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NORMAN AND MEDIEVAL ENGLANDEverything you’ve ever wanted to know!

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Norman England: 1066-1154 King Harold was defeated by William the

Conqueror in 1066 at the Battle of Hastings

William: Normandy, France Significance: First time England was

unified

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William established

Feudalism: a system of land ownership based on service to the king. Created a strict social stratification that was pyramid shaped

William redistributed the land. What belonged to 5000 Anglo-Saxons he claimed for himself and the few men who swore allegiance to him.

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Domesday Book

A survey conducted by William’s soldiers of all of England—every acre of land, every bit of livestock was recorded, and he claimed ownership of it all.

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Kings who followed

1. William Rufus (son ofWilliam the Conqueror)2. Henry I (Rufus’ son)3. Stephen (nephew put into place by Church)

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The Middle Ages: 1154-1377 Begins with the reign of Henry II Strong king with plans to gain control

from the Church that Stephen let slip away.

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Henry II

First of the Plantagenet family Brilliant, strong king Reign marked by power struggle with the church. This tookmany forms1) A change in the justice system2) His relationship with his bestfriend, Thomas Becket

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Henry II: friendship and conflict with Thomas Becket

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They started out as friends

Thomas was an Anglo-Saxon who found power in the Catholic Church

Thomas Becket became Henry’s most loyal subject, his greatest friend and ultimately named Chancellor of England.

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Things changed when…

Henry decided to the best way to control the Catholic Church was to name Thomas the Archbishop of Canterbury.

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This created all sorts of trouble

Thomas undergoes religious conversion Opposes Henry on the rights of Church

vs. King’s rights, especially in regard to the trial of clergy for civil crimes.

“Will no one rid me of this tiresome priest?”

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Saint Thomas

Henry II petitioned Rome to name Thomas a saint.

Miracles began to occur at the site of his murder

The pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral became the most prestigious pilgrimage a person could take.

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The BEST pilgrimage in England due to the martyrdom of Thomas Becket

Canterbury Cathedral

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Notice the towering arches give impression of great height

The Nave

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Imagine you are a poor serf, what would you think of this?

Inside the cathedral

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Again, the size alone is impressive even to today’s standards.

A view of the back of the Cathedral

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The Becket window

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Chaucer and the Canterbury Tales

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The importance of CBT

Made English language acceptable as a language of literature.

England was a nation of 3 languages: Latin, French, English

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The Canterbury Tales

Collection of narrative poems, telling story of pilgrims on their way to worship at shrine of Thomas Becket.

Historical and social significance: provides a snap shot of Medieval England

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Knights, Crusades, Chivalry, Women and Medicine

Medieval cultural notes…

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Barons, Knights and Serfs

Oaths of feudal loyalty, of faithfulness and loyalty, were sworn by a vassal (knight) to his lord (Baron).

Pledges were often made over religious relics or with the vassal’s hands between those of his Baron.

They’d seal the pledge with a kiss The lord provided his serfs with land, simple

housing, and protection. The serf paid for these things by working the lord’s

lands and by providing the lord with a portion of whatever they grew.

Serfs were different from slaves in that they were not owned, but couldn’t leave without permission.

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From boy to knight:

Not every boy could become a knight; parents had to be wealthy enough to purchase armor, weapons, horse, servants.

Education began at age 7 as a page; learned manners, singing, dancing, how to use shield and sword.

•At age 14 became a squire (personal servant to a knight)

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The Crusades

Wars waged by European Christians against Muslims to control the Holy Land.

Capture of rich Islamic cities like Baghdad and Cairo exposed Crusaders to cultures must more sophisticated than their own.

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Knights and Chivalry

Chivalry was a complete code of conduct that provided rules to control lawless knight

Knight’s first obligation was to defend his lord, his king, and his Faith.

There were rules of warfare, like never attacking unarmed opponent.

The code also covered how to treat a lady, how to help others, and how to resist the urge to run from danger.

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Chivalry and Courtly Love

Adoring a particular lady, not necessarily one’s wife, was a means of achieving self-improvement.

Revering and acting in the name of a lady would make a knight more brave.

Courtly love was nonsexual—knight would glorify his lady in words and wear her colors in battle, but she remained pure and out of reach.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRQPX5Vuers Gave rise to new literary form: the Romance Did little though improve lives of women.

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A quote about women written in the 15th century sums it up nicely:

“A woman is a worthy wight/She serveth a man both daye and nyght/ Thereto she putteth all her might.”

Women in the middle ages

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Women’s roles

Valued only in regard to the land she brought to marriage.

