Introduction to the Middle Ages and Geoffrey ChaucerPowerPoint NotesEnglish 12

Geoffrey Chaucer

Geoffrey Chaucer, also known as the father of English _____________________________, was the

first writer to write in _____________________________. Previously, Latin was the language of

choice for writers. Chaucer was educated and worked as a government official as his main career.

His writing was secondary. He is most famous for _______________________________________,

which he worked on for 22 years but died before completing it.

The Middle Ages – Norman Invasion

In the year ______________________, Duke William of _____________________________ (a

region in France) invaded England and defeated King _____________________________ in the

one-day long Battle of Hastings. When he took over as king, William brought to his rule emphasis

on _____________________________ and _____________________________, which he

combined with the existing Anglo Saxon democracy and culture.

Feudalism

Feudalism became the new system of government, which was based on social class. In addition to

being a caste system, it was also a _____________________________ system, a

_____________________________ system, and a system of social

__________________________. However, not everyone wanted to be “stuck” in feudal social

classes and many moved to the _____________________________, where there were simply in

either the upper, middle, or lower class.

Knighthood and Chivalry

_____________________________ is defined as a system of ideals that governed knights and

included _____________________________ to his overlord, _____________________________

of warfare, and _____________________________ of a lady.

Crusades & Hundred Years’ War

The Crusades were a series of holy wars to spread _____________________________ and rid the

world of _____________________________. Ultimately, the Crusades failed, but England and

Europe benefited from the cultural and educational influence from the Middle East. The Hundred

Years’ War was a series of battles between _____________________________ and

_____________________________ that stemmed from the Norman Invasion. Britain was not

successful against France, but the wars did succeed in creating a sense of

_____________________________ among the British people.

The Black Death

A highly contagious plague spread throughout cities, carried by rats and spreading to people

through _____________________________. Because the medical field was so primitive, the Black

Death killed nearly ______________ of the population of England. However, it did give more

power to the _____________________________ classes in the cities. Because of the labor

shortage, lower class workers who were willing to risk infection could negotiate

_____________________________ and _____________________________.

Martyrdom of Sir Thomas a Becket

THIS IS THE EVENT DURING THIS TIME PERIOD THAT MOST INSPIRED THE

CANTEBURY TALES!

Thomas, who had great political and religious power (served both as

_____________________________ of England and _____________________________ of the

Catholic Church), sided with the Pope rather than King Henry II in a disagreement. Henry, half

jokingly, said he wanted Thomas put to _____________________________. Henry’s knights,

taking him seriously, killed Thomas in the Cathedral at _____________________________. A cult

following who opposed the king, made Thomas a _____________________________ and a

_____________________________. This gained a strong following and people began to make

_____________________________ to Canterbury to honor Saint Thomas’s memory. The

Canterbury Tales are a fictional collection of tales from a group making this pilgrimage.