide. 

Middle English Literature

Middle English literature

• During 13th & 14th centuries English was gaining ground as a language
  
• Also led to the development of distinct English literature (nationalism);
  
• Allegory  = extended metaphor; has underlying political, religious or political significance. Characters are often personifications of vices and virtues 
• e.g. Piers Plowman (1360 – 1387), William Langland 
• 
  Fabliau = short, funny, often bawdy tale in low style. Often about cuckolded husbands and foolish peasants 

Middle English Period

Major classic texts:

• Romance > Arthurian Legends (from 12thC to Mallory’s Morte D’Arthur: 1470)
  
• Sir Gawain and the Greene Knight (knight is challenged to meet courtly ideals)
  
• Popular Ballads (sir Patrick Spense; Robyn Hode)
  
• Moral(ity) plays: Everyman
  
• William Langland: Piers Plowman
  
• Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales (14thC) 

Geoffrey Chaucer 

(1340-1400)

Key author 

known primarily for The Canterbury Tales (1387-1399)

framework narrative about a group of pilgrims who travel to Canterbury

The Canterbury Tales

• written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer between 1387 and 1400
• a collection of 24 stories
• tales are part of a story-telling contest by a group of pilgrims as they travel together from London to Canterbury

Why were these pilgrims travelling to Canterbury? What were they going to visit?

Canterbury
Cathedral

Became popular pilgrimage site after the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket in 1170

The Wife of Bath

You've read The Wife of Bath's Tale and have answered the questions in the syllabus.

In groups, discuss your answers. 

In The Wife's Tale, what does the Knight do to merit punishment?

1. lies to the king
2. rapes a girl
3. steals from the Queen
4. cheats on his wife

What is the Knight's original sentence by King Arthur?

1. beheading
2. banishment
3. imprisonment
4. he has to apologize

Who decided that the Knight should have a different sentence?

1. His victim
2. The knights
3. The Queen
4. An old hag

What quest is the Knight sent on?

1. He needs to find a wife
2. He needs to slay a dragon
3. He needs to find out what women most desire
4. He needs to find a magic sword

Why does he have trouble in his quest?

1. because every answer he receives is different
2. because he is unable to speak to women
3. because the women all lie to him

In exchange for giving the knight the correct answer & saving his life, what does the hag want?

1. money
2. marriage
3. a child
4. nothing

What does the old woman tell the knight she will be if she remains old and ugly?

1. good and faithful
2. rich
3. very wise

So what do women really want according to this story? 

How do you interpret the final resolution?

 

Is she giving in to male dominance? Is he giving her the upper hand?

According to you, is this tale feminist or anti-feminist?

1. Feminist
2. anti-feminist

Do you have any questions about this lesson? Something you would like to discuss?

Next week

Session 3: Modern English period 1500-1600 - Poetry I: The English Sonnet

Sir Thomas Wyatt. (1557). Whoso list to hunt.

William Shakespeare. (1609). Sonnet XVIII.

William Shakespeare. (1609). Sonnet CXVI.

William Shakespeare. (1609). Sonnet CXXX.

P&C, Chapter 3, pp. 34-52.