Norman and Medieval England

1. Norman and Medieval England Everything you’ve ever wanted to know!

2. 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

3. 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.

4. 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. .

5. Kings who followed • William Rufus (son of William the Conqueror) • Henry I (Rufus’ son) • Stephen (nephew put into place by Church)

6. 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.

7. Henry II • First of the Plantagenet family • Brilliant, strong king • Reign marked by power struggle with the church. This took many forms • A change in the justice system • His relationship with his best friend, Thomas Becket

8. Henry II: friendship and conflict with Thomas Becket

9. 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.

10. Things changed when… • Henry decided to the best way to control the Catholic Church was to name Thomas the Archbishop of Canterbury.

11. 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?”

12. Saint Thomas • Henry II petitions 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.

13. Canterbury Cathedral The BEST pilgrimage in England due to the martyrdom of Thomas Becket

14. The Nave Notice the towering arches give impression of great height

15. Inside the cathedral Imagine you are a poor serf, what would you think of this?

16. A view of the back of the Cathedral Again, the size alone is impressive even to today’s standards.

17. The Becket window

18. Chaucer and the Canterbury Tales

19. The importance of CBT • Made English language acceptable as a language of literature. • England was a nation of 3 languages: Latin, French, English

20. 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

21. 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.

22. 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 Character’s talk to one another. Also called a LINK

23. Medieval cultural notes… Knights, Crusades, Chivalry, Women and Medicine

24. 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.

25. 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)

26. 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.

27. 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.

28. 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.

29. Women in the middle ages 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.”

30. 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.

31. 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)

32. The kings that followed Henry II

33. 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

34. 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

35. 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)

36. 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 dynasty ends and the Tudor dynasty begins.

37. 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

38. The Prologue Characterization and Irony

39. 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

40. Chaucer’s use of characterization • Perfected the art of characterization • Two basic methods: direct and indirect For example, the description of the Knight, who was a “true and perfect knight” • Chaucer tells us exactly what he wants us to know

41. 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

42. 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”

43. 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”

44. 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. Physiognomy

45. 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.

46. 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”

47. 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)