Medieval Period “The Middle Ages” 1066-1485

Medieval Period “The Middle Ages” 1066-1485

• The history of our English Language can be divided into 3 periods:
• Old English (before 1066)
• Middle English (1066-1485)
• Modern English (1485-present)

Around the year 1000, Old English pronunciation changed when distinct vowel sounds at the ends of words were being dropped.

• Language in Transition “Middle Ages”

• Around the year 1000, Old English pronunciation changed when distinct vowel sounds at the ends of words were being dropped.
• Middle English differed from Old English in its greater reliance upon fewer plural forms.

Middle English was a more analytical language.

• Language in Transition “Middle Ages”

• Middle English was a more analytical language.
• Stressed word order/syntax
• Incorporated “function” words—verbs

French Invade England October of 1066

• Leading Normandy was Duke William or “William the Conqueror”, who defeated and killed the last Anglo-Saxon king. This was the beginning of the Norman Conquest.

Norman Conquest

• The Norman Conquest radically changed:
• English History
• English Character
• English Language

William the Conqueror is known for three accomplishments:

• Creating the Domesday Book which was an inventory of every piece of property in England.
• Bringing the French language to England
• Creating a bilingual society
• Upper-Class: spoke French
• Lower-Class: spoke English
• 3. Social System known as Feudalism

Feudalism & Knighthood

• Feudalism
• Religious concept of hierarchy.

• GOD

• KING

• BARON

• VASSAL

• KNIGHTS

• SERFS

2 Major impacts on England as a result of the Feudal System: Form and Manners

• Form—better known as knighthood.
• The institution of knighthood was firmly
• based on the ideas of loyalty.
• We will see this clearly in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
• He is honor-bound to accept a challenge that he knows
• could bring death.

2nd major impact that the feudal system had on England:

• Manners
• Code of Chivalry—Courtly Love
• A system of ideas and behavior codes that governed both knight
• and gentlewoman.

Three aspects that make up the Code of Chivalry

• Loyalty to Lord
• Your oath, honor, and respect went directly to your lord.

• Warfare Rule
• Idea of Fairness
• Courtly Love
• Men--mostly the knights-- idolized women. They would show this by wearing the colors of their lady in battle, to glorify her. This love for a woman was thought to make the knight a better fighter. They were inspired by women.

ROMANCE

• Courtly Love provided ‘built-in’ drama for a poet or storyteller.
• It brought about the form of literature known as a ROMANCE: a medieval story in verse form in which a brave knight must overcome great danger for the love of a noble lady or higher idea.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

• Composed around 1370
• An unknown author transformed the popular romance into great art.
• An alliterative romance poem. (Legend)

• Basic narrative pattern of a romance:
• Hero
• 2. Quest—in which the hero undertakes a perilous journey in search of something of great value.
• 3. Supernatural event

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

• In Sir Gawain you will see the pull of sexual temptation and of life in the medieval castle.
• Gawain is the model of the chivalric hero whose character is being tested on:
• Courage
• Fidelity
• Morality

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

• Purpose of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: teach us a moral lesson.
• Theme: To achieve nobility human beings must rely on the constant practice of a number of virtues such as:
• Courage
• Honesty
• Self-sacrifice

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

• Setting (time)
• The mythical past of King Arthur’s Court.
• Setting (place)
• Camelot; the wilderness; Bertilak’s castle; the Green Chapel.
• Motifs
• The seasons; games