British Literature

1
British Literature

• Unit II
• The Medieval Period 1100-1500

2
Norman Invasion

• Descended from Germanic tribes that invaded the
  French
• Adopted the French language and allegiance to
  French king
• When English King, Edward the Confessor, died
  without an heir in 1066, Norman duke William
  claimed the throne.
• Won the Battle of Hastings

3
William the Conqueror

• William the Conqueror took all land
• Ejected Anglo-Saxon leaders
• Most people were serfs, permanent slaves to
  Norman lords.
• The clergy owned vast tracks of land, maintained
  separate legal system, taxes (tithes), and
  communicated with religious leaders.
• Clergy supervised education of most people

4
Language

• Three languages
• Normans rulers French
• Clergy legal profession Latin
• Commoners Evolving Anglo-Saxon

5
Medieval Literature

• Norman invasion prevented people from writing
  literature down/ oral tradition
• Literary Traditions Survived
• Nobility retold the heroic adventures of King
  Arthur, Charlemagne, etc.
• Clergy retold sermons and saints lives
• Commoners ballads and carols

6
English Language Evolved

• Over 4 centuries following the Norman invasion,
  Germanic Anglo-Saxon language combined with
  Norman French
• Plus, lawyers and scholars added Latin to the mix
• By Chaucers time, this blended language is
  comprehensible to us
• Thus, Modern English was born!

7
Medieval Literature

• Many works are lost, yet 3 types remain
• Folk Ballads song lyrics
• Poems Canterbury Tales written by Geoffrey
  Chaucer
• trained in Royal court, close to powerful
• well traveled throughout Europe
• studied literature of France and Italy
• Arthurian Legend written by Sir Thomas Malory
• one of first English books in print
• 1476 Printing press came to London
• Changed literature forever

8
The Canterbury Tales

• The Prologue