The Middle Ages

1066-1485

The Age of Chivalry

•code of conduct for knights of the realm

•Stressed truth, honor, respect, and justice

• 1066 started the Norman Invasion

• Edward, the Confessor died

• Anglo-Saxon elders elected Harold II as king

• William, Duke of Normandy claimed that Edward (his cousin) promised him the crown of England

• William came with troops and killed Harold at the Battle of Hastings

• Marched to London and crushed all resistance

• 12-25-1066 – William I crowned– Over the next five years, took Saxon land

– Government and business all conducted in French and Latin

The

Norman

InvasionThe Bayeux Tapestry depicts the Battle of Hastings and the events leading to it.

The Norman Invasion

Norman Feudal System

• Exchange of property from an overlord to a vassal

for personal service

• King controlled all land

– Church got land (want to keep Church happy)

– Barons (powerful and loyal supporters given noble

titles) pledged taxes and knights if needed

• Knights received manors (smaller parcels)

– Serfs (peasant class) – actually did all the work

on the manors

• Problems for William ruling two countries

– when in one, the barons of the other were causing trouble

– Constant struggle for William

• On his deathbed, If he had known the hatred he was to earn,

he would have stayed in France.

Henry II (Henry Plantagenet, Count of Anjou)

• 1154 – Henry II took throne

• Felt Church had too much power over the state

(conflict of church and state)

• Thomas a Becket – Henry’s friend who was

appointed as Archbishop of Canterbury

• Becket defied Henry

• Henry was enraged

• Knights murdered Becket – a misunderstanding?

• Henry grieved and made first pilgrimage to

Becket’s tomb in Canterbury

• Pilgrimage became a common way for English to

show religious devotion

The Magna CartaRichard I (Richard, the Lionheart)

• Devoted himself and his reign to the

Crusades (holy wars to reclaim

Christian sites from Muslim control)

• Left his younger brother John in charge

• Richard spent $$$$, John raised taxes!

• Barons upset to the point of civil war

• Baron forced John to sign the Magna

Carta (the first limits ever placed on

royal power)

• The Magna Carta itself didn’t change a

lot, but it is considered by some the

birth of democracy in England

• Henry III – council of barons became

Parliament

• Edward I – Parliament became partially

elected

Later Middle AgesLancasters, Yorks, and Tudors

• Lancasterian Kings – Henry IV,V, & VI

– Until the Yorks took over

• Black Death killed lots and lots of peasants

– Peasant class gained power because of supply &

demand

• Fewer peasants mean better treatment

• Church came under fire – Bible translated into

English for the commoners

– People begin to ask questions – like where does it

say I can pay enough money and get into heaven

free?

War of the Roses

• 1453 – Henry VI fell into madness

• Cousin, Richard of York took throne on a “temporary basis” until Henry recovered

• Henry recovered – Richard refused to give up throne – Starting the War of the Roses

• Lancaster – Red; York – White

• 1461 Edward IV of York crowned –dies shortly thereafter

• Son is named king, but Richard of Gloucester acts as “advisor” to the boy king, Edward V.

• Edward V & his younger brother (Edward IV’s sons) both disappeared from Tower of London while under the care of their Uncle, Richard of Gloucester (now known as Richard III)

• 1485 Richard killed by Henry Tudor (Henry VII) who marries Richard’s niece ending the War of the Roses

Ghost Stories

Two Princes

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9l3xA8

525E

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=

QrZtAHUclwc&feature=endscreen

Chivalry & Romance

• Chivalry = rules of conduct for knights of the realm – it’s all about IDEALISM

• Ironically started with the Crusades (bloody & violent)

• Started with loyalty and valor on the battlefield, but grew as knights returned home– Pledged service to a lady

– Jousted for favor

– Rescue fair damsels in distress

• Troubadours (poets) perpetuated chivalry – Spread from France to England

• Most famous examples are King Arthur– Stories developed into romantic tales of knights as

talented in love as with a sword

The Dark Ages

• 1066 – Norman invasion put a stop to scholarship & literature– Monasteries continued

– “mini-Renaissance” in 12th C. Oxford is born & Cambridge followed

– Some began to use scientific methods• Most accused of heresy or witchcraft and BURNED!!!

