6V Literature - Middle English

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Slide 1 - Diapositive

A Survey of English Literature
2
Middle English

Slide 2 - Diapositive

Middle English literature

Slide 3 - Carte mentale

The Middle English Period
  • 1066-1485: (later) Medieval England
  • The Norman Conquest
  • Social change: the feudal system
  • A long war in France: the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453)
  • A bloody war at home: the Wars of the Roses (1455-1485)
  • 1485: beginning of the Tudor Period
  • Linguistic change: a new language

Slide 4 - Diapositive

The Norman Conquest
  • 1066: the Battle of Hastings
  • The Anglo-Saxons (King Harold) vs. the Normans (Duke William of Normandy)
  • The Bayeux Tapestry
  • England becomes a feudal state
  • land - church - town
  • nobles and serfs - clergymen - craftsmen and tradesmen

Slide 5 - Diapositive

The Bayeux Tapestry

Slide 6 - Diapositive

Slide 7 - Vidéo

Middle English (1) - History
  • 1066 - c. 1300: two languages side by side
  • Norman French: language of court, government, the law and trade
  • Old English: language of the common people (peasants, townspeople)
  • the two slowly merge into one language
  • c. 1300: Middle English
  • c. 1480: towards (Early) Modern English

Slide 8 - Diapositive

Middle English (2) - Characteristics
  • Many regional dialects
  • A merger of Old English and Norman French
  • Basic vocabulary is (Old) English > words connected with the body and basic human needs
  • Many French words imported into the language (language of court, law, government, trade)
  • simplified grammar
  • end 15th c. : a new standard language emerges

Slide 9 - Diapositive

Middle English Literature
Most works of literature are anonymous
One name stands out: Geoffrey Chaucer
  • c. 1340 - 1400
  • the father of English literature / the father of the English language
  • A courtier and a diplomat (foreign travels)
  • main work: The Canterbury Tales

Slide 10 - Diapositive

The Canterbury Tales
  • Frame-story
  • Group of pilgrims on their way to Canterbury > the shrine of the martyr St. Thomas Becket
  • A cross-section of medieval English society (nobility, clergy and commoners)
  • A panorama of medieval life
  • Examples of many medieval literary genres
  • Remained incomplete at Chaucer's death

Slide 11 - Diapositive

Slide 12 - Diapositive

Medieval Drama
  • Mainly religious in character > gradually more and more secular elements are introduced

Slide 13 - Diapositive

Medieval Drama
Mystery plays
  • cycles of plays based on biblical stories
  • performed by guilds on waggons (pageants)
  • meant to be instructive as well as entertaining
Miracle plays
  • on the lives and deaths of saints
Morality plays

Slide 14 - Diapositive

Morality plays
Characteristics of medieval morality plays
  • performed by travelling players
  • allegorical (no real-life characters, but personified abstractions)
  • instructive > teach a Christian moral lesson

Slide 15 - Diapositive

Everyman
Most famous example in English: Everyman
  • translation of a Dutch original: Elckerlyc
  • typically Christian moral: man can only be saved by performing good deeds in life

Slide 16 - Diapositive

Slide 17 - Vidéo

What is the time span of the Middle English period?
A
1066 - 1340
B
1066 - 1485
C
800 - 1066
D
1340 - 1400

Slide 18 - Quiz

Which language was spoken at court?
A
French
B
English
C
Latin

Slide 19 - Quiz

Geoffrey Chaucer also goes by other names - which?

Slide 20 - Question ouverte

What are the three types of Medieval Drama?

Slide 21 - Question ouverte

Next lesson
Read extracts of The Canterbury Tales and do assignments

Bring your notes, reader&workbook and survey!

Slide 22 - Diapositive