Chapter 1 & 2
Old and Middle English Literature
An Outline of English Literature
G. C. Thornley and Gwyneth Roberts
Beowulf (700)
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The Old English language, also called Anglo-Saxon,
was the earliest form of English. (7)
Old English was spoken from about 600 A.D. to
about 1100.
First English epic, a story of 3,000 lines, author
unknown
Story of Beowulf – about Hrothgar, King of the
Danes, and a brave young man, Beowulf, from
southern Sweden, who goes to help the King
The first great poem (Anglo-Saxon) to be written
Old and Middle English Literature
Grendel in Beowulf
Canterbury Tales
The Canterbury Tales (1387)
by Chaucer
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The English which was used from
about 1100 to 1500 is called
Middle English. (p.15)
Chaucer=father of English poetry
The Cantebury Tales contains about
17,000 lines
A party of pilgrims tells stories to
pass the time on their journey
from London to Canterbury
The Canterbury Tales (1387)—
the Prologue
Whan that Aprille with his shoures wrote
The droghte of marche hath erced to the rote
The Canterbury Tales (1387)
by Chaucer
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There are more than twenty stories, mostly in
verse (p.16)
Wife of Bath– a woman of very strong
opinions who believes firmly in manage and
the need to manage husband strictly.
Her story is about King Arthur’s knights who
must give the correct answer to the question:
“What do women love most?” in order to save
his life.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (1360?)
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One of the stories of King
Arthur an his knights of
Round Table (p.17-18)
Sir Gawain struggle against
an enemy with magic
powers as well as great
strength and cunning
Sir Gawain finishes the
adventure with all honor
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (1360?)
Sir Gawain Meets
the Green Knight
In the legend of the Green
Knight, a fearsome green
warrior rides into the king's
court, and challenges anyone
to cut off his head.
Sir Gawain eventually rises
to his challenge; then the
Green Knight laughs, picks
up his head, and rides away,
vowing to return the favor.
Morte D’Arthur (Arthur’s Death)
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An important Middle English
prose work (p.19)
Published by William Caxton in
1485, a translation from the
French Arthurian legends
Sir Thomas Malory
Theme: The search for the cup
(the Holy Grail) used by Christ at
the Last Supper, culminating with
the dissolution of the Round
Table
Miracle Plays
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Subjects of the Miracle Plays:
Disobedience of Adam and
Eve (p.20)
 Noah and the great flood
 Abraham and Isaac
 Events in the life of Christ
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Miracle Plays
Acted on a stage called “pageant”
 Performed at the same time in different places
 Serious and religious in intention
 Characters in the play has a tendency to become
recognizably human
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English drama derives from the medieval Miracle
Plays of the late 13th and 14th century
Morality Plays
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Characters in these plays were not people; they
were virtues such as Truth or bad qualities
such as Greed and Revenge (p.21)
Everyman (translated from Dutch)
The story of the end of Everyman’s life
 Characters include Beauty, Knowledge, Strength,
and Good Deeds
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