A Study of The Canterbury Tales and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Table of Contents
The Journey Begins . . . England in the Middle Ages Focus question Geoffrey Chaucer The Canterbury Tales Travelers to Canterbury Chaucers Middle Ages Population Sir Gawain and the Green Knight The Green Knight Sir Gawain Works Cited

The Journey Begins . . .

In October 1066, a daylong battle near Hastings, England, changed the course of history.

William the Conqueror wins the Battle of Hastings. The FRENCH arrive! (in England) (and they win) (and now they rule) (and everyone, they must speak the French)

England in the Middle Ages

Lower, middle, and upper-middle classes developed in the cities.

England in the Middle Ages

The Crusades extended from 10951270.
They brought contact with Eastern mathematics, astronomy, architecture, and crafts.

England in the Middle Ages

The Magna-Carta made an inroad into unrestrained royal power. Some say it forms the basis for constitutional government.

England in the Middle Ages

The Hundred Years War (1337-1453) was the first national war waged by England.

England in the Middle Ages

The Black Death (1348-1349) brought the end of the Middle Ages.
Fleas on rats carried the bubonic plague which killed thousands of people. in Europe.

England in the Middle Ages

Feudalism replaced the Nordic social system.
Most men are serfs. Men above the serf class serve in the militaryKnighthood. Women had no political rights. Chivalry and courtly love served as the system of social codes

How do the writings of the Middle Ages represent the lives, loves, loyalties, and humor of humanity?
Discover the answer by reading The Canterbury Tales and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

Geoffrey Chaucer c. 1343-1400

Considered the father of English poetry Wrote in the vernacular Served as a soldier, government servant, and member of Parliament Introduced iambic pentameter First writer buried in Westminster Abbey

Learn more about Chaucer. Go to. . . http://www.unc.edu/depts/chaucer/index.html

The Canterbury Tales: Snapshot of an Age

It frames a story of characters on a religious pilgrimage to Canterbury. The characters are a concise portrait of an entire nation. The pilgrimage is a quest narrative that moves from images of spring and awakening to penance, death, and eternal life. The characters tell stories that reflect everyman in the universal pilgrimage of life.

Chaucers Snapshot of the Middle Ages Population

Characters from The Canterbury Tales Knight Squire

Ruling Class

Monk Friar Prioress Parson Summer Pardoner

Clergy Class

Merchant Reeve Franklin Doctor Oxford Student Wife of Bath Sergeant-at-Law Guildsmen Cook Miller Skipper Manciple

Middle Class

Trade Class Peasant Class

Plowman Yeoman

Conventions of Medieval Romance

unprovoked and violent fighting mystical place and time (the Dark Ages) supernatural elements, and magical powers from the pagan world hero who is on a noble adventure or quest loose, episodic structure elements of courtly love ideals of chivalry time frame of a year and a day

The Green Knight

He challenges King Arthurs knights to a New Years game. The Green Knight wants to exchange one blow for another. The stranger will stand for the first blow if the other knight will agree to have his turn in a year and a day.

Sir Gawain
Sir Gawain accepts the Green Knights challenge. He honors his word and searches for the knights Green Chapel. Gawain finds a lord and his lady on his quest who offer him shelter on Christmas day. The lord has the lady tempt Sir Gawain three times on the rules of courtly love. Gawain resists--all but one advance. The Green Knight reveals himself to be the lord and spares Gawain for his honesty.

Chivalric Code and Introduction to Courtly Love

Chivalry is from the French word, chevalier, meaning horseman, or knight. The chivalric code influenced the formation of religious military orders during the period of the Crusades. The now famous Knights Templar are among the noted knights. There were many others. During the later middle ages, chivalry had become largely as system of etiquette and the knights a source of entertainment during tournaments which themselves gradually became less threatening to the participants.

Chivalric Code and Introduction to Courtly Love

The chivalric code combined Christian virtues with military virtues:
Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence and Justice Faith, Hope, Charity Valor and strength in battle Loyalty to God and King Courtesy towards enemies Generosity towards the sick, women, widows and the oppressed Courtly Love*

What happened to Chivalry?

Finally, knighthood became simply an honor, and those eligible for it today can skip the military bit. Today, knights can be just regular people who have done something special. The honor is used for notable artists and other doers of good deeds. Knighted folks include: Paul McCartney, Laurence Olivier, and former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Have the rules of love changed?
The Art of Courtly Love ( twelfth century document) listed several rules of love:
No one can be bound by double love. The easy attainment of love makes it of little value. Difficulty of attainment makes it prized A new love puts flight to an old one. If love diminishes, it quickly fails and rarely revives

Courtly Love
C.S. Lewis: Humility, Courtesy, Adultery and the Religion of Love

April
Trs Riches Heures of the Duc de Berry

The "rules" for this game are roughly:

 worship of the chosen lady  declaration of passionate devotion  virtuous rejection by the lady  renewed wooing with oaths of eternal fealty  moans of approaching death from unsatisfied desire  heroic deeds of valor which win the lady's heart  consummation of the secret love  endless adventures and subterfuges  tragic end

