Middle English Period

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 5

Middle English Period

 (1066-1500)

• General information
  
• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  

What marked the Middle English Period?

• In 1066, England was successfully invaded for the last time in its history. William, Duke of Normandy, defeated the Anglo-Saxons under King Harold in the Battle of Hastings and was crowned William I of England.
  
• William the Conqueror was from Normandy in France, and so French influence on Anglo-Saxon society , culture, literature and language was enormous.
  

Peasants and knights

    The king gave pieces of land and rewarded his most important noblemen with titles, if they in return promised to help and support him with soldiers in time of war. The nobility’s best soldiers became known as “knights”. Feudalism stretched from the very top of the society to the very bottom. At this bottom were the peasants who worked the land itself. They had few rights and little or no property, they were in fact little more than slaves. 

Change in literature

In literature, too, the Norman Conquest by William the Conqueror had important consequences. The typically Germanic poetry with its themes of war, death and glory gave way to the more elegant and refined poetry of the French:

No more alliteration, as in Beowulf, but end rhyme.

No more monsters and heroes, death and glory, but knights, courtly love and chivalry .

Courtly love?

Courtly love is a very important theme in Middle English literature. It is an elevated kind of love, platonic and from a distance, for a lady. It is not physical love, it isn’t about kissing or making love, it is about adoration and the lady of the knight’s adoration could well be married to another man.

 The medieval ideas of courtly love and chivalry play an important part in the stories about knights, which were called Romances 

Chivalry?

In the Middle Ages chivalry meant a great deal more than just old-fashioned good manners. The Knight's Code of Chivalry meant that all knights should protect others who cannot protect themselves, not only ladies but also widows, children, and elders

The Medieval Romance

A medieval romance is a dramatic verse or prose narrative that usually involves adventurous heroes, idealized love, exotic places, and supernatural events. This genre first appeared in France during the 12th century and soon spread to England. Many of the best-known romances celebrate the legendary King Arthur and his knights, who often risk their lives for the love of a noble lady or to uphold the code of behaviour known as chivalry. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is considered one of the finest Arthurian romances.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

For now

• Make the questions on the handout!