THE MIDDLE AGESTime marches on….

1066: A VERY IMPORTANT YEAR

BATTLE OF HASTINGS

Considered one of the most important events of England’s history

King Harold is killed—he is the last Anglo-Saxon king.

France begins it rule over England

WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR

Illegitimate son of the previous duke of Normandy

Cousin of the English king

Claimed the English throne belonged to him

Sailed from Normandy to challenge the Anglo-Saxon king

Photo courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org

ENGLAND UNDER WILLIAM

Brought administrative skills—more law and order and cultural unity

Built an inventory of most property and began charging taxes

Divided land up for his followers These men moved to England and

brought feudalism with them. This displaced the ways described

in Beowulf

FEUDALISM

FEUDALISM

Is a caste system Each person has his/her place in the

social system. No hope of moving out King is at the top— Nobles owned land—Knights served

the nobles Serfs—not free; just worked the land Offered stability to the age

KNIGHTS

Ruled by the code called chivalry

Main job: warfare

Bound by honor “A terrible worm

in an iron coccoon”

Photo courtesy of flickr.com

“COURTLY LOVE”

True, chivalry did urge man to revere a lady

Ideally, was to be non-sexual

Did little to actually help women’s staff

THE ROLE OF WOMEN

Had no political rights

Subservient to men Her father’s or

husband’s social class determined her rank

Peasant women—childbirth, housework, fieldwork

THE CRUSADES

THE MARTYDOM OF THOMAS A BECKET

Appointed by King Henry, but Thomas would not bend church rules for him

Henry ordered him to be killed—there in the cathedral

This created a backlash against Henry

Priests became corrupt with new power

THE PLAGUE: “THE BLACK DEATH”

“BEFORE IT’S OVER, HALF THE NATION WILL DIE”

THE RISE OF A MIDDLE CLASS

Labor shortage immense after the Black Death

No order to keep serfs imprisoned

Cities and the middle class slowly emerged

GEOFFREY CHAUCER—BORN 1340

Wrote The Canterbury Tales

Is considered the first great English poet

His …Tales is considered on of the very greatest works in the English language

SIGNIFICANCE OF TALES….

Is a rich record of these life and times

Example: character of the knight has returned from the crusades

Written in iambic pentameter

Marks the end of Anglo-Saxon lit style

FRAME OF THE CANTERBURY TALES

Chaucer’s “pilgrims” are going to Canterbury to see the shrine built for Saint Thomas a Becket

Each pilgrim is to tell 2 stories on the way there and on the way back

Never finished it