Theater
Mystery Plays and Miracle Plays: Bible stories and lives of the Saints Morality Plays: Didactic allegories, such as Everyman Passion Plays: Depicting the events relating to the trial, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Folk Ballads
narrative poem (i.e., tells a story) intended to be sung no known author passed along orally four-line stanzas repeated key phrases OR regularly repeated section dialogue

FOLK BALLADS Barbara Allen Barbara Allen

There are HUNDREDS of versions of the folk ballad Barbara Allen that dates from Medieval England. Most versions can be summarized thus: a young man is dying of unrequited love for Barbara Allen; she is called to his deathbed but all she can say is, 'Young man, I think you're dying.' When he dies, she is stricken with grief and dies soon after. Often, a briar grows from

FOLK BALLADS Barbara Allen Barbara Allen-- continued

When he dies, she is stricken with grief and dies soon after. Often, a briar grows from her grave and a rose from his, until they grow together. The famous refrain:
Young man, I think you re dying Adieu, adieu, my dear friends all, And be kind to Barbara Allan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRgH_0zxqQE&feature=related Johnny Cash version http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD8N-SzrXjQ

Folk Ballads Lord Randall

O where hae ye been, Lord Randall, my son? For I m weary wi hunting, and fain wald lie down.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UooMssjjci0

Current Connections
The English fiction writer Dorothy L. Sayers used a phrase from some variants for the title Strong Poison, a murder mystery about a man apparently murdered by his lover.

In the early 1960s Bob Dylan borrowed the lyric structure of Lord Randall for his song "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall".
http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=gKmxEJLcsIQ

DIALECT
dialect = the specific form of a language used by a speech community Scottish dialect BORDER RAIDS Twa Corbies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v= QSL0QO54JpM

Sung

http://www.youtube.com/wat ch?v=w7I8RlrnTE&feature=relate d

Folk Ballads
narrative poem (i.e., tells a story) intended to be sung no known author passed along orally four-line stanzas repeated key phrases OR regularly repeated section dialogue

Ballad of the Green Berets

Fighting soldiers from the sky Fearless men who jump and die Men who mean just what they say The brave men of the Green Beret Silver wings upon their chest These are men, America's best One hundred men we'll test today But only three win the Green Beret
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLcoA8El3mI

Trained to live, off nature's land Trained in combat, hand to hand Men who fight by night and day Courage deep, from the Green Beret Silver wings upon their chest These are men, America's best One hundred men we'll test today But only three win the Green Beret

Back at home a young wife waits Her Green Beret has met his fate He has died for those oppressed Leaving her this last request Put silver wings on my son's chest Make him one of America's best He'll be a man they'll test one day Have him win the Green Beret

In the middle of the earth in the land of the Shire lives a brave little hobbit whom we all admire. With his long wooden pipe, fuzzy, woolly toes, he lives in a hobbit-hole and everybody knows him Bilbo! Bilbo! Bilbo Baggins He's only three feet tall Bilbo! Bilbo! Bilbo Baggins The bravest little hobbit of them all Now hobbits are a peace-lovin' folks you know They don't like to hurry and they take things slow They don't like to travel away from home They just want to eat and be left alone But one day Bilbo was asked to go on a big adventure to the caves below, to help some dwarves get back their gold that was stolen by a dragon in the days of old. Bilbo! Bilbo! Bilbo Baggins He's only three feet tall Bilbo! Bilbo! Bilbo Baggins The bravest little hobbit of them all Well he fought with the goblins! He battled a troll!! He riddled with Gollum!!! A magic ring he stole!!!! He was chased by wolves!!!!! Lost in the forest!!!!!! Escaped in a barrel from the elf-king's halls!!!!!!! Bilbo! Bilbo! Bilbo Baggins The bravest little hobbit of them all Now he's back in his hole in the land of the Shire, that brave little hobbit whom we all admire, just a-sittin' on a treasure of silver and gold a-puffin' on his pipe in his hobbit-hole. Bilbo! Bilbo! Bilbo Baggins He's only three feet tall Bilbo! Bilbo! Bilbo Baggins The bravest little hobbit of them all

Barbara Allen

Works Cited

Home

Brown, Ian. The Green Knight. 2002. May 16, 2003 <http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/gawmenu.htm>. Geoffrey Chaucer. Elements of Literature Sixth Course. Ed. Robert R. Hoyt. Austin, 1977. T99. Pyle, Howard. Sir Gawain the Son of Lot, King of Orkney. 1903. May 16, 2003 <http://wwwlib.rochester.edu/camelot/gawmenu.htm>. The Canterbury Tales: A Snapshot of an Age. Elements of Literature Sixth Course. Ed. Robert R. Hoyt. Austin, 1977. T101-T104.