Medieval PeriodMedieval Period

1066-14851066-1485

Medieval PeriodMedieval Period

• Also called– The Middle Ages– Dark Ages

• People believed in the “divine order”– God destined man’s role in society

• God . . . Angels . . . Man . . . Animals . . . inanimate objects . . . Satan

Beginning of the PeriodBeginning of the Period

• William of Normandy defeats King Harold, the last Anglo-Saxon king

• The Normans brought administrative abilities, law and order, cultural unity

• This intertwined with the Anglo-Saxons democratic and artistic tendencies

• Domesday Book – William inventoried nearly every property in England

• Brought feudalism to England

RulersRulers

• William I• William II • Henry I• Stephen• Henry II • Richard I• John • Henry III• Edward I• Edward II

• Edward III• Richard II• Henry IV• Henry V• Henry VI• Edward IV• Edward V• Richard III• Henry VII

• Bubonic Plague– Killed 40% of the population

• Rise of cities and towns creates new “free” group of people

• Development of classes– Middle – Upper-middle– Lower

People of the Medieval People of the Medieval PeriodPeriod

Feudal Feudal Class Class SystemSystem

Women during the Medieval Women during the Medieval PeriodPeriod

• Always subservient to men• Peasant women – childbearing,

housework and field work• Society women – childbearing,

household supervision• NO political rights

ChivalryChivalry

• A system of ideals and social codes, centering around knights

• Loyalty • Page…Squire…Knight (Sir)• Breaking these “codes” was a

disgrace to the person and the institution of knighthood itself

• Helped to develop literature form “romance”

Medieval ChurchMedieval Church

• Unifying factor• Continued to be a center of

learning• Organized Oxford & Cambridge• Church had right to tax

The CrusadesThe Crusades

• 1095-1270• Series of wars waged by

Christians against Muslims over the Holy Lands

• Exposed Europeans to the Middle East’s civilization

• Lasted over 200 years

End of the PeriodEnd of the Period

• Marked by the marriage of King Henry VII bringing the houses of York and Lancaster together.

• By ending the War of the Roses

Language–Middle EnglishLanguage–Middle English

• 1385 English becomes official language of all the people

• Grammar from old English + influence of rich French vocabulary

• Hundred Years War – intensifies patriotic feeling for the language

LiteratureLiterature

• First great work of this period Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

• Printing press invention at the end of the period allows common man access to books

• Ballads• Romances - Arthurian legend• Mystery and Miracle plays• Morality plays

Canterbury TalesCanterbury Tales

• Gives an idea of life in the Medieval Period

• Story of a group of people on a pilgrimage from London to the shrine of martyr Thomas a’ Becket in Canterbury Cathedral

• Pilgrims on this journey from all walks of life

BalladsBallads

• Literature of the common people• Often about death, relationships• Composed to commemorate

events of importance• Intended to be sung• Often the tabloids of the time

Ballad StanzaBallad Stanza

• Four lines per stanza• abab or abcb rhyme scheme• Four accented syllables in 1st & 3rd • Three accented syllables in 2nd & 4th • May contain refrain at the end of

each stanza• Often anonymous• Contains incremental repetition • Question/answer, dialogue

Arthurian Legend Arthurian Legend

• Legends usually begin with a historical fact.– Arthur – may have been a King who

fought the Anglo-Saxons

• Most important source for the legends– Le Morte d’Arthur by Sir Thomas

Mallory

• “the once and future king”

The EndThe End