English Literature Chapters 12,Key Points in Chapter 1,The Old English (Anglo-Saxon) Period History of Invasion Anglo-Saxons Caedmon Beowulf King Alfred the Great Beowulf significance Outline of the Story Medieval Literature: A Brief Introduction 1066Norman ConquestMiddle EnglishFeudal Society The Arthurian Legends Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Robin Hood John Wycliffe,The Old English Period,History of Invasions 5th century BC: tribal kingdoms of Celtic people 55 BC: invaded by the Roman Empire (under control for over 400 years) 5th Century: by Germanic people: the Angles and the Saxon From the late 8th century on: by ferocious Vikings from Scandinavia 1066: by Normans from northern France, descendants of Vikings,The Old English Period,Anglo-Saxons 5th century invaded and defeated the Celts and the Romans A branch of Germanic tribes 597 AD: began to be converted to Christianity Basically barren in literary creation,The Old English Period,Caedmon Second half of the 7th century The first known poet in English literary history,The Old English Period,King Alfred the Great 9th century Defeated a wave of invasions Brought peace, security and prosperity Built schools, wrote annals, and encouraged cultural growth Decided that literature should be written in the vernacular, or Old English,Beowulf,Significance The only organic whole poem to come out of the Anglo-Saxon period An epic of well over 3,000 lines Probably the greatest epic ever left by the ancient Germanic tribes The most ancient ever since the demise of the Greek and Roman literature,Beowulf,Outline of the Story 8th century Scandinavia, Sweden, Denmark, King Hrothgar Sea monsters Grendel and his mother Fiery dragon,Medieval Literature: A Brief Introduction,1066Norman ConquestMiddle EnglishFeudal Society 1066: the French-speaking Normans conquered England The last Anglo-Saxon King Harold died in the battle of Hastings Marked the beginning of the Middle English or Anglo-Norman period Establishment of the Feudal System, 1381 Peasant Rising, the completion of the Domesday Book (土地调查清册，末日审判书) ，the launching of the Crusade, the signing of the Magna Carter (大宪章) in 1215, the war with France or the Hundred Years War,Medieval Literature: A Brief Introduction,The Arthurian Legends 1147: Geoffrey of Monmouth, Historia Regum Britannia, collected the legends about the king Enriched by a good number of later writers Some stories include those of the Holy Grail, Merlin， Sir Lancelot, Quest for the Holy Grail, and the death of the king. The Celtic King Arthur became a national hero for the English nation The legend had always been popular on the European continent,Medieval Literature: A Brief Introduction,Sir Gawain and the Green Knight One important story in the Arthurian legend. 4-par work of 2,530 lines in 101 sections Knighthood under the scrutiny of the Christian lens is found wanting Written in north Midland dialect,Medieval Literature: A Brief Introduction,Robin Hood Collection of 15th century medieval ballads about Robin Hood Robin Hood, the hero of the poor, the enemy of the rich and the powerful The ballads are many in number, “Robin hood and the Monk,” “Robin Hood and the Guy of Gisborne,” “Robin Hood and the Porter,” Lytell Geste of Robin Hood,Medieval Literature: A Brief Introduction,John Wycliffe (1320-1384) An Oxford Scholar The translation of the Bible from the sonorous Latin Vulgate Version into Middle English Far-reaching influence upon the evolution of the English language Precursor of Martin Luthers Reformation All his life he kept speaking vehemently against the Pope and the whole religious hierachy His followers formed what later came to be known as the Lollard movement.,Key Points in Chapter 2,Geoffrey Chaucer First Prominent English Poet Works Chaucer and English Language The Canterbury Tales Features of Chaucers Narration in The Canterbury Tales Major Characters in The Canterbury Tales The Pre-Elizabethan Period: A Brief Introduction 3 Major Events Turning the Middle Ages into the Modern Time Reformation Renaissance Thomas More Utopia,Geoffrey Chaucer (1340-1400),First Prominent English Poet Chaucer was the first prominent poet in history and ranks with Shakespeare as the most popular and most widely read of all poets today. He has been one of the major influences on writers of later generations not only in England but also across the world. Sometimes called the father of English literature, Chaucer is credited by some scholars as the first author to demonstrate the artistic legitimacy of the vernacular Middle English, rather than French or Latin.,Geoffrey Chaucer,Works Canterbury Tales The Book of the Duchess The House of Fame The Parliament of Fowls Troilus and Criseyde,Geoffrey Chaucer,Chaucer and English Language Sometimes called the father of English literature, Chaucer is credited by some scholars as the first author to demonstrate the artistic legitimacy of the vernacular Middle English, rather than French or Latin.,Geoffrey Ch