– Middle English is born• Celtic + Latin + Norman French + Germanic = Middle

English

• Early Printing devices are invented – Books no longer have to be hand copied

– Literature is more accessible and learning becomes more popular

Geoffrey Chaucer“The Father of English Poetry”

• Varied experiences gave him a taste of all

types of people in medieval society

• Started as a page – introduced him into

aristocratic society

• Fought in France & was captured then

ransomed

– Military experience

– Thank goodness for his aristocratic connections

• Married a lady-in-waiting to the queen

Geoffrey Chaucer“The Father of English Poetry”

Poetry

• Began early based on previous poets’ works

• The Book of the Duchess – 1st major work

– Written for dead lady’s grieving husband

• Troilus and Criseyde – based on Trojan War

• The Canterbury Tales

– began later in life

– No clear inspiration – maybe his or other

pilgrimages (religious journey)

– Pilgrims represent all aspects of medieval society

Geoffrey Chaucer“The Father of English Poetry”

• Canterbury Tales represents all types of stories from medieval literature– 24/120 proposed stories completed

– All types• Romances

• Comedy

• Rhyme/prose

• Religious mysteries

• Crude humor

• “The Father of English Poetry”– Even in his own lifetime, Chaucer was

considered the greatest English poet

– Buried in Westminster Abbey• Beginning Poet’s Corner – traditional burial spot for

distinguished writers

The Canterbury TalesLiterary Devices

• Direct/Indirect Characterization– Direct – the author tells the reader point blank what he

want him/her to know about a character

– Indirect – the reader must draw conclusions from hint/clues that the writer offers about a character

• Themes – what the writer wants you to take away from the piece – main point– Corruption of the church

– Variety of human nature

• Frame Story– Story within a story – the pilgrimage frames the set of

tales which follow

• Point of View– 1st person – the narrator is involved in the story

“The Prologue”

• Set in the spring (April) – perfect time for a

pilgrimage

• People followed Henry’s example by making

pilgrimages to Canterbury to visit Thomas a

Becket’s tomb

• Narrator – traveling and runs into a group

of pilgrims also heading for Canterbury

– He joins them making a total number of 30

• Chaucer takes the opportunity to introduce

us to each of the pilgrims

“The Knight”• Capitalized b/c it is his name (Title)

• Followed the code of chivalry – direct characterization

• “Christian and heathen places” –fought in the Crusades – indirect

• Traveled and fought

– 15 mortal battles (deadly battles)

– Tells us he was a heck of a fighter b/c he survived them – indirect

• Worked for Christian & Turk – valued by all

The Squire• Knight’s son

• Lover & cadet – he is a lover and a fighter

• Curly hair

• About 20 yrs old

• Seen some service & did well

• Dressed fetchingly

• Could sing and flute; rode well; wrote poetry

• As talented in love as on the battlefield

• Served his father well – he fulfilled his duty

to his father

The Yeoman

• Knight’s servant

• Wore a hood and cloak of green

• Carried bow & arrow

• Tan skin – outdoors

• Dagger, hunting horn,

• St. Christopher medal – patron saint of

travelers

– Suggests the Yeoman was a traveler

• Reminds us of Robin Hood

The Nun• Sarcasm – type of verbal irony

– Saying one thing with an undercurrent of something else

• Simple & coy (teasing but distant) smile

• Madam Eglantyne

• Sang with a “fine intoning through her nose” –nasal tone – thinks she can sing

• Spoke French in an English style – spoke it with a terrible accent

• Manners– Didn’t drop any food

– Fingers never too deep in sauce

– No grease seen on her cup

• Counterfeit kind of grace– Nun appears as a fake

– Pretentious and foolish

The Nun• Overly sentimental

– Cried over a mouse in a trap

– Foolish over her ridiculous little dogs

• Appearance– Wore veil in a seemly way – appropriate

– Elegant nose – lovely eyes

– Forehead – almost 9 inches across

– not undergrown – indirect – she was a bit fluffy

– Wore a coral trinket (bracelet) – should nuns wear jewelry?

– Rosary – green and flashy

– Golden broach with and “A” and says “love conquers all’ – what should a nun know about love?

Monk

• Follows the Nun’s description

• Hunting was his sport - Should Monks be hunting?

• Bridle covered with bells as loud as a chapel bell– why?– To draw attention to himself

– Compared to chapel bell – makes you wonder who the Monk considers more important

• Ignored the teachings of “monkly behavior” & chose the more worldly way

• Good rider and had excellent dogs & horses– should he be able to afford those things?

