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1st 6 weeks 1st Semester

Medieval Review

v      The Battle Of Hastings occurred in 1066. William the Conqueror defeats Harold II.

v      William takes throne & brings French system of feudalism. Kings, Nobility, Knights, Serfs

v      Henry II later becomes king. Gets in Disagreement with Sir Thomas Beckett.

v      Kings’ men “accidentally” kill Beckett.

v      Richard of York vs. Henry of Lancaster: War of Roses. York’s win

v      Kings begin to overuse power. Magna Carta put in place to limit the King’s power.

v      Between 1348 and 1349 the Black Plague rages through Britain. Living conditions horrible.

v      Henry VII establishes the House of Tudor.

v      Oxford University established in 1060. First University.

v      Chaucer was the most popular author of time. Wrote Canterbury Tales, Troilus and Criseyde.

v      Morality plays become popular at end of medieval period. Everyman.

Ballads

v      Passed down through oral tradition.

v      Meant to be sung.

v      Mostly pretty humorous.

v      Broken up into Quatrains. Lines of four.

v      Sir Patrick Spens, example of a chivalrous knight who knows full well that he is going to die in the line of duty. First indication that he is dead is that hats were floating in the water. Ladies mourned his death.

v      Get Up and Bar the Door. Domestic argument. Whoever speaks first has to get up and shut the door and it is freezing outside. Two men enter, kiss the man’s wife, and eat white and black pudding. The man finally yells at them.  The wife makes him get up and shut the door because he spoke first.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

v           Lots of alliteration used in this piece: “And other weapons to wield, I wean well, to boot, But as I willed no war, I wore no metal.”

v           Parody of King Arthur

v           This is a fantasy piece, examples of medieval belief evident through chivalry.

v           King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table are considered fiction, based upon what a good king and a true knight would resemble.

v                       Knights are supposed to be brave, courteous, loyal to their King, (code of honor)

v                       King Arthur has knights of the round table, the bravest in the land, or so they thought until the Green Knight arrives.

v                       Story begins in Camelot at a New Year’s Eve feast

v                       When celebrating, a Green Knight on a green horse shows up with an ax.

v                       The green knight is in search for the King

v                       Everyone is shocked by the green knight’s presence.

v                       The Green Knight wants a game-a beheading game, these were very popular during the time of the medieval era in France.

v                       The Green Knight makes fun of King Arthur and the knights of the round table. The green knight calls Arthur’s men “beardless children” and “puny”.

v                       In a twelve month and a day the knight who competes against the green knight will get struck by the green knight, should the Green Knight survive.

v                       Arthur and his men cower after the Green knight makes his proposition

v                       Arthur is embarrassed as no one accepts his challenge, and therefore he has to step up himself.

v                       The first knight to step up and replace Arthur is Sir Gawain

v           Gawain feels that his life is not worth much as opposed to the kings’ (loyalty). He states he lacks wit and is weakest and therefore the easiest choice should a knight have to die.

v                       The Green knight approves of Sir Gawain

v                       Gawain steps up to face the challenge

v           (The Green knights castle is a secret, he will tell Gawain if he survives and/or is able to talk.)

v           Gawain strikes the blow with the “gisarme”, (battle Axe). The Green Knight’s head is cut clean off, blood is everywhere. However, he does not fall, he picks up the head once it has finished rolling around.

v           Minor problem: Gawain was counting on killing the Green Knight, now he appears to live without his head. Will he continue with the challenge?

v           Sir Gawain now has to find the Knight of the Green Chapel in a year and a day.

v           While traveling for months to find him, Sir Gawain comes across a house Christmas night and the Lord tells him he will show him where the Green Chapel is.

v           The Lord and Sir Gawain exchange gifts for three days, but Sir Gawain does not return the magic green girdle that will protect him from harm. (Dishonorable act number one)

v           The Green Knight’s chapel is described as nothing other than a cave covered in green moss and grass.

v           A large noise is heard as Sir Gawain is entering the Knight’s chapel. It is The Green Knight sharpening his Danish Ax in preparation.

v          

v           The Green Knight prepares to hit Sir Gawain, but he flinches (dishonorable act number two).

v           The Green Knight remarks that Sir Gawain is acting cowardly and not a good representation of the Round Table.

v           Sir Gawain is finally struck by the axe and only receives a small scratch.

v           Before being released, the Green Knight says that Sir Gawain has not been a true knight as he did not exchange the gifts with the lord in the castle on his last night.

v           The Green Knight was also the Lord who Sir Gawain stayed with, where Sir Gawain also kissed his wife, (dishonorable act number three).

v           Sir Gawain confesses his faults to the Green Knight, who then accepts his apology and states that they should return to party again next New Year’s (at the Green Knight’s house), under friendly circumstances.

