The Medieval Era 500 – 1500 A.D. – Interactive notes #1
The Norman Conquest -
Led by William, Duke of Normandy, the Normans (from _________)
invaded in the year 1066. The King of England was killed in the Battle of Hastings, and William emerged
victorious.
During the next several centuries, the Old English language and culture ___________with Old French.
They continued to be two separate languages, but many French words and customs were incorporated
into the English way of life.
The Feudal System
Other influences: language/learning
 1454 Johann Gutenberg – the __________ ____________
 1476 William Caxton – the first English printing press
Result: literature no longer ______________________________________________
Literature of the Middle Ages
 the first true ____________ emerged – acting out in scenes
 the poet Geoffrey Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales
 romances portrayed the deeds of ____________
 balladeers sang of love and deeds of outlaws
Medieval Drama
 church sponsored plays as part of ____________ _____________
 plays gradually moved into the marketplace
 miracle plays or mystery plays – retold stories from the Bible / lives of saints
 morality plays – depicted lives of ordinary people and taught _______ ___________
Medieval romances
 tales describing the adventures of ______________
 many about the Arthurian legends (King Arthur and the knights of the round table)
Lyrical poetry
 poets often _________ __________ (a harp like instrument) as they recited their verse
 led to lyrical poetry
Ballads
 folk song that ________ __ __________
 many were about the hero Robin Hood
Geoffrey Chaucer (1343? – 1400)
 grew up amid the bustle of a successful international business (his dad was a wine merchant)
 he served the nobility as an administrator  his position in society gave him a perfect
vantage point for observing all types of people
 well-respected in his own day
 a.k.a “the ________ of ________ _________”
 buried in the Poet’s Corner of Westminster Abbey
Literary Terms
 Direct characterization –the author comes right out and ________ ________ about the
characters.
 Indirect characterization – the author gives you “_________” about the characters based on
what they do and what the other characters say about them.
 Couplet – two lines of poetry that ___________.
 Ballad – folk songs that _______ ____ _________.
 Folk tale – tales involving talking animals . These tales often have a ___________ or lesson to
be learned at the end of them.
 Miracle plays – plays depicting ____________ _____________
 Morality plays – plays teaching _____________of the time
 Frame story – a story _______________a story.
Other Terms – Review of Vocab #1
 Decentralized Government
 Feudalism
 Self-sufficient
 Manor
 Barter
 Medieval