Medieval Literature (1066-1485) — Flashcards

The Norman Conquest and Feudal System

  • Objectives (from transcript): to examine the Norman Conquest and its effects; Norman influence on literature; the Medieval Romance; Sir Gawain and the Green Knight; Morte d’Arthur
  • Normans: “Norsemen” from Normandy, France
  • Battle of Hastings (1066) – Ends Anglo-Saxon dynasty
  • William the Conqueror
  • Basis of French claim to throne
  • Bayeux Tapestry
  • Establish Feudal System
    • Rigid social classes: Aristocracy; Clergy; Peasant/lower class
    • Requires loyalty
    • Unwritten moral code
    • Legal system: Judges; Contracts
  • Significance and context (implicit in transcript): Feudal structure shapes governance, social order, and loyalties that influence later literature and chivalric ideals

Romance

  • II. Romance: Most popular medieval genre
  • Roots: France
  • Height: {1100}–{1300}
  • D. Elements of Romance
    • Legendary times
    • Stock characters
    • The improbable and supernatural
    • Combat
  • 5. Quest: Adventure
    • Completion of a task
    • Journey, end in itself → personal enlightenment
    • Pattern: Social – Integration – Disintegration – Reintegration
  • Elements (cont’d)
    • Chivalry: Code of horseman; Bravery, loyalty, selflessness
    • Courtesy: Hospitality; Gentility; Civility
    • “Courtly Love”: Love & Institutions; Extra-Marital (chaste)

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

  • III. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
    • Anonymous; Circa {1400}
    • Combines: Alliterative verse (Old English) and Rhyming verse (French)
  • D. Interlaces 2 plots
    • Beheading game
    • Knight’s temptation
  • E. Gentle Satire
    • Criticism of social ills
    • Courtesy
    • Chivalry
  • F. Characters: Stock but complex
    • Gawain: Exemplar of chivalry; imperfect in application
    • Arthur: Courtly, chivalrous leader; “Wild brain,” intemperate
    • Green Knight: Hostile challenger
    • Lady Bercilak: Temptress
  • G. Symbols
    • The Pentangle: Gawain’s ideal order → too rigid
    • Green Girdle: Lack of structure → provides resilience
    • The Green Chapel: A grave

Morte D'Arthur

  • IV. Morte D'Arthur
  • Most complete collection of Arthurian legends in English
  • {83}
  • A. Thomas Malory, (c. 1405-71)
    • Knight during Wars of the Roses
    • Excess of feudalism
    • Wrote in prison, {1468-70}
    • Unhappy with upheaval
    • Nostalgia
  • B. Style
    • Presented as history
    • Multiple quests
    • Graphic
    • Symbolic: dreams; Wheel of fortune; Snakes
  • C. Characters
    • Arthur: Idealized fallen leader; Infinite hope
    • Mordred: Embodiment of Arthur’s frailty
    • Gawain: Faithful knight
    • Bedivere: Untested knight
    • Morgan le Fay: Supernatural speaker/forces

Connections and Context

  • The Norman Conquest introduces feudalism, which underpins the social order and expectations of loyalty, honor, and hierarchy seen in romance and Arthurian tales
  • Romance as a vehicle for exploring chivalry, courtesy, and courtly love within a nostalgic or critical frame
  • Arthurian legends (as collected by Malory) synthesize earlier material into a unified English presentation of quests, ideal leadership, and supernatural interference
  • The use of symbolic imagery (Pentangle, girdle, dreams) reflects medieval preoccupations with virtue, vulnerability, and fate
  • Ethical and practical implications: tension between idealized codes (chivalry, courtly love) and human flaws (temptation, political upheaval, pragmatic governance)

Key Dates and Numbers (for quick reference)

  • Battle of Hastings: 1066
  • Romance genre height: 1100–1300
  • Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: Circa 1400
  • Malory’s life/work window: c. 1405-71; wrote in prison: 1468-70
  • Morte D’Arthur manuscript count reference: 83
  • Notation: All numerical references are quoted with LaTeX-style math delimiters as shown