2. Medieval Literature / Anglo-Norman Period (1066 – 1485)

What is chivalry?

A code of conduct for knights, encompassing both combat and social behaviours.

What is courtly love (fin amour)?

A literary convention (often adulterous), where a knight undertakes quests to gain the love of a (usually noble) lady, often reversing gender roles.

What is the debate (type of literary convention)?

A mock quarrel or dialogue between opponents, often allegorical (e.g., The Owl and the Nightingale).

What is fabliaux?

Plebeian, comic, short, and often obscene tales, frequently attacking monks and women (e.g., The Miller's Tale from The Canterbury Tales).

How can chivalric romance be characterized?

Lack of realism, a passion for adventure, exaggeration of vices, idealization of virtues, and the quest motif with knight-errantry.

What legends were central to the "matter of Britain?"

Arthurian legends, featuring King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table (Sir Lancelot, Sir Galahad, Sir Gawain), Excalibur, Camelot, Avalon, and the Quest of the Holy Grail. Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur (1485) is a definitive literary source.

Give an example of an alliterative romance.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

(A tale involving a beheading game, a quest, and a test of the knight's honor and honesty).

Give an example of an allegory.

The Pearl. (A dream vision lamenting the death of a child) and,

William Langland's Piers Plowman (the narrator's quest for the true Christian life through allegorical characters).

Who is considered the "father of English literature"?

Geoffrey Chaucer.

Who’s responsible for innovations in versification and a strong sense of humour?

Geoffrey Chaucer.