BRITISH LITERATURE
Names and Terms to Know, p. 8
A. Sample Answers
1. “Angle land” is the name given to England by some Europeans after the
Anglo-Saxon tribes settled there.
2. Alfred the Great was the greatest Anglo-Saxon king; he fought the Danes.
3. The Magna Carta was a contract King John signed in which he gave some
power to English nobles.
4. Bede was a monk and scholar who wrote a history of England.
5. William the Conqueror was the Duke of Normandy in France who invaded
and conquered England in 1066.
6. Henry VII was the first of the Tudor kings; his accession ended the Wars
of the Roses.
BRITISH LITERATURE
B. Sample Answers
1. The coming of Christianity introduced Latin learning, Christian theology,
and a new moral system that replaced the pagan, tribal Anglo-Saxon
religion.
2. The Norman Conquest changed the English language, introducing many
French words; French nobles replaced the Saxon lords. The Normans
brought the feudal property system to England.
3. The Wars of the Roses between the Houses of York and Lancaster created
an ongoing civil war in England, until Henry Tudor became King Henry
VII and restored order. The Black Plague that struck Europe killed many
people.
BRITISH LITERATURE
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BRITISH LITERATURE
BRITISH LITERATURE
ENGLISH III
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
BRITISH LITERATURE
What is the relationship between place and literature?
Great Britain is an island, settled largely by people who had to conquer the
vast, merciless sea. Early British lit touched on wandering, exile and the
loneliness of life at sea.
Britain would grow into an island nation, one of shared stories.
BRITISH LITERATURE
How does literature shape or reflect society?
Early “Anglo-Saxon” England was a loosely formed band of tribes;
literature (like Beowulf) reflected the values of tribal loyalty and epic
heroism.
The social turbulence of the middle ages is reflected by writers like
Chaucer (The Canterbury Tales).
BRITISH LITERATURE
What is writer’s relationship to tradition?
Writers work with literary and societal traditions, but they also influence
and change them.
Beowulf, for example, was told from generation to generation, but episodes
were also added on;
Chaucer‘s Canterbury Tales takes the traditional frame story and modifies
it to suit his purposes.
ENGLISH III
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Literary Analysis: EPICS AND EPIC HEROES
An epic is a long narrative poem, sometimes developed orally, that
celebrates heroic deeds and legendary events.
Epics, like Homer’s Iliad from ancient Greece, are among the
earliest forms of literature. They often reveal the cultural and
religious values of the peoples who created and retold them.
Common features of such epics include the following:
•a story told in a serious manner, with elevated language
•a hero battling forces that threaten the world’s order
ENGLISH III
Literary
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Analysis: EPICS AND EPIC HEROES
Most epics celebrate the exploits of a legendary hero, a
larger-than-life character.
Beowulf’s boastful self-confidence, his feats of strength, and his
victories in battle make him a classic legendary hero.
Because he upholds the values of his culture—loyalty, bravery,
honor—he can teach modern readers a great deal about the
Anglo-Saxon view of the world.