• Clothing expensive and fur trimmed

Monk• Golden broach – lover’s knot – sound

familiar ?

– Possible link to the Nun – maybe a little “something something” going on?

• Bald & greasy looking w/ jumping eyes– suggests sleazy

• Liked to eat – should he?

• Has a lovely tan – shouldn’t because Monks are supposed to be studious and stay indoors

• Is this Monk what he should be?

Friar• Another clergy member – is he going to be what he

is supposed to be?

• Begging rights for certain area

• Well-spoken – “gift of gab” – why so important?– Helps him get more money from people

• Fixed many marriages giving each of HIS girls what he could– He’s fixing up HIS girls in marriage - why?

• He sounds like a bit of a pimp

• Intimate (very familiar) with county folk & dames of honor & possession– Prefers the company of wealthy landowner & women who

are well-off

• “special license” – “so he said”– Claims to have a special license to offer forgiveness, but

narrator doesn’t seem to believe him

Friar• Easy penance if there was money to be

made

• The better the gift given to the Friar’s order – the more forgiven the man is

• Understood that it is hard for some men to “show their feelings”– So, for the right money – you were forgiven

• Kept gifts for girls in his sleeves all the time– Sounds like he is a “dirty old man”

• Good singer – strong voice – easier to make money

• Neck white –not much time outdoors

• Knew taverns & bar maids better than the poor and needy

• Seems to find himself only where money can be made

Friar• Such a good beggar – he could take money

from the poorest of people – is this

something that should be proud of?

• Different appearances

– When begging – threadbare and ragged

– When settling disputes for money – very well-

clothed and professional looking

• Round

• Lisped to make his voice more pleasant

• The “worthy’s name was Hubert” – sarcasm

the narrator doesn’t really think he is

worthy

Oxford Cleric• Student

• He & horse both very skinny

• Ragged clothes

• No desire to work in the Church, too naïve to

work in the “world”

• Spent all his money on books

• Borrowed money from friends

– Spent it on learning

– Paid them back through prayer

• Not overly chatty

• “gladly learn and gladly teach”

– Willing to share his education

Franklin• Wealthy landowner – not necessarily titled

• White beard, red complexion

– Picture of jollity and health (Santa-like)

• Loved food and wine – any general pleasure

• Household always open – generous and kind

• Always had good fresh food – always ready to

eat and share

• Acted as a mediator & representative

– Suggests trustworthy and fair

• “a model among landed gentry”

– Direct characterization – he was above and beyond

what he should be

Cook

• Grossest character ever!

• Good cook – lots of flavor in his dishes

• “distinguish London ale by flavor” – bit of a beer connoisseur – maybe a bit of a drunk

• Huge open puss filled ulcer on his knee

• His best dish was white creamy chicken dish

– Where do you think he got such wonderful flavor in his white sauce?

• GROSSSSS!!!!

Skipper

• Sea captain

• Rode a horse (as best he could)– A sea captain wouldn’t spend much time riding a

horse

• Dagger on a rope (easy access)

• Tan

• “excellent fellow” – sarcasm– Stole wine

– Made prisoners walk the plank

• Knew the ways of seafaring – excellent captain

• The Maudelayne (his ship)

The Doctor• “no one could talk as well as he did” about

medicine– He knew his stuff

• Used astronomy – pretty standard practice in the day

• Could read the “humors” and tell what was wrong

• Worked with the apothecary to make money from sick

• Only ate things good for him

• Not very religious

• Fancy clothes

• “kept the gold won in pestilences” – made & kept money made from disasters of others

• Speical love of gold – greedy– Very different from the modern medical profession?

