Literature 4 & 5: Le Morte d'Arthur & Geoffrey Chaucer

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Literature 4 & 5

Le Morte d'Arthur
& Geoffrey Chaucer

Literature Test

What to study?
- Background information literature 1 t/m 8 
- Questions literature 1 t/m 8
- LessonUps

Multiple choice, short open questions, true/false questions 
(in structure it's quite similar to last year's literature test) 

Literature 4: 
Le Morte d'Arthur

1. Take a guess: Le Morte d'Arthur is written by?

1. Geoffrey Chaucer
2. Geoffrey of Monmouth
3. Sir Thomas Malory
4. Nennius of Wales

2. Take a guess: True or False "Le Morte d'Arthur was published by William Caxton, the inventor of printing press."

1. True
2. False

3. Take a guess: According to Le Morte d'Arthur how many people can sit at the Round Table?

1. 20
2. 50
3. 100
4. 150

4. Take a guess: Queen Gwenyvere eventually cheats on Arthur with which knight?

1. Gawain
2. Tristan
3. Percival
4. Launcelot

5. Take a guess: How does Arthur become king according to Le Morte d'Arthur?

1. Killing his father Uther
2. Pulling a sword from stone
3. Merlin crowns him king when he's old enough
4. Conquering Camelot with his own army

Le Morte d'Arthur

- French for "The Death of Arthur"
- Sir Thomas Malory
- Several stories about Arthur's life & death
- Written in English & in prose (normal text, not poetry)

- First published by William Caxton (inventor of printing press)
- Written during the War of Roses
   (civil war between Houses of Lancaster & York for the throne)

Origin of the legend

- Legend dates back to the 9th century
- Around 1100 the story became really popular
- French invaders claimed Arthur was their ancestor, which 
   justified their invasion
- Most stories from Middle Ages therefore written in French
- Around 14th century first English texts appear

Arthur's Birth

- Starts with King Uther falling in love with Igrayne
- Relationship kept secret
- Arthur is hidden away until after Uther's death
- Pulls Excalibur from the stone, making him king of England
- Some lords dispute his claim
- Marries Gwenyvere to make his claim stronger
- She brings the Round Table with her

Arthur's Death

- Arthur goes to war against the Emperor of Rome, Lucius
- Le Morte d'Arthur then focuses on the knights and their     
   adventures
- Gwenyvere and Launcelot have an affair and run away
- While Arthur wages war against Launcelot, Mordred claims
   himself king
- Epic battle and both Mordred & Arthur die 

Literature 5:
Geoffrey Chaucer

Geoffrey Chaucer (1343-1400)

- first poet writing in English
- The Canterbury Tales

- first record: 1357 as a page (serves a knight)
- 1359-1360 in France (Hundred Years' War)
- 1366 diplomatic mission to Spain
- marries wife Philippa
- 1368 from page to squire

Writing Career

- 1369 John of Gaunt "compose a poem for funeral of my wife"
- Chaucer wrote it in English 
- All poetry at the time was in French
- 1372-1373 diplomatic missions to Florence & Genoa
- Works of Dante & Petrarch (Italian poets)
- Writes several short poems  

- Troilus and Criseyde: tragedy based on Trojan War

The Canterbury Tales

- Most important work 
- Written between 1387-1400
- Group of pilgrims traveling together
- Each of them tells a story 
- Wanted to write about two groups, 
   but only finished the stories of one

Last part of his life

- 1386 Chaucer moves to Kent
- Member of the Parliament
- 1389 Clerkship of the Royal Works
- 1391 Resigns
- Becomes a forester (boswachter)
- Dies around 1400

6. True or False: "Geoffrey Chaucer was the first poet writing in English."

1. True
2. False

7. To which of the following countries has Chaucer not travelled on a diplomatic mission or as page/squire?

1. Spain
2. France
3. Italy
4. Germany

8. Geoffrey Chaucer started his writing career with what?

1. The Canterbury Tales
2. Troilus and Criseyde
3. A memorial poem for a funeral
4. A series of short poems

9. The finished version of The Canterbury Tales has stories from how many groups of pilgrims?

1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4

10. True or False: "Geoffrey Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales very early on in his life."

1. True
2. False

Check the reader:

Literature 4 & 5:
- Read the background information
- Answer the questions (using the internet)
- Check your answers (see Its Learning)