An Introduction
to the Middle
Ages
1066-1485
Norman Conquest, 1066
William the Conqueror and his powerful Norman army defeated the English king,
Harold, at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
William then named himself the king of England on Christmas Day 1066 and divided
the land among the Norman barons (lords, nobleman, peers) that were loyal to him.
The feudal system of landownership that William implemented created a social class
structure in which every man and woman had a place in a fixed hierarchy, or class
system.
The Age of Feudalism
Feudalism was a system that assigned an economic, political, and social position to
every individual at birth.
The king would give the lord's land→ Lesser lords, knights, vassals, peasants and serfs
served the landowning lord in turn.
Example:
Knights would fight their lord’s battles
Serfs or peasants, the lowest of the social order would take care of the land and gave
most of what they grew to their lords in return for protection from war and starvation.
The Decline of Feudalism
The feudal order gradually broke down as the English people were exposed to other
influences and opportunities arose for them to make money outside the web of feudal
obligations.
Increased trade created a merchant class.
This new, urban middle class was emerging at the same time that the old feudal
warriors-- the knights-- were being replaced by an army made up of yeomen (the class
of small landowners). These yeomen used longbows that could even pierce the knights’
iron armor.
Middle Ages continued…
The growth of cities increased the demand for skilled workers, including builders and
craftspeople.
In the mid 1300’s a terrible plague drastically reduced the number of skilled workers-LOOK ON PAGE 106 WHAT WAS IT?
What do you think they did to replace the male
workers that died during this time?
Middle Ages- BALLADS
What is a ballad?
a poem or song narrating a story in short stanzas. Traditional ballads are
typically of unknown authorship, having been passed on orally from one
generation to the next as part of the folk culture.
The Canterbury Tales
Written by Geoffrey Chaucer
Background of Chaucer’s Tales
●
●
Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales in the 1300’s but he never finished it.
He wrote in the native language of the Medieval period in Britain called Middle
English.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QE0MtENfOMU
The Story
●
Twenty nine people that
represent all aspects of
Medieval society go on a
pilgrimage to the cathedral at
Canterbury in southeast
England.
●
Each person is told they must
tell one story on the way to the
cathedral and one on the way
back.
● The cathedral at Canterbury is the main cathedral of the
church of England. The shrine to the Saint Thomas a Becket
is located at this cathedral.
Saint Thomas a Becket was
the archbishop of Canterbury,
and in 1170 he was martyred
(killed for his beliefs) by four
knights of the king of
England, Henry II.
The Story’s Format
Chaucer’s characters are going to pay
respects to this shrine of Thomas a Becket
as a part of a religious pilgrimage. They all
meet at a tavern to begin their journey.
The Canterbury Tales are called a frame
story, meaning that there are many stories
“framed” in the larger story of the
pilgrimage to Canterbury.
The host of the
tavern or innkeeper is
the man who
suggests that the
pilgrims each tell a
story on the way to
entertain the group.
Chaucer intended for
each to tell two
stories, but he only
got to write one
apiece.
General Prologue
As we read The General Prologue match the characters on
the left with their descriptions on the right.
The Knight’s Tale
Palamon and Arcite are cousins
Quick Summary of The Knight’s Tale
The Knight’s Tale describes how two kinsmen Arcite and Palamon fall
in love with the same woman named Emily whom they first see out of
their prison window. Emily is the niece of King Theseus. Arcite gains his
freedom but is banished from Athens. He comes back in a disguise
since he cannot bear to live away from Emily. In the meanwhile
Palamon breaks out of prison and coincidentally meets Arcite in a forest
grove. Here Theseus discovers them fighting a bloody duel. Theseus
puts an end to their fight and organizes a contest to resolve their
quarrel about Emily. Before the contest Arcite prays to Mars for victory
while Palamon prays to Venus for the sole possession of Emily. This
creates uproar in heaven and finally both the wishes are granted. Arcite
emerges victorious in the joust but falls from his horse and dies and
eventually Palamon marries Emily.
The Wife of Bath’s Tale
Quick Summary of The Wife of Bath
The Wife of Bath’s Tale is preceded by a Prologue in which she gives an account of her
colorful life with five husbands. Her tale continues the theme of women’s desire for mastery
over men. A young Knight rapes a country maiden while returning home. As a punishment
for his heinous act he has to discover within a year what women most desire. The Knight
unsuccessfully wanders in the entire country in search of the answer. Eventually he
promises to grant a wish to an ugly old hag in return for the right answer. When he has
given the answer in court and secured his liberty, the old croon jumps up and demands that
he marry her. The Knight begs her to reconsider and wish for something else but the old hag
stubbornly refuses. The Knight marries her secretly. At night as they lie in bed, the Knight
keeps on tossing and turning restlessly. The old hag asks him if he would prefer her ugly
and faithful or beautiful and faithless. The Knight allows her to decide. The old woman is
delighted to have won ‘maistrie’ over her husband and rewards him by becoming faithful and
beautiful all the time.
The Pardoner’s Tale
Quick Summary of The Pardoner’s Tale
The Pardoner’s Tale relates how three drunken men set out in search
of death after their friend has been killed by the plague. On their way
they encounter an extremely old man who directs them to an oak tree
at the end of the lane and tells them that he had last seen death there.
The men hurry to the spot and instead find eight bushels of gold. They
decide to keep the treasure for themselves. However they grow greedy
and kill themselves through trickery.