Wife of Bath

• Woman from Bath City (near London)

• Somewhat deaf – just funny

• Excellent cloth maker

• If someone stepped in front of her to make an offering – she just kept her money– Arrogance and pride

• Well-made expensive clothes– Heavy kerchiefs

– Red hose – red is color of passion

– New shoes, soft and comfy

• Face – “red hue” – seems as if she is blushing (passion)

Wife of Bath• Knows men

– 5 husbands (legitimate)

– Apart from other company in her youth

• Well-traveled (money from husbands)– Jerusalem (3 times)

– Other European destinations

• Gapped teeth

• Rode well & comfortably

• Big hat & cloak

• Large hips (sign of sensuality)

• Liked to laugh and chat

• Knew about “the game” & all its rules

Parson• Only worthy clergy member in the whole

pilgrimage

• Rich in holy thought and work (verbal irony)

• Knew the gospel – would preach and teach

– Suggests he didn’t just talk at his flock

• Disliked “extorting tithe or fee” – preferred giving

to his people

– Doesn’t try to blackmail people into giving him money

• Traveled all over his wide parish in alll times

(good & bad)

• Gave a noble example to his flock

– First he walked the walk then talked the talk

Parson

• If gold will rust what will iron do?– Makes a point that if the clergy (who is supposed to

be above the common man) turns bad – what can we possibly expect from the average individual

• Didn’t abandon his flock to earn a quick buck –he stayed and acted as a leader by example to his flock

• Didn’t look down on sinful men – worked to help them

• Obstinate sinner – Parson doesn’t care about high or low station – he gets on them

• He taught but followed it himself before

Plowman• Parson’s brother

• Hauled poo in the morning dew – indirect

– Tells us he is a hard worker and not above any job

• Honest worker, good and true – direct

• Followed the gospel

• Took care of neighbors and poor – did it for the

right reasons

• Paid his tithes honestly

• An honest, hard working man – just what you

would expect from the Parson’s brother

Miller• 16 stone (224 lbs) – big fellow

• Big, burly, but doesn’t come across as very bright– Win wrestling matches & breaks doors with his head

• Red beard, wart on nose (complete with bristles sticking out of it), black nostrils, mouth like a furnace door

• Told filthy stories

• Thief – took more grain than was his fee for grinding the grain into meal

• Played the bagpipes (is there a more obnoxious instrument?)

Summoner

• Job was like a bailiff for the Church –delivered paperwork and summons for court, addressed crimes when necessary

• Red, pimple (boil) covered face w/ narrow eyes

• Skirt chaser

• Black scabby brows and thin beard

• Children were afraid of him

• Drunk – only spoke in Latin when drinking

– Only phrases he had picked up off the documents he delivered – too dumb to know anything on his own

Summoner

• Could be bribed

– example to allow a young man to keep a mistress for a year for a quart of wine

• Punishment was found in the guilty’s purse

– Another clergy member all about the money to be made from people’s sins

• “knew their secrets” – he was a blackmailer too

• Used a cake like a shield – overall obnoxious, not very likable character

Pardoner• Rode with Summoner – “birds of a feather”

• Sang with the Summoner

• Yellow wax hair, driblets, thinly like rat tails, w/no

hood – showing off his lovely locks

– Hair seems unclean and icky, Pardoner seems to be

very fashion minded and proud of his appearance

• Bug eyed

• “holy relic” on his cap & wallet full of pardons

(forgiveness on a slip of paper)

• Goat voice, no beard – calls him a gelding

(castrated male horse) or a mare (female horse)

– The implication is homosexual? – girly to say the least

Pardoner• Uses False holy relics to make fools out of

country parsons

• Pardoner made more money on his false

relics than the Parson made in a month or

two

• Excellent speaker and story teller

• Sang excellent offertory (easier to make

money)

• General sleaze bag, dishonest, cheater,

an overall creep

Narrator• Has introduced everyone

• Sets up the rest of the frame story

• Asks that we forgive him for repeating the

stories exactly as they were told

– Ironic b/c the narrator is Chaucer who created

the characters and stories

– So he is asking us to forgive him for retelling

his own stories b/c they are so raunchy

Host• Gave great welcome – did his job well

• Manly man & merry hearted

• Proposes a game to pass the time

• Asks for their agreement before he tells them the game

• All agreed

• Each pilgrim will tell two stories on the way to Canterbury and two on the way back

• The best story gets a free meal paid by the others

• Anyone who won’t play has to pick up the tab for all their expenditures on the journey

• Host will act as judge

• Works great for Host – he ensures that they will re-patronize his inn on their way back through

• Left bright & early the next morning!

