English literature

the origigns of english literature

THE ORIGINS

the origins

Languages spoken in english isles; Welsh, Irish and Gaelic hold their roots in the celtic language that celts that migraited from Germany to England in 700 BC spoke.Divided into tribes, fishing, hunting and agricolture was what their economy was based on.

The stonehenge is a monument left by prehistoric iberians which were the first inhabitants of England.The only mark left by their civilisation we hold is the monument itself.

Prehistoric iberians and celts

the origins

The roman culture, lifestyle and language was absorbed by celts when they settled in AD43.Although isles; Irish, Welsh, English and Scottish remained unaltered by roman influence. The emperor Hadrian even felt threatened by warfaring scottish tribes who would not comform or submit to roman rule so he wanted a wall built in the north.

The Romans

The origins

A germanic group constituted of angles, saxons and jutes took advantage of the roman withdrew from England to conqueer the country in AD455 dividing it in seven kingdoms.They lived in independent small groups and referred to 'Old English' as the union of related languages they spoke. Literacy was only introduced after christian conversion

The Anglo-Saxons

Christianity was brought in England by romans.The process of christianisation was founded by Pope Gregory that in AD 600 missionaries were sent to Britain, churches were built, people were baptised and st.Agustine became the first arcibishop of canterburry by rebulding an old church, being the first monastery of canterburry.

Christianity in England

The celts have fought many battlesagainst the vikings that advanced towards England in the 8th century through London. Alfred The Great, king of the Anglo-Saxons found himself in the only position of conceding northern England to the vikings while only keeping the South.

The Vikings

The origins

Although most of anglo-saxon poetry its lost to us and the whats left is contained 4 manuscripts; beowulf,manuscript,junius manuscript,exeter book, vercelli book

Just before the latin alphabet was adopted there was the runic alphabet which was used by anglosaxon tribes.Poems were an oral tradition sung by scops or bards. the topic was usually myths or stories of ancient warriors. The christian scribes were those who started to actually write poems.

english culture and literature

The runic alphabet and anglo-saxon poetry

The origins

Religious poetry was given by the conversion of anglo-saxon and christianity.Written in latin and old english. Most important of the genre are; Caedmon, Cyneful.Pagan poetry can be divided aswell into two categories: elegy and epic. EPIC POEMS were founded on heroism loyalty and struggle against the evi giving its pagan origin and dignity of sacrifice in thought and in action. Great examples are The Iliad and The Odyssey, had many literary devices; similes and kennings. Beowulf is the most important one of english epic poetry. THE ELEGY The elegy is simply a melancholic poem which mourns a dead person. It expresses the poet's feelings in a particular moment.

Pagan and christian poetry

Beowulf

Beowulf is one of the oldest poems of the 1st century.It was written by monks in an anglo-saxon dialect. Its theme is about a warrior that battles against monsters and dragons for his kind and land. It takes place in Scandinavia and in 6th century in Sweden or Denamrak.

It contains a lot of literary devices like similes, kennings, caesura, alliteration

THE POEM:BEOWULF

The main charachter is a dragon in human form that lives in a cave with his mother that represents a threat for the land ruled by (name of the king).He attacks 30 of the king's and eventually gets killed by Beowulf, the king's nephew.

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Magna Carta and humans rights

Middle ages

The normans, the last invaders

The permanent Norman occupation of England wa scaused by the defeat of Harold II and the anglo-saxon troops during the Battle of Hastings.Which led William of Normandy to be crowned. Normans spoke french and had french customs despite originally coming from Denmark.

The middle ages

THE FEUDAL SYSTEM was a system where the king was at the top and could impose takes to people at wil.Followed by barons and lord that held absolute power over their territories. They could provide a certain number of knights in a war. Merchants and yeomen (small landowners) made up the middle class, majority of the country constituited by paesants that didnt possess anything whose freedom was limited.

By 1100 all anglo-saxons descentants were replaced by normansthat became the ruling class in England because their aristocracy had completely taken over despite all the attempts of the anglo-saxons nobles to oppose it.Furthermore they happened to mix through marriage, language and tradition.

Norman predominance in England and the Feudal system

Middle ages

Written in 1086, was an ownership of land book to make sure that the king could demand the right taxes from everyone.The king felt the need to establish a compromise between the power of the state and the power of the church and had the arcibishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket assassinated by 4 knights in the cathedral of Canterbury after he expressed his disapproval in doing so. King Henry II had previously enforced the consitution of Clarendon in 1164 that stated that clerks and clergy would've been tried in the king's court and judged by the ecclesiastic court, not anymore in the bishop's court. This led him to clarify the distribution of power of both church and state, which followed the arcibishop's assassination motivated by his disapproval. A system of law was introduced in 1166.

