Medieval Lit Quiz 3

Edward III

son of Edward II and Isabella of France, reigned from 1327-1377

began the Hundred Years’ War because he sought the French throne, in addition to the English monarchy

Hundred Years’ War

lasts from 1337-1453, began by Edward III when he sought the French throne after the king’s death, refusing to acknowledge their own candidate

(this contradicts Salic Law, which stated that land and monarchies could not be inherited through female lineage)

a series of military conflicts between England and France

Peasant Uprising of 1831

a response to England's poor performance in the Hundred Years’ War, oppressive taxes levied against the peasants to compensate for losses and war efforts

led by Wat Tyler

resulted in the beheading of the Archbishop of Canterbury and treasurer of England

Lollards

or “lollers,” followers of John Wycliffe circa 1382

a religious and social reform movement that preceded the Protestant Reformation of the 16th Century

The Great Famine

lasted from 1315-1317

the Black Death

or the Bubonic Plague, lasted from 1348-1351

a pandemic that killed 1/3 of Europe’s population (an estimated 34 million people)

Second Outbreak

occurred in 1365 after the first wave of the Black Death, was followed by typhoid fever, typhus, and cholera

resulted in massive depopulation, popular unrest, shifts in social structure that allowed for newfound upward mobility

weakened the influence of the Church

brought about new attitudes towards death and pietism (the development of personal spirituality outside of the Church)

the Deposition of Richard II

occurs from 1377-1399, led by his cousin Henry Bolingbroke, marking the first historical break in primogeniture

the King is abdicated and promptly murdered in 1400, allowing for the ascension of Henry IV

Henry IV

came to power after the abdication and murder of Richard II, reigned from 1399-1413

the first Lancastrian King

Alliterative Revival

occurred throughout the 14th Century, a revival of the alliterative verse of Anglo-Saxon poetry

English poetry of the High Middle Ages used alternations of stressed-unstressed syllables and rhyming verse, adapted from the French after the Norman conquest

Geoffrey Chaucer

Book of the Duchess (1368), Troilus and Criseyde (1385-1387), The Canterbury Tales (1387-1399)

Julian of Norwich

Book of Showings (or Revelations of Divine Love, 1373-1393)

Bible

the first translation of this book into English was made possible by followers of John Wycliffe (1380-1395)

“Pearl”

written by anonymous, contains Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl, Cleanness, and Patience (1375-1400)

John Gower

Confessio Amantis (The Lover’s Confession, 1390-1392)

Major Literary Genres

knightly/Arthurian/courtly love romances (Sir Gawain and the Green Knight)

Breton lei (“The Wife of Bath’s Tale” by Chaucer)

dream/vision allegory (The Book of the Duchess by Chaucer, The Visions of Piers Plowman by Langland)

estate satire (“The General Prologue” by Chaucer)

Fabliau (“The Miller’s Tale” and “The Reeve’s Tale” by Chaucer)

beast fable (“The Nun’s Priest’s Tale” by Chaucer)

mystical and visionary writings (Book of Showings by Julian of Norwich)

saints’ lives/hagiography

miracle and mystery plays