Chaucer

Chaucer’s Prologue

v   An introduction to the pilgrim’s stories

v   Told completely in iambic pentameter, (10 syllables per line, AABB format)

v   29 pilgrims attend the voyage to honor Sir Thomas Becket’s death (only 28 are mentioned)

v   Beckett was a religious martyr killed “accidentally” by the king’s soldiers

v   Voyage begins in London, in a small sub-division called Southwark

v   Everyone meets at The Tabard, a pub

v   People from all walks of life attend the pilgrimage from London to Canterbury, (Cook, Knight, Nun, Sargeant of the Law), etc.

v   It is a FRAME story, (a story with stories inside of it)

v   Each pilgrim tells their story to pass the time

v   People who tell boring stories are humiliated, told to be quiet.

v   Stories often include sexual content, most are humorous

v   First person introduced: The Knight. The Knight is nobility

v   The Knight follows the Code of Honor described as chivalrous.

v   The Knight had fought in many battles, traveled world wide, a true and gentle Knight.

v   Knight is dirty, Chaucer points out negative qualities, adds humor.

v   Squire is about 20 years old. Knight’s son. He has done some service with the cavalry. Able to do many things; courteous.

v   Yeoman is like an archer or guard. Described as having an outstanding bow and arrow set and head like a nut. Chaucer doesn’t reveal much about his personality, but isn’t necessarily annoying, or Chaucer would comment.

v   The Nun, known as Madame Eglantyne, is very neat and clean; perfect manners. Proper French; educated, and well poised.

v   The Nun cries over the death of animals, or the mistreatment of animals.

v   She dresses nicely; pretty

v   Chaucer points out that she is not “undergrown”, a nice way of stating that she is big. Also points out that she has a large forehead.

v   The Monk likes hunting; a manly man. Owns lots of horses.

v   Not a very traditional monk. He doesn’t like to study his religion.

v   The Monk is very fat. He has lots of money; wears the best clothes. He owns many Greyhounds. Eats swan (queen’s bird)

v   Chaucer agrees that just because he is a monk does not mean he has to take the vow of poverty/ celibacy, etc.

v   Friar only associates with the wealthy, ignores the poor.

v   Merchant has a forking beard, Chaucer never gets to know his name, obviously he didn’t stand out.

v   Oxford Cleric had a horse thinner than a rake. Borrows money to buy books, not gold.

v   Sargeant at the Law knew every law since King William’s time. A busy guy.

v   Franklin known for his stock of wine. Enjoyed eating delicacies.

v   Haberdasher, Dyer, Carpenter, Weaver and Carpet-Maker mentioned, not really discussed individually.

v   Cook has only 9 lines. Known for great soup and making “blancmange”, a creamy dessert. Chaucer points out at the same time that he has an ulcer loaded with pus on his knee.    :o

v   Skipper knew his ports.

v   Doctor is into astronomy and mythology.

v   Wife of Bath: gapped teeth, fat, talks too much. Had 5 husbands at the church door.

v  

v   Parson one of the few non-hypocritical church members.

v   Plowman carts dung with his brother

v   Miller likes to break down doors with his head, described as red-headed, brawny and obnoxious.

v  

v   The Manciple knew the stock exchange well and made great money in investments

v   Reeve is “old, choleric and thin”. He hides his wealth well, auditors (tax men) can’t fault him.

v   Summoner had fire-red cherubinnish face. Has carbuncles, pimples, scabby brows, breath smells like onions. Kids are scared of his appearance. He is drunk most of the time.

v   Pardoner rides with the Summoner. Hair is yellow as wax. Gets his money from church-goers to forgive them of their sins.

v   Host is the last person discussed. Whomever tells the best story gets a free night at The Tabard and a free meal.  

“Pardoner’s Tale”

·      A story of 3 rioters (drunk men)

·      BEER MUSCLES!

·      At 9 a.m. they are drunk, inquiring as to their friend’s whereabouts

·      A tavern boy informs them that their friend is dead and has been carted away.

·      The men vow to get “death”, in this case it would be the black death that killed their friend. The bubonic plague spread via fleas on rats, leaving large, black infections on the body. Victims would slowly be poisoned through the bloodstream.

·      25 million people died.

·     

·      They search for death and come across an old man who says that death is under a tree close by.

·      The 3 men arrive and find gold under the tree.

·      To get the gold home, they need a cart and also some food and wine supplies so they can wait overnight.

·      They send one of the men out to get the supplies.

·      The other 2 with the gold, make a deal to kill him upon his return and keep more gold for themselves.

·      The other guy goes to town and gets bread and poisoned wine.

·      The man returns and the other 2 kill him.

·      They celebrate by drinking the wine, (they die).

·      Moral: Greed is the root of all evil.