The Domsday Book

King John (successor of richard II) was forced to sign a document named the Magna Carta (1215) that imposed limited power to kings, but for the lower classes recognition of rights we must wait hundreds of years still.king John was Richard II younger brother, that took his role because of his absence.

Richard the lionheart and king John

Middle ages

In the course of the war the Anglo-Norman aristocracy came to consider itself truly english.The main character is Henry III that in attempt to defend his french conqueered territories went to war against France. Although after the interruption of the Black Plague, Richard III that suceeded Henry III succeded to gain some victories but the only french territory in his possession was Calais.

The Hundred Years'War1337-1453

MIDDLE AGES

When England industry was weakned by cirruption a new war happened between two dynasties,House of Lnacaster (red rose on shield) and House of York (white rose). When it ended with the Battle of Bosworth Henry the Tudoir defeated Rivhard III.

John Wycliffe was the starter of a Protestant movement (Lollardy reform movement) that asserted itself in the 16th century.which led many supporters to be persecuted and burnt heretics. The movement accused the church of being excessively wealthy and corrupted.

MIDDLE AGES

John Wycliffe

The ballades were orally transmitted by balladers usually uneducated.Themes were focused on tragic death, love and war and also contained fantasy and supernatural elements. They were written very simply and were short for a better understanding when they were first heard. Refrain was an omnipresent technique that consisted of verses being repeated more than once for better memorisation. Given the nature of trasmission it was possible the coexistence of different versions of the same story. There were also other variations of the theme of these ballades; border ballades treated about fights and conflicts with scots in the northen. There were ballades that has as the main theme the outlaws of the time like poverty among paesants. Ballads would be also brought and spread outside of England by immigrants that would usually adapt them to their cultures. Ballades could not be understood outside of the community they were sung to, this would lead to a further chanhes in the structure.

MIDDLE AGES

The Ballades

Beginnings of Modern English The canterbury tales is written in modern english. Language had been initially influenced by european styles, although this didnt prevent Chaucer from mastering it and adapting at its own poetry. He marked the end of the oral storytelling but simultaneosly the establishment of modern english.

30 pilgrims Chaucer himself, were travelling to Canterbury from London in honour of the death of the arcibishop Thomas Becker died in 1170 entertaining each other by telling stories.He didnt really stick to what he had previously planned, indeed the initial plan expected every character to tell a tale with a total of 30 tales and originally the book should've included the way back to London. What characterise this work is the so called 'frametale' which is basically tales within a framework. In the prologue he dexcribes characters and the adaptation of all the features to them provides an important historical document.

The Canterbury Tales

Allegoric dramas referencing episodes from the Bible having the actors fighting each other as the representation of virttues and vices fighting to reach the soul of the man.ex; "everyman" represents the man before death. They are dramatisations of biblical events.

Scenes from the Bible were usually performed on occasions like christmas or easter, for example, birth or death of Christ, scenes portraying saints.Although an independence from liturgy started to form and plays would be performed by professional guilds in marketplaces with mobile stages entirely in english even if the main theme remained religion.

Medieval Theater and miracle and mystery plays

Middle ages

Romance has french roots and is inspired by chanson de jeste, brought there by normans.Anonymous authors. theme consisted of a hero or knight showing the purity of his heart through adventures he found himself in that were often motivated by the search of spiritual fulfillment usually represented by holy grail, seen as a quest of the man. Chivalric ideology was predominant. Contained supernatural and fantasy elements. ex; 'matter of britain' talks about king Arthur and the knights at the round table. He was made an international figure by the popularity french romances gave him being spread throughout Europe in latin. Le Morte Darthur (1485, Thomas Malory) is different because in the poem the code of chivalry prevails on the fantasy and supernatural theme.

The Romance (14th century)

MIDDLE AGES

His family belonged to the middle class and his father made sure he could receive a good education, good social connections.He fought against France with Edward III. Studied law and got a position in the custom house and even became rent's parliamentary representative. Literature was highly influed by french and italian writers. His writing was conditioned byd by Petrarch who was his mentor, Dante and Boccaccio. The Canterbury tales, was indeed mostly inspired by Boccaccio's Decameron, with the only difference that Chaucer included himself in his work.

Geoffrey Chaucer (1343-1400) is the most notable medieval poet

Geoffrey Chaucer

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The three estates

The pardonerseen as the mopst dishonest pilgrim.

THE LAIC was the lowest estate

Is middle estate

THE CLERGY

'The Knight'he is the most admirable character.

THE MILITARYis the highest estate

A woman not fitting the common standard for a medieval woman.Her freedom was seen as a negative treat considering that it implied independence from men. So she was considered an average 'lustful' woman that had 5 husbands and would not mind having fun with other men sometimes. This is the most famous and vivid tale of the book.

The Wife of Bath

THE CANTERBURY TALES

THE ORIGINS

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