“The Pardoner’s Tale”• Allegory/Exemplum – narratives that have

deeper, symbolic meanings, often a moral

– Uses archetypal narrative elements

• The use of threes

• Test of moral character

• Mysterious guide

• Ending rewards good and punishes evil

• Personification – the giving of human

qualities to non-human things

– Grim Reaper, Lady Luck, talking to your dog

“The Pardoner’s Tale”• Irony – something other than what is expected

– Verbal – saying something other than what is meant• Sarcasm or double talk

– Situational – an unexpected twist or surprise within the plot or ending

• Surprise endings

– Dramatic – when the audience is aware of something the character or characters aren’t

• We know that something bad is going to happen before the characters know.

• Imagery – using 5 senses to draw mental experience

• Foreshadowing – writer gives hints to upcoming events

“The Pardoner’s Tale”• Death – capitalization is a sign of personification

• The “Death” the tavern boy & owner are referencing is the Black Plague

• “God’s arms” – taking God’s name in vain– Shows a lack of respect from the three punks

• Vow to “kill Death” and go in search of Death

• Swore to live and die for one another –foreshadowing

• Met an old man, whom they mistreat with disrespect– “isn’t it time to die”

– Old man sees Death as a release from age

– Scolds the young men for treating him badly

– Accuse the old man of being Death’s spy

– Tells the young men where to find Death

“The Pardoner’s Tale”• Rioters follow Old Man’s directions and don’t find

Death – they find money

• Can’t take it home right now, so make plans to carry it home by night

• Draw straws to see which one goes to town –putting their future in hands of fate

• Two older rioters plan to kill the youngest to keep the gold – dramatatic irony– Irony- the plotter tells the other to “Trust me, you

needn’t doubt my word” – right!

• Youngest plans to kill the other two with poisoned wine - dramatic irony– Verbal irony – “rats I want to kill…I’ll get even with

vermin that destroy a man by night” – double talk

“The Pardoner’s Tale”• All Three kill each other

– Situational irony – unexpected ending

• They looked for Death and found it

• Old man is personification of Death

• Allegory - Moral of the story– “Love of money is the root of all evil”

• Archetypal Elements– Pattern of three – 3 rioters

– Test of character – quest to find Death

– Mysterious Guide – Old man

– Just Ending – three rioters killed each other in their greed

• Ironic the Pardoner told this story– He was all about making money with his fake relics

and pardons ready to be sold

“The Wife of Bath’s Tale”• Frame story – a story within a story (within

a story)

– WoB references the story of Midas within her tale – story within a story within a story

– Midas is also a Classical Allusion – a reference to Greek or Roman culture within a piece of lit

• Setting – the when, where, and culture the story takes place

– Set during the days of chivalry and King Arthur

• Motif – recurring idea throughout a story

“The Wife of Bath’s Tale”• She begins by making fun of the church for a

couple of reasons– They take away all the magic in the world

– The clergy are not a threat except to your virtue –reference to their hypocrisy in terms of sex

• Knight rapes a young maiden– Completely against the code of chivalry

– An act of control and power over a woman

• Queen (and other ladies) petitions for the Knight’s life– Suggesting maybe a connection there?

• Knight must answer one question in a year and a day to save his life– “What is the thing that women most desire?”

“The Wife of Bath’s Tale”• Queen gives him a year and a day to find the

answer

– She took gages from knight to ensure that he showed

back up – why would that work?

• “Sad was the knight…” – why?

– Impossible question

• Struggled with finding answer b/c no two people

agreed

• Wife of Bath lists potential answers to the

question, but all can be argued

• Begins tale of Midas – frame story

– Purpose is to show off how much she knows

“The Wife of Bath’s Tale”• No answer – on his way home sees ladies

dancing on a forest floor

• Only an old lady is there waiting when he

reaches the spot- “a fouler looking creature”

could scarcely be imagined

• She offers to help for a price – that he agrees to

do whatever she next asks of him

• He agrees – what choice does he have?

• Knight arrives, Queen demands answer, Old

lady gives it

• Women most desire power – the same power

over their husbands as over their lovers.

– What kind of power? – sexual

“The Wife of Bath’s Tale”• All women agreed – “He’s saved his life!”

• Now it’s time to pay the Old Lady’s price –

she demands payment in front of everyone

so the knight won’t be able to get out of it!

• She demands to be his wife and “very

love”

• Knight reacts with disgust but agrees – no

choice!

