Medieval Literature Essay

Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, and Social Classes Geoffrey Chaucer was born in the 1340’s. He was born of a hard working family that made wine. During Chaucer’s youth he worked for three kings as a servant, Edward III, Richard II, and Henry IV. When Chaucer was nineteen years old he was drafted into King Edward’s army. (Gale Online) Seven years later, Chaucer returned and married Philippa Pan. For the next nine years Chaucer worked hard and was appointed a customs official at the Port of

also the roles of women in the medieval time period which shows that Chaucer wants his audience to emulate the Wife of Bath’s independence rather than the elegance and passiveness of courtly love female. Many historians consider Chaucer a proto-feminist, which was a person that shows the beliefs of a modern feminist before feminism was discovered. Throughout the Canterbury Tales, there are many instances where Chaucer shows feminist values through his literature. Firstly, three women were made

Yvain and the Medieval Romance Genre Far off places! Daring sword fights! Magic spells! A prince in disguise! Not only are these words lyrics to the song Belle in Beauty and the Beast. They also apply to medieval romance literature, such as described in the book Yvain: Or the Knight with the Lion, by Chretien de Troyes. Two of the main ideas of this medieval romance literature genre included chivalry and courtly love, and these ideas directly reflected the thoughts of the time period. “Sometime

portrayal of women is different, and trace their role within Chaucer’s masterpiece. In doing so, first some general characteristics of how women were viewed during the medieval period are presented, and then there is an

Medieval Morality Plays Throughout time, there have been many books, plays, songs, pamphlets, sermons, lectures, etc. written. These writings were all written with some kind of purpose to either inform, persuade, entertain, or teach their audience. One such form of literature not too widely known about is that of the medieval morality plays. These plays were not aimed to entertain, but to teach morals and religion to the uneducated lower classes of people in medieval Europe. The morality plays

spirit, or customs of medieval knighthood and the qualities of the ideal knight: chivalrous conduct” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).  At the beginning of the Middle Ages, chivalry was strictly pigeon holed by its followers and members into only protecting religious pilgrimages and to maintain the church of God, to serve in valor and combat, and to bind oneself to courtly etiquette and the respect and protection of women.  Many of these beliefs and ideals stemmed from medieval literature, especially influenced

In the fourteenth-century romance was a common genre of literature and poetry. An element that was emphasized in romance within this time frame was courtly love. Traditional courtly love is described as the medieval tradition of love between a knight and a married noblewoman. This affair entailed a lower-class knight completing heroic tasks in the name of the noble lady. Within this mutualistic relationship the lady would be a fixation that would mesmerize the knight to complete heroic tasks, and

Medieval and Renaissance Literature The medieval literature is a clear depiction of the Christian’s changed perception in relation to Christ’s second coming. Initially, the majority of the readings focused entirely on three aspects that resonate around Jesus’ second coming, an anticipated resurrection for the faithful and the ultimate judgment. Judgment in this case was beyond human comprehension and it was regarded as God’s preserve. With the ‘second coming’ becoming extremely remote, middle

Integrity is a strong theme in medieval times often interwoven in code taken and upheld by the heroes of the time. This code is exhibited in much of the medieval tales in British literature. To have integrity in medieval culture is to follow some moral code defined by the society in which one lived. The understanding of what integrity is in the medieval times was determined by the virtuous and honorable life one lives and what values are of importance in the medieval society. Beowulf, as well as Geoffrey

Medieval Romance Medieval romances are timeless literary pieces that enchant audiences and create new worlds. Throughout time, medieval romances have continued to be popular novels that fly off the bookshelves. Although medieval romances have survived through many different eras, they all still adhere to a certain list of elements. These stories also manifest social views on heroes, violence, loyalty, and attitudes towards women. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by the Pearl Poet and Harry Potter