Name ____________________________________________ Class Period _______
Medieval Background Notes
Directions: Read pages 28-33 in your literature book to answer the following questions.
Historical Context
With the Norman Conquest, England entered the medieval period, a time of innovation in the midst of war.
I.
The Monarchy
a. What kind of king was William the Conqueror after he took full control of England?
b. What is the Domesday Book?
c. What 3 things did Henry II do to England that made a lasting impression?
3.
1.
2.
d. What did John try to do to Richard the Lion-Hearted?
e. Describe the kind of king that John was.
f. What is the Magna Carta (Great Charter) and when was it signed?
II.
War and Plague
a. What countries fought the Hundred Years’ War?
b. What did the Black Death or bubonic plague do to England?
c. Who are the two rival families that laid claim to the English throne?
d. What name was used for the fighting and what was the symbol for each family?
i. Name:
ii. House of York symbol:
iii. House of Lancaster symbol:
e. What ended the fighting between the two families and marked the end of the Medieval Period or
Middle Ages?
Cultural Influences
Medieval literature is best understood in the context of three powerful influences on medieval society:
feudalism, the church, and a code of conduct called chivalry.
I.
The Feudal System
a. Define feudalism:
b. What is the premise or idea of feudalism?
c. How was the land divided according to William?
d. Describe the role of the warriors or knights.
e. What is the order of the social ladder?
________________  _________________  _________________  ________________
Name ____________________________________________ Class Period _______
II.
The Power of the Church
a. What was the one exception to the hierarchy of the feudal system?
b. List all of the powers that the Church possessed.
1.
3.
2.
4.
c. Who is Thomas a Becket and what happened to him?
III.
Chivalry and Courtly Love
a. During what king’s reign was chivalry and courtly love popular?
b. Who brought courtly love and chivalry to England and where did it originate?
c. Define chivalry:
d. List all of the things that knights are supposed to possess.
1.
5.
2.
6.
3.
7.
4.
8.
e. What were the Crusades?
f. Describe courtly love.
g. Did chivalry and courtly love exist in real life? YES or NO
Literature of the Times
Medieval works, such as The Canterbury Tales and the Arthurian romances, drew from many sources,
historical and contemporary, while reflecting the society and ideals of their time.
I.
The Age of Chaucer
a. Who is known as the “Father of English literature”?
b. What is Chaucer’s best known piece of work?
c. What 3 abilities did The Canterbury Tales show of Chaucer?
1.
3.
2.
d. Describe the premise of the story.
e. Define frame story (p. R111)
f. How do we find out about the different characters in the story?
g. What kind of characters are in the tales?
h. Why is it important that The Canterbury Tales were written in everyday English?
Name ____________________________________________ Class Period _______
II.
Medieval Romance
a. What represent the social order and ideals of the Middle Ages?
b. What were the events that plagued England during the Middle Ages?
c. Who is the character of King Arthur most likely modeled after and what did this person do?
d. Why were the stories of older folk legends updated during this time period?
e. What did the “new tales” focus on?
f. Describe the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
g. Describe the story of Le Morte d’Arthur—“The Death of Arthur”.
Chaucer Style (p. 140-141)
 Key Terms
1. Define narrative (p. R115)
2. List the types of Medieval narratives
3. What are the themes of these narratives?
4. Define imagery (p. R112)
5. Define figurative language (p. R110)
6. How does Chaucer use imagery and figurative language effectively in The Canterbury Tales?
7. Define irony (p. R115)
8. How does Chaucer use irony in The Canterbury Tales?
9. Define characterization (p. R107)
10. How does show the difference between his characters in The Canterbury Tales?
Name ____________________________________________ Class Period _______
Ballads (p. 216)
a. Define ballad (p. R106)
b. Why were ballads popular?
c. How were ballads passed from generation to generation?
d. What were the subjects of ballads?
1.
5.
2.
6.
3.
7.
4.
e. What were the themes of ballads?
1.
2.
3.
f. List the conventions of ballads.
1.
2.
3.
g. Define quatrain (p. R118)
h. Define dialect (p. R108)
4.
5.