Medieval Unit Test
1066-1500
Literary Terms
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What defines a legend as a piece of literature?
Legends are anonymous traditional stories
about the past featuring heroic figures, quests,
and patterned events.
What defines a myth as a piece of literature?
Myths are traditional stories connected with
the religion of a people, usually attempting to
account for something in nature.
Difference
Legends differ from a Myth
Legends have some historical truth.
Myths are more supernatural.
Another type of literature
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What defines a medieval romance as a piece of
literature?
Medieval romances are adventure stories that
feature kings, knights, and damsels in distress
and tell of quests, battles, and doomed love.
Ballad - A song that tells a story, often about
adventure or romance. A ballad is a type of narrative
poetry (a story in verse).
Other terms
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Antagonist
Protagonist
Symbol
Irony
Rhythm
Imagery
In addition to terms…
These words describe the Medieval Period:
Courtly Love
Chivalry
Modred
Sir Thomas Malory – “Day of Destiny”
William Caxton
Holy Grail
Return, Resurrection
Writing Practice
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When you studied Geoffrey Chaucer’s The
Canterbury Tales, you wrote about a specific
character. In ten sentences, describe who you
were and why you were going on the pilgrimage.
Things to think about
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What makes King Arthur a human hero and
what makes him a mythological hero?
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In what way did King Arthur know his death
and how did he deal with this?
Paragraph writing
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You read Sir Thomas Malory’s “The Day of
Destiny” as a medieval legend. Using the
following terms, describe how each term fits
into this legend: Legend, Medieval Romance,
Code of Chivalry, Protagonist, Antagonist,
Symbolism, Imagery.
Sample Answer
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“The Day of Destiny” written by Sir Thomas Malory during the 1300s
brings to light the mythical story of King Arthur. This anonymous
legend exists as England’s traditional story of the past. The protagonist,
King Arthur, had banished his best knight, Sir Lancelot, to France
because he found out Lancelot was involved with the Queen Guinevere.
This medieval romance involves knights, the damsel, and doomed love.
Mordred, the antagonist, senses his chance to revenge Arthur and leads a
rebellion against Arthur while Lancelot is away. “The Day of Destiny”
is the story of Arthur’s last days. Arthur is warned by Sir Gawain about
his death through a symbolic dream. The beginning of the battle is
started because of an adder, symbol for the devil. Sir Bedivere’s three
attempts to betray Arthur symbolizes Peter’s betrayal of Jesus. Imagery
plays an important role in Arthur’s death as his body is floated on a little
barge into the arms of the ladies of the lake. Code of Chivalry are the
rules the knights follow. During King Arthur’s death, Sir Lucan will give
his life up for the King.
True or False
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________Gawain warned King Arthur of his
foreshadowing death.
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________The battle between Arthur and
Modred lasted all day and into the night.
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________King Arthur refuses to kill his son.
Fill in the blanks
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What centuries do historians suspect Arthur lived?
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What does Hic Iacet Arthurus Rex Quondam Rexgue Futurus mean?
Here lies Arthur, King Once and King That Will Be
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During this time period, starting in 1000 A.D., society functioned around
the type of social order called ________________________________.
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In the story “The Day of Destiny,” who is the protagonist?
_______________
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Who is the antagonist?_____________________________
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An expression of feudal ideals of honor which the nobles developed as a
code of conduct was called?__________________