MEDIEVAL

LITERATURE 1066-1500
THE PLAN:
- The definition of Medieval Literature.

- Medieval Literature in England, its characteristics

and historical background.

- Geoffrey Chaucer and three periods of his

writings. The Canterbury Tales.
MEDIEVAL LITERATURE IS

- ANY LITERARY WORK WITH

A LASTING VALUE WHICH
WAS MADE DURING THE
MIDDLE AGES
THE DARK AGES IN EUROPE
THE DARK AGES IN ENGLAND
CHARACTERISTICS OF M.E.
LITERATURE
1) ORALITY (-reading and writing were rare;
-transmitting the literary works of that time was oral);

2) TEACHING (-one of the purposes of the literary

works of that period; -to teach Christian values; - teach
the life of saint);
F E AT U R E S :

3) ANONYMITY (-to avoid censorship;

-because they acknowledged authors before
them);
4) IMITATION (-the authors used to imitate
authors before them; -retell stories which are
already known);
5) WORKS BY FEMALE AUTHORS (-
females wrote books, e.g. “the nun of
Sweden”);
FEATURES:

6) CHIVALRY (-it was a behavior; - good

soldier; good husband (gentleman));
7) MAGIC (-black magic; -demons; spirits);
8) LOVE (love stories; -courage of knights);
9) VERSE (-presented in a verse; -meant to
be sung; -to transmit them to the upcoming
generations);
FEATURES:
10) EPIC (-adventures; -heroic situations;
-like king Arthur);
11) TALES and FABLES (-shared in breaks;
-anecdotes; -humorous and religious
messages);
12) DREAM VISION (-poet falls asleep;
-envisioning series of allegorical people “Piers
plowmen”);
FEATURES:

13) ALLEGORY (-abstract ideas are

represented by people like “plain”);
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
- Life in the Middle Ages
- Language
-Religion
-Major events
PRE-RENAISSANCE ENGLAND IN
THE 14TH CENTURY. GEOFFREY
CHAUCER
Geoffrey Chaucer (1343-1400) was
born in the family of a wine
merchant. Chaucer's parents were far
from being wealthy. Chaucer,
however, received what education
his parents were able to give him.
Many people think that he must have
been educated at Oxford or
Cambridge, because he was a poet,
but nothing is known about that for
sure.
THE THREE PERIODS OF
CHAUCER'S WRITINGS:
The 1st is the French Chaucer's earliest poems were
written in imitation of the
period French romances. Chaucer
spoke French brilliantly and
was very fond of French poetry.
It had taught him rhyme and
rhythm. He translated from
French the famous allegorical
poem of the 14th century "The
Romance of the Rose”
THE 2 ND PERIOD IS THE ITALIAN PERIOD.

To this period belong the following poems “The

parliament of Birds”, an allegorical poem “Troilus
and Cressid”, which is supposed to be the 1st
psychological novel in English, although its
characters are those of ancient Greece. The legend of
“Good Women” is a dream poem, which is written in
couplets and forms a bridge between the poems of
Italian period and the next one.
THE 3 RD ONE IS THE ENGLISH PERIOD.

It begins from the year 1374 when he left

behind the Italian influence and became
entirely English as he started writing
literary work in the English Language. It
was in this time that he wrote his
masterpiece “The Canterbury Tales”.
THE ROLE OF CHAUCER IN
ENGLISH LITERATURE
Chaucer was the creator of a new literally language. He chose to
compose in the popular English language though the aristocracy of that
time read and spoke French. It's to be remembered that with Chaucer's
poetry the popular tongue became literally English. Chaucer was the
earliest English poet who is still read for human pleasure today.
Chaucer drew his characters from life. He saw people not only as rich
and poor, but as belonging to a certain rank of society. Chaucer was the
first writer, who described the individual features of his characters
according to the profession and degree. So, they instantly became
typical of their class.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR
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