Chapter 1

1
Chapter 1 2 Old and Middle English Literature

• An Outline of English Literature
• G. C. Thornley and Gwyneth Roberts

2
Beowulf (700)

• The Old English language, also called
  Anglo-Saxon, was the earliest form of English.
  (7)
• Old English was spoken from about 600 A.D. to
  about 1100.
• First English epic, a story of 3,000 lines,
  author unknown
• Story of Beowulf about Hrothgar, King of the
  Danes, and a brave young man, Beowulf, from
  southern Sweden, who goes to help the King
• The first great poem (Anglo-Saxon) to be written

3
Old and Middle English Literature

• Grendel in Beowulf Canterbury Tales

4
The Canterbury Tales (1387)by Chaucer

• The English which was used from about 1100 to
  1500 is called Middle English. (p.15)
• Chaucerfather of English poetry
• The Cantebury Tales contains about 17,000 lines
• A party of pilgrims tells stories to pass the
  time on their journey from London to Canterbury

5
The Canterbury Tales (1387)the Prologue
Whan that Aprille with his shoures wrote The
droghte of marche hath erced to the rote
6
The Canterbury Tales (1387)by Chaucer

• There are more than twenty stories, mostly in
  verse (p.16)
• Wife of Bath a woman of very strong opinions who
  believes firmly in manage and the need to manage
  husband strictly.
• Her story is about King Arthurs knights who must
  give the correct answer to the question What do
  women love most? in order to save his life.

7
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (1360?)

• One of the stories of King Arthur an his knights
  of Round Table (p.17-18)
• Sir Gawain struggle against an enemy with magic
  powers as well as great strength and cunning
• Sir Gawain finishes the adventure with all honor

8
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (1360?)
Sir Gawain Meets the Green Knight In the legend
of the Green Knight, a fearsome green warrior
rides into the king's court, and challenges
anyone to cut off his head. Sir Gawain
eventually rises to his challenge then the Green
Knight laughs, picks up his head, and rides away,
vowing to return the favor.

9
Morte DArthur (Arthurs Death)

• An important Middle English prose work (p.19)
• Published by William Caxton in 1485, a
  translation from the French Arthurian legends
• Sir Thomas Malory
• Theme The search for the cup (the Holy Grail)
  used by Christ at the Last Supper, culminating
  with the dissolution of the Round Table

10
Miracle Plays

• Subjects of the Miracle Plays
• Disobedience of Adam and Eve (p.20)
• Noah and the great flood
• Abraham and Isaac
• Events in the life of Christ

11
Miracle Plays

• Acted on a stage called pageant
• Performed at the same time in different places
• Serious and religious in intention
• Characters in the play has a tendency to become
  recognizably human
• English drama derives from the medieval Miracle
  Plays of the late 13th and 14th century

12
Morality Plays

• Characters in these plays were not people they
  were virtues such as Truth or bad qualities such
  as Greed and Revenge (p.21)
• Everyman (translated from Dutch)
• The story of the end of Everymans life
• Characters include Beauty, Knowledge, Strength,
  and Good Deeds