• No celebration and no wedding feast

• Old lady asks what trouble is-

“The Wife of Bath’s Tale”• He answers with three things

– Old & plain

– Poor

– Low bred (no title or family name)

• She responds to each complaint

– Low bred (not gently bred)

• Christ will we take our gentleness from Him

• Points out that true gentility comes from Christ himself

– Poverty – poorness

• She slams him with the fact that God himself chose a life of

poverty when he came to earth as Christ

• Truly poor are those who can’t appreciate what they have –

no matter how little

• “having nothing that will tempt a thief”

“The Wife of Bath’s Tale”– Old

• Respect your elders

• Filth and old age are powerful protectors of

chastity (purity)

• She offers him a choice

– Old and faithful or young and a cheat

• Knight leaves the decision to her

• She is transformed into a beautiful young

woman who promises to be true - magic

– “ladies dancing in the meadow” = fairies

• Wife of Bath’s prayer sums her up!

Medieval Romance

• Romance = Idealism

• Most movies, books, and stories are romances

because they have an idealized “happily ever

after ending”

Medieval Romances Include:

• Daily activities/castle life without the ugly details

• Supernatural Elements

• Good vs Evil

• Elements of Adventure

• Questing as a Theme

• Female figures

– Usually a mother, crone, or maiden in need of

rescue

• Romantic Hero

Romantic Hero

•Larger than Life

•Mysterious Origins

•Performs extraordinary deeds

•Has the aid of magic forces

•Near perfect but human too

•Undergoes a test

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight• Legend

– Heroic figures and memorable deeds

– Quests, contests, or tests

– Patterned events (things that happen in threes)

• Onomatopoeia – sound words

– Buzz, splat, crunch, etc..

• Conflict

– Internal

•Man vs himself

– External

•Man vs nature; man vs man; man vs society

Sir Gawain & the Green Knight• Background

– Selection begins at the beginning of a New Year’s Eve feast at King Arthur’s Court in Camelot

– Giant Green Knight rides into the banquet hall armed with a gigantic axe

• His entrance stunned and astonished the crowd

• He is seeking the “captain of this crowd”

– Arthur steps forward

• Gk is there to see if all he has heard a/b Arthur’s knights is true

• Comes with peaceful intentions

– Carrying holly branch

– Not wearing armor

Sir Gawain & the Green Knight• GK announces he is not there to fight – only to play a

“Christmas Game”

• Rules for the “Game”

– GK offers the axe a gift to whomever accepts

– “Slaps with an axe” - GK take the 1st hit

– 1 yr and 1day later, the other “player” will take his blow

• Crowd is STUNNED!

– GK mocks them for not immediately accepting challenge

• Arthur is shamed by his knights’ lack of courage and

accepts the challenge himself

• Gawain steps forward before Arthur makes the first

strike to accept the challenge himself

Sir Gawain & the Green Knight• Gawain soothes Arthur’s pride and “asks” to

take his place

– Gawain argues the he is not as valuable as Arthur

• GK reviews the rules of the “game” with Gawain - 1 strike for another

• Gawain prepares to make his hit

– Cuts the GK’s nugget CLEAN OFF!!

• Gk stands & retrieves his nugget; tucks it under his arm; and reminds Gawain of their agreement

• GK rides away!

Sir Gawain & the Green Knight• Arthur orders the celebration to continue – why?

– There is nothing Gawain can do about it at that point except enjoy life as it is!

• Gawain hangs axe above the head table and the party begins

• The following November, Gawain heads out on his quest for the Green Chapel

• Finds shelter along the way in the castle of Lord Bertilack & his lovely wife who can help him find the Green Chapel

• Bertilack suggests a “game” – that each exchanges whatever he receives during his stay

Sir Gawain & the Green Knight• Bertilack goes hunting each day and Gawain remains

at the castle with the lady

• Lady Bertilack tempts Gawain each day after her husband leaves, increasing her efforts as she goes

• The first day she gives him a kiss, for which he exchanges the deer

• The second day she ups the ante (shows up with less on) and offers him a ring and a kiss – which he exchanges for the wild hog

• The third day she again ups the stakes (shows up with nothing on) and offers Gawain a kiss and a magical green sash which protects its wearer

• He gives the kiss in exchange for a fox but keeps the sash

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight• Followed the guide in search of the Green Chapel and

discovered a barren lifeless landscape

– Symbolic of a lack of life – potential death for Gawain

• Discovers the Green Chapel is a mound of earth

covered with Green grass in the midst of lifelessness

• Gawain equates the setting with the devil

• Hears a horrid sound, like the grinding of metal

– The GK is sharpening his axe

• Gawain demands “speak now or never” – tired of

waiting

• He gets an answer and the GK appears with a huge axe

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight• GK praises Gawain for keeping his word

• Gawain promises not to fear and bares his neck

• GK prepared to deliver his strike and Gawain flinches

• GK mocks him for his fear & Gawain promises not to flinch again, but reminds the GK that if his head fall off, it can’t be put back on.