·      "The symptoms were not the same as in the East, where a gush of blood from the nose was the plain sign of inevitable death; but it began both in men and women with certain swellings in the groin or under the armpit. They grew to the size of a small apple or an egg, more or less, and were vulgarly called tumours. In a short space of time these tumours spread from the two parts named all over the body. Soon after this the symptoms changed and black or purple spots appeared on the arms or thighs or any other part of the body, sometimes a few large ones, sometimes many little ones. These spots were a certain sign of death, just as the original tumour had been and still remained.  

“Nun’s Priest’s Tale”

·       It is another frame story. On the outside, it is about a poor widow who lives on a farm. It’s also the story of the pilgrimage, this being the Nun’s Priest’s story.

·       On the inside it is a story about a cockerel and his hens (wives).

·       Told after the Monk’s very boring story. The Monk was forced to be quiet by the knight.

·       Chauntecleer is the head rooster of the farm.

·       Pertilote is his “head” wife. He has 7 wives total.

·       Mock-epic poem: Making fun of the hero.

·       Conflict: Chauntecleer has a bad dream he is attacked by a “hound”. He wakes up screaming.

·       Pertilote is mad about his cowardice, says dreams are a result of indigestion, vapors in the belly. She prescribes him laxatives.

·       Pertilote says to dismiss his dreams.

·       Chauntecleer, on the other hand, says to listen to dreams. He gives lots of examples of classic Greek stories about people who did not listen to dreams. Who knew hens had such knowledge about Greek mythology?

·       To deepen the frame story, Chauntecleer tells a story about a man who dreamed about his friend dying and being found in a dung cart. Sure enough, the man wakes up and finds his dead friend in the same dung cart he had a dream about.

·       Moral: pay attention to dreams.

·       Later on that day, Chauntecleer is out in his yard and is approached by a fox.

·       The fox appeals to Chauntecleer’s vanity and asks him to sing, stating his father had a beautiful voice, too.

·       As soon as Chauntecleer opens his mouth, the fox takes him.

·       Chauntecleer outwits the fox in the end by forcing him to talk to the people chasing him, and Chauntecleer flies to a nearby tree.

·       The fox tries to outwit Chauntecleer again, but to no avail.

·       Moral: pay attention to dreams don’t let flattery get the best of you. And a fox can be outfoxed.

·       The host, Harry Bailey, approves of the tale, but makes fun of the NP for the way he rides, accusing him of having no testicles. Told you Chaucer was raunchy!

Morte D'Arthur

·    A rather pessimistic story about King Arthur, full of disrespect towards this legendary king.

·    Arthur is off to France to besiege Lancelot, former friend and knight, for being involved with his wife.

·    Arthur’s nephew, Mordred, is attempting to take over England while he’s gone.

·    Arthur has a dream he is killed by beasts/ serpents.

·    His second dream the dead Gawain appears with women he has battled for. Gawain insists Arthur sign a treaty with Mordred rather than battle. If he battles Mordred, he will die.

·    Arthur tells Lucan and Bedivere to deliver the treaty.

·    Arthur is unaware that Mordred is actually his son, he is therefore entitled to be king.

·    Mordred and Arthur meet with 14 men per side.

·    A snake bites a knight on the foot, his sword being drawn is a sign of an upcoming fight.  It’s on!

·    All on Arthur’s side die except Lucan and Bedivere.

·    Arthur wants revenge on Mordred. Lucan says to pay attention to his dream and leave the battle.

·    Arthur charges Mordred anyways. He sticks him with his sword “more than a fathom”

·    Mordred sticks his sword through Arthur’s helmet and into his brain.

·    As Arthur is dying, he asks Lucan to check on a noise: it is looters stealing money/ jewels from the dead knights.

·    Lucan attempts to move Arthur, but he is too wounded and his guts spill out of his body and he lays foaming at the mouth.

·    Arthur instructs Bedivere to throw his sword, “Excalibur” into the lake and return to tell him what he sees.

·    Bedivere hides Excalibur under a tree and lies to Arthur.

·    Arthur sees through his lies and insists he try again. Again, Bedivere cannot throw away the beautiful sword and lies about seeing just waves.

·    Arthur tells him to try for the third time. If Bedivere doesn’t do the deed, Arthur will personally kill him.

·    Bedivere throws the sword a third time, a hand comes up out of the water and grasps Excalibur.

·    Bedivere takes Arthur to the water’s edge where they see a barge full of ladies, including the queen.

·    Arthur is placed on the barge to visit “Avilion” where he will either heal or die.

·    Bedivere walks away, the next day he comes across a chapel where Arthur is buried and the prior Bishop of Canterbury resides.

·    Bedivere devotes the remainder of his life to Arthur and remains at the chapel.

·    The author concludes that perhaps the body was not really Arthur’s, and that perhaps he lives on again.

• His epitaph reads: “here lies Arthur, who was king, and king will be again.”

Everyman

v      Everyman on Earth is going to die.

v      The only thing that you can’t take with you is your wealth and friends. 

v      He begs death for an extension on his life. (12 years)

v      Only Good Deeds accompany Everyman.