The Middle Ages and The Canterbury Tales

The Middle Agesand The Canterbury Tales

Table of Contents • Estates in medieval society • Feudalism • Chivalry/women • Languages • The Crusades • Thomas a Becket • Magna Carta • Hundred Years’ War • Black Death • OE/ME • Romance • Chaucer • CT structure • CT contents

Medieval society made up of 3 “estates”:1. nobility—rulers (hereditary)2. church—spiritual welfare of society3. everyone else—mass of commoners who did work to provide for physical needs

Feudalism

This code was central to medieval social values. Women were always subservient to men; her value depended on the value of the land she brought to a marriage.

3 languages spoken at this time: French (nobility) Latin (church, businesses, scholars/schools) English (common people)

The Crusades • 1095-1270• The Catholic church sponsored a series of military expeditions to the Middle East to win Jerusalem and the Holy Land from Muslims. • Ultimately failed, but contributed to weakening feudalism.

Thomas á Becket Under feudalism, the king appointed bishops and gave them land; some held high positions in the government. People began to complain about government control of the church and church control in nonreligious matters. • King Henry II appointed Thomas à Becket (priest) as Archbishop of Canterbury (head of RC Church in England). • Becket opposed to king’s attempts to establish royal rights over the church (especially the right of the king’s courts to punish church officials who committed crimes). • Henry once angrily exclaimed, “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?” • Four knights took him literally and murdered Becket in Canterbury Cathedral, where he was praying. • Murder shocked Christians of Europe, Becket was made a saint. • Shrine dedicated to Becket is the destination in The Canterbury Tales.

Magna Carta • Barons were taxed excessively to pay for military campaigns/wars (like the Crusades). • Barons finally fed up, in 1215 revolted against taxes and forced the king to sign the Magna Carta (placed king under the law to protect citizens).

The Hundred Years’ War • 1337-1453• Series of wars between England and France; England lost all of its remaining territory in continental Europe• After this, less French influence on English culture. English became the language of the nobility, courts, parliament, etc

The Black Death • During Hundred Years’ War; first hit England in 1348 • Epidemic of bubonic plague; spread by the bite of infected fleas carried by rats** • Painful swellings, high fever, body aches; death within five days of contraction. • Called Black Death because of the way victims looked in final stages: as respiratory systems failed, bodies turned dark purple and developed soft black swellings. • Killed about 1/3 of England’s people • The plague still exists! Small outbreaks have occurred as recently as 1994; scientists have developed vaccines and antibiotics to stop future outbreaks • Caused a labor shortage, so workers could demand more money and peasants could demand lower rent on their land. Landlords lost money; this meant more and larger cities, more people moved there; feudalism broke down even more **Recently, scientists have found inconsistencies that they say prove the Black Death was NOT the bubonic plague; instead, it may have been an early ancestor of ebola.

Old English/Middle English By 1300s, Middle English spoken • Old English literature spoke for the nobility; spoke with one dignified voice • Middle English literature spoke for everybody; spoke with many voices, wide variety of topics By late 14th century, large and prosperous middle class was emerging (Chaucer born into this middle class).

And it was don aftirward, and Jhesus made iourney bi citees and castels, prechynge and euangelisynge þe rewme of 2God, and twelue wiþ hym; and sum wymmen þat weren heelid of wickid spiritis and sijknessis, Marie, þat is clepid Maudeleyn, of whom seuene deuelis 3wenten out, þat mynystriden to hym of her ritchesse. —Luke ch.8, v.1–3

Romance Romance became the most popular type/genre of literature: • Describes the adventures of a legendary knight; celebrates chivalry and emphasizes courtly love • Courtly love: a man’s love for one idealized (nearly perfect) woman makes him a better person; ideally nonsexual; wore her colors in battle, inspired by her, but she’s always out of reach • Heroes are admirable men who share weaknesses and feelings of ordinary humans (OE heroes seemed like superheroes; impossibly perfect) • Many romances were about King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table

Geoffrey Chaucer • the greatest English writer of the Middle Ages; well-known government official (like a presidential adviser)• son of prosperous wine merchant• in early teens, was placed as a page in an aristocratic household• held many administrative posts—was a hardworking civil servant • his wife, Philippa, was daughter of a knight (she was of a higher rank than her husband)• probably wrote most of his poetry in French (language of art and literature), but he also spoke Italian and could read Latin• born into upper middle class, but attained rank of “esquire” (gentleman) because he associated with aristocracy and served them; he came into contact with both commoners and aristocracy but was not securely anchored in either world

CT Structure Canterbury Tales written in late 1300s • Collection of stories told by people making a religious pilgrimage (journey) to shrine of St. Thomas a Becket in Canterbury • Chaucer introduced iambic pentameter (each line = 10 syllables, one stressed, one unstressed); most widely used meter in English poetry • frame story—provides a means for telling other stories within the story; frame = pilgrimage Originally intended to include 122 stories (2 for each pilgrim on the way, 2 each on the way back). Only 22 stories completed. Pilgrims never get to Canterbury.

CT Characters 29 diverse pilgrims; meet at an inn, decide to tell stories to pass the time. Pilgrims represent medieval life and society (Chaucer commenting on societal conditions): • Feudal system—knight, squire, yeoman, franklin, plowman, miller, reeve • Religious life— nun, monk, friar, cleric, parson, summoner, pardoner • Trades/professions—merchant, sergeant at the law, five tradesmen, cook, skipper, doctor, Wife of Bath, manciple, host

The Middle Ages and The Canterbury Tales