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?
He was a powerful, well-organized, and determined to exert his authority down to the
smallest detail
b. What is the Domesday Book? Tax record of every piece of property owned
c. What 3 things did Henry II do to England that made a lasting impression?
1. Set up royal courts throughout the
3. Form English law out of centuries-old
country
practices
2. Establish a series of juries
d. What did John try to do to Richard the Lion-Hearted? He plotted against him
e. Describe the kind of king that John was. He was treacherous, bad-tempered, quarreled with
nobles, and raised taxes
f. What is the Magna Carta (Great Charter) and when was it signed? Document that limited royal
authority by granting more powers to the barons. It was signed in 1215.
II.
War and Plague
a. What countries fought the Hundred Years’ War? France and England
b. What did the Black Death or bubonic plague do to England? Killed off 1/3 of the population
c. Who are the two rival families that laid claim to the English throne? The Yorks and the
Lancasters
d. What name was used for the fighting and what was the symbol for each family?
i. Name: War of the Roses
ii. House of York symbol: White Rose
iii. House of Lancaster symbol: Red Rose
e. What ended the fighting between the two families and marked the end of the Medieval Period or
Middle Ages? The War of the Roses when Henry Tudor, House of Lancaster, killed Richard III
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: Political and economic system that William the Conqueror introduced To
England after Norman Conquest
b. What is the premise or idea of feudalism? King owns all of the land in the kingdom
c. How was the land divided according to William? ¼ goes to William; ¼ goes to the Church; rest
divided among the barons
Name ____________________________________________ Class Period _______
d. Describe the role of the warriors or knights. Loyal to the barons
e. What is the order of the social ladder?
KINGS  BARONS KNIGHTS  SERFS
II.
The Power of the Church
a. What was the one exception to the hierarchy of the feudal system? The Church
b. List all of the powers that the Church possessed.
1. Imposed taxes
3. Ran its own courts
2. Made its own laws
4. Kept kings and nobles in line
c. Who is Thomas a Becket and what happened to him? Archbishop to Henry II who was more
interested in the affairs of the Church instead of monarchy
III.
Chivalry and Courtly Love
a. During what king’s reign was chivalry and courtly love popular? Henry II
b. Who brought courtly love and chivalry to England and where did it originate? Eleanor of
Aquitaine from France
c. Define chivalry: Code of honor intended to govern knightly behavior
d. List all of the things that knights are supposed to possess.
1. generous
5. honorable
2. brave
6. defend the weak
3. honest
7. battle evil
4. pious (devout, religious)
8. uphold good
e. What were the Crusades? Military expeditions by European Christians who attempted to take
Jerusalem from Muslim control
f. Describe courtly love: proper conduct of a love affair
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”? Geoffrey Chaucer
b. What is Chaucer’s best known piece of work? The Canterbury Tales
c. What 3 abilities did The Canterbury Tales show of Chaucer?
1. storyteller
3. sharp eye detail
2. keen sense of humor
d. Describe the premise of the story. Stories of a group of pilgrims going on a journey to
Canterbury who tell tales on the way
Name ____________________________________________ Class Period _______
e. Define frame story (p. R111): a frame story exists when a story is told within a narrative setting
or frame—story within a story
f. How do we find out about the different characters in the story? Revealed through the stories they
tell and their reactions to one another’s tales
g. What kind of characters are in the tales? They represent all members of British society
h. Why is it important that The Canterbury Tales were written in everyday English? It elevated
English to level of Latin or Greek
II.
Medieval Romance
a. What represent the social order and ideals of the Middle Ages? Medieval romance
b. What were the events that plagued England during the Middle Ages? Plaques, political battles
and civil unrest
c. Who is the character of King Arthur most likely modeled after and what did this person do?
Arturius and he fought Caesar’s army
d. Why were the stories of older folk legends updated during this time period? To reflect current
notions of chivalry
e. What did the “new tales” focus on? Used Arthur and his court as a backdrop for stories about
knights who go through trials and perform great feats in the service of a lady
Chaucer Style (p. 140-141)
 Key Terms
1. Define narrative (p. R115): any type of writing that is primarily concerned with relating an event
or series of events
2. List the types of Medieval narratives: ballads, romances, allegories, moral tales
3. What are the themes of these narratives? Religious, love, exemplary life and behavior, political
and society issues
4. Define imagery (p. R112): words or phrases that create vivid sensory experiences for the reader
5. Define figurative language (p. R110): Language that communicates ideas beyond the literal
meaning of words
6. How does Chaucer use imagery and figurative language effectively in The Canterbury Tales? To
describe his characters’ physical appearance
7. Define irony (p. R115) contrast between expectation and reality
8. How does Chaucer use irony in The Canterbury Tales? Calling attention to his characters’ faults
while emphasizing their humanity
9. Define characterization (p. R107) techniques that writers use to develop characters
10. How does show the difference between his characters in The Canterbury Tales? By the type of
story he or she tells and the voice in which each tale is told
Name ____________________________________________ Class Period _______
Ballads (p. 216)
a. Define ballad (p. R106) narrative poem that was originally intended to be sung
b. Why were ballads popular? Because many people could not read or write
c. How were ballads passed from generation to generation? Orally
d. What were the subjects of ballads?
1. tragic love
2. domestic conflicts
3. disastrous wars and shipwrecks
4. sensational crimes
e. What were the themes of ballads?
1. revenge
2. rebellion
3. envy
5. exploits of enterprising outlaws
6. historical events
7. romantic heroes of an earlier chivalrous
age
4. betrayal
5. superstition
f. List the conventions of ballads.
1. tragic or sensational subject matter
2. a simple plot involving a single incident
3. dialogue
g. Define quatrain (p. R118) a four-line stanza
h. Define dialect (p. R108) particular variety of language spoken in one place by a distinct group of people