Social standings depended on father’s or husband’s status.

Had no political rights

limited choices—wife or nun.

Even though women could become nuns, the Catholic Church also diminished women’s status by reclaiming convents that had been supported and run by women in earlier times.

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Medicine in the Middle Ages

The four humors = Bodily fluids that needed to be in the correct proportion in order to maintain health.

Black bile (depression and delusions) Yellow bile or choler (unkindness and instability) Phlegm (sloth, obesity, hairless skin) Blood (too much caused heart attacks and

sensuality)

30The kings that followed Henry II

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Richard the Lion Hearted

1189-1199 Spent little time in England Viewed the royal treasury as a personal

source of revenue Died without an heir

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John 1189-1199

Evil King John from Robin Hood stories Second son of Henry II Selfish ruler: impoverished country with high

taxes, jailed subjects at whim Magna Carta: Nobles forced him to sign, limited

powers of king

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The next Kings

Henry III (1216-1272) Became King at age 9 Weak and untrustworthy

Edward I (1272-1307) Called the first parliament 2 reps from nobility, clergy and towns Major step away from Feudalism due to growing

middle class

Edward II (1307-1327) Edward I’s biggest failure (murdered)

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Edward III and England in 1300s

Edward III (1327-1377) 100 Years War

Hundred Years War Early battles English victories Joan of Arc turns tide for French After this, Plantagenet dynastyends and the Tudor dynasty begins.

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Social and Political structure—change comes to England in 1300s

100 Year’s War: New weapons: cannon (gun powder), crossbow, longbow

Meant less reliance on Knight and more on Yeomen Signals end of Chivalry and Feudal obligations

Black death—the plague Killed 40% population Decreased population of feudal Barons Decreased control of Church

Emergence of prosperous Middle Class Shift from barter system to money-gold coins

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THE CANTERBURY TALES: THE “PROLOGUE” AND TALES

Structure, Characterization Irony

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The Frame story http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXJYWb4y1Hc

Chaucer was likely inspired by The Decameron, a story of Italian nobility hiding in the country from the plague.

A frame story is a literary device used to organize of a set of smaller narratives.

Frame stories are often organized as a gathering of people in one place for the exchange of stories. Each character tells his or her tale, and the frame tale progresses in that manner.

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Structure of The Canterbury Tales

Frame: the pilgrimage

Starts with “Prologue” Character’s story “Prologue” Character’s story Character’s “Epilogue”

Characters talk to one another. Called a LINK

LINK to the next story

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Chaucer’s characters

Characters are all types, named by profession

They are not so much individuals, but representatives of their social class or degree and profession.

Fall into three main degrees: Those who worked, those who fought, those who prayed

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Chaucer’s use of characterization

Perfected the art of characterization Two basic methods: direct and indirectFor example, the description of the Knight,

who was a “true and perfect knight” Chaucer tells us exactly

what he wants us to know

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Methods of Indirect characterization

Describing how character looks and his attire

Presenting character’s words and actions

Revealing character’s private thoughts

Showing how other characters respond to the character

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Chaucer’s indirect characterization

Relies on Physiognomy Belief that a person’s physical

characteristics reveal his/her personality Example: “A fine young squire…with locks as

curly as if they had been pressed…He was embroidered like a meadow bright”

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Medieval physiognomy

Ram-like appearance Sow-like appearance Fox-like appearance Goat-like qualities Thin, overly neat Large nostrils Pus-filled sores High forehead White neck Gap-toothed

Strength Dirtiness Slyness Lechery Bad tempered Passion Lechery, drunkenness Intelligence and

breeding Immorality Immorality (“well-

traveled”

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Physiognomy

Gap-toothed Wife of Bath—the medieval audience knew this meant she was “well traveled.”

The high forehead of the Prioress was a hint to the Medieval audience that she was very concerned with her social rank.

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Chaucer and Verbal Irony

Verbal irony = to say one thing, but to mean the opposite

Chaucer was a master of both characterization and irony.

He created this with his naïve Narrator character.

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There is a difference between Narrator and Writer

The Narrator is naïve and tells us, for example:

“A Monk there was, one of the finest sort”

But Chaucer provides details that added up to something entirely different:

“hunting was his sport” “many a dainty horse he had in stable” “the rules of St. Benet…he tended to

ignore”

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Irony stems from this incongruity

Chaucer created irony through the discrepancy between…

The Narrator’s opinion, almost always positive

(direct characterization) And facts derived from the details

provided by the writer, Chaucer.

(indirect characterization)