Intro to literature 3

1. THIRDMeeting – MIDDLEEnglish Literature
The greatest poet of the period is Geoffrey Chaucer,
(the father of English poetry)
His greatest work is The Canterbury Tales
(1387, 17000 lines)
Period: 1100 to 1500 (in Middle English language)
It is a compilation of stories (more than 20, in verses)
told by a group of pilgrims in their journey to
Canterbury.

2. Other noteworthy works of the period:
• Troylus and Cryseyde (Geoffrey Chaucer, 1932-7?):
about the love of two young people.
• The Legend of Good Women (Geoffrey Chaucer, 1385):
retelling stories about 10 virtuous women, including Cleopatra.
• The Vision of Piers the Ploughman (William Langland):
about a poor man describing the sorrows of the poor.
• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Pearl poet?, 1360?):
about the adventure of King Arthur’s knight.
• Pearl (Gawain poet?):
about a man who dreamt about his died daughter in heaven
• Patience (Gawain poet?):
about Jonah, swallowed by a whale.

3. Other noteworthy works of the period:
Ancren Riwle (13th century?)
about proper rules of life for religious women.
The Form of Perfect Living (Richard Rolle)
about the rules of proper living.
{Bible Translation} (John Wycliffe, 1382 and 1388)
production of the whole bible in English.
Morte D’Arthur (Arthur’s Death) (Sir Thomas Malory, 1485)
about King Arthur and his knights.

4. Notes:
Most literary writings during the Middle English Period
are in verses and use alliteration and rhymes extensively.
Alliteration: words beginning with the same sound.
Example: Fair field full of folk (Piers the Ploughman)
Rhymes: words ending with the same sound.
Example: …swote, … rote (Canterbury Tales)

5. Also called Mystery Plays, they are dramas telling religious
stories, such as: Adam and Eve, Noah and the Flood, etc.
They are divided into four main groups based on the city they
were played: Chester, Coventry, York, and Wakefield.
Miracle Plays were serious and religious, but English comedy
was born in them.
Miracle Plays:

6. Morality Plays:
In these dramas, the characters were not people (Adam, Noah)
but virtues (Truth, Courage) or bad qualities (Greed, Evil).
The best known 15th century Morality Plays is Everyman
(translated from Dutch)
It is a story about Everyman and his friends: Beauty, Knowledge,
Strength, Good Deeds, etc. When Everyman faced Death, all his
Friends left him except Good Deeds.

7. Interludes:
These plays are often funny and were performed away from
churches.
The most notable interludes are:
• The Four P’s (John Heywood, 1545)
• The Play of Weather (John Heywood, 1533)
about Jupiter (King of Gods) asking people what kind of weather
should be supplied.

8. The PARDONER’s Tale (Canterbury tales)
Three drunken men set out from a bar to
find and kill Death, whom they blamed for the
death of their friend.
An old man told them that he had asked
Death to take him but had failed. He then said
that they could find Death at the foot of an
oak tree.
When the men arrived at the tree, they
found a large number of gold coins and forgot
about their quest to kill Death. They decided
that they would sleep at the oak tree over
night, so they could take the coins in the
morning.

9. The PARDONER’s Tale (Canterbury tales)
The three men drew straws to see who
should fetch wine and food while the other two
waited under the tree. The youngest of the
three men drew the shortest straw.
The two plotted to get more shares by
stabbing the other one when he returned. On
the other hand, the one who fetched wine
plotted to poison the wine to get all the gold
coins for himself.
When the youngest man returned with the
food and drink, the other two killed him and
drank the poisoned wine, and quickly died. All
three found death.

11. See You next week!