Medieval or Chivalric Romance
[Beginning mid-12th Century]
 Three things helped English survive as a language
in the Medieval Period:
1) Ballads
2) The Canterbury Tales
3) Romance poems and stories
 The term “romance” comes from the term
“romans,” which indicated a story translated from
Latin into a vernacular, so these stories are not
necessarily about love
 These romances share many common elements:
- heroic figures – usually a night or nobleman,
acting alone
- A quest, often featuring some challenge or test
- Fantastic settings and events
- Many British romances were set in the milieu of
King Arthur’s court
 While the ballads were primarily for the
entertainment of the lower classes, The Canterbury
Tales and the Romances, in written form, were for
the diversion of the upper classes and the educated.
 Most importantly, remember that the Tales and
Romances were written in English