• GK prepares again, but doesn’t hit Gawain – he is testing to see if Gawain has his nerve back

• Gawain is furious and demands that the GK deliver his strike

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight• GK prepares to deliver the 3rd strike & looks like he is

going to de-nugget Gawain

• He only nicks him & a bit of Gawain’s blood falls to the earth

• Gawain jumps back ready to fight b/c the bargain has been met – no more free hits

• GK begins to explain his actions

– 1st strike resulted in no harm b/c Gawain kept THEIR bargain on the 1st night

– 2nd strike resulted in no harm b/c Gawain kept their bargain on the 2nd night

– 3rd strike –nicked b/c he kept the GK’s green sash

• GK explains that he put his wife up to the temptation and the green sash to test Gawain

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight• GK blames Gawain less b/c of his motivation –

love of his own life, not lust or greed

• Gawain is shamed and casts the sash aside

• GK insists “no hard feelings” and that Gawain

keep the sash as a reminder

• He also warns Gawain that his “wife shall be

your friend no more”… makes you wonder how

much he knows about the temptation scenes…

Morte d’ Arthur• Example of a Medieval Romance –

possesses all characteristics

• Foreshadowing – hints to future

events

• Conflict –Internal/External

• Theme – Main Idea

• Archaic language & sentence

structure

Morte d’ Arthur• Arthur’s dream

– Him on wheel, in golden robes, over a black bay

of water full of snake and other nasties

• Symbolism? – Arthur is balanced at the top with his

enemies waiting to devour him as soon as he slips

– Gawain visits with honeys (ladies he had fought

for when alive) to warn Arthur to wait for

Lancelot’s help

• Foreshadows Arthur’s death

• Arthur immediately follows the advice of his

dream – why?

– Arthur lived in a world of the supernatural; he

certainly wouldn’t ignore a dream which fortold

his death.

Morte d’ Arthur• Arthur’s men make a treat with Modred

– Kent & Cornwall while Arthur lived and all the

rest of England when he dies

• Neither Modred nor Arthur trust one

another

– Both order their men to attack if they so even

see a sword drawn

• They agree to meet

• During meeting, a knight draws his sword

to kill a snake

– It doesn’t say whose side the knight was on b/c

it doesn’t matter! The end result is the same

Morte d’ Arthur• “Alas unhappy day”- Arthur knows he is

going to die

• Most violent battle ever – both fought well

• At the end, 100,000 dead men- Only Arthur and two of his knights (both wounded) and Modred remain alive

• Modred is leaning on a pile of dead bodies enraging Arthur

• Lucan & Bedivere try to convince Arthur to let it go- he has won

• Arthur goes after Modred anyway

• Arthur strikes Modred with his spear

• Modred drags his body further onto the spear to stab his father in the nugget

Morte d’ Arthur• Modred is dead and Arthur is mortally

wounded

• Lucan & Bedivere take Arthur to a

chapel nearby

• Hear noises of people killing and

pillaging the knights on the field

• Lucan & Bed try to move Arthur to a

safer place – Lucan’s guts burst - dead

• Arthur realizes he is dying and sends

Bed to throw his sword into the lake

Morte d’ Arthur• Bed doesn’t throw in the sword the first two

times because of his greed

• Arthur knows he hasn’t done so and threatens him

• Bed finally obey Arthur and see the Lady of the Lake’s hand rise and take the sword (Third time is the charm)

• Arthur asks Bed to take him to the lakeside

• A barge full of women take Arthur to Avalon to be healed

• The next morning, Bed discover the hermitage and a newly dug grave

• Bed asks to stay with the hermit who used to be the Archbishop of Canterbury

Morte d’ Arthur• Malory states that there is nothing

else written a/b Arthur’s death

• Tale he has was told by Bedivere

himself

• Arthur’s tomb says “Here Lies the

Once and Future King”

• Review Characteristics of a Medieval

Romance