7/17/2019 Medieval and Renaissance Literature Curs 1 (1)

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/medieval-and-renaissance-literature-curs-1-1 1/7

3rd Year 

Medieval and Renaissance

Literature

7/17/2019 Medieval and Renaissance Literature Curs 1 (1)

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/medieval-and-renaissance-literature-curs-1-1 2/7

Introducing English Literature

• When did "English Literature" begin?

• The very concept of English literature: a construction ofliterary history, a concept that has changed over tie!

• aedon#s Hymn, the earliest English poe to survive

as a te$t, belongs to the latter part of the %th century!• The orality play, Everyman, is dated "after &'()" and

probably belongs to early &*th century!

• +or the iddle -ges . no central oveent or event

such as the English /eforation, the ivil War, or the/estoration to organi0e a historical approach to theperiod!

7/17/2019 Medieval and Renaissance Literature Curs 1 (1)

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/medieval-and-renaissance-literature-curs-1-1 3/7

Introducing English Literature

• The literary culture of the iddle -ges 1as farore international than national2

• It 1as divided ore by lines of class and

audience than by language!• Latin 1as the language of the hurch and of

learning!•  -fter the &&th century, +rench becae the

doinant language of secular European literaryculture!

7/17/2019 Medieval and Renaissance Literature Curs 1 (1)

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/medieval-and-renaissance-literature-curs-1-1 4/7

Early English Literature Thees

• articular attention is given in edieval literature toreligious orders and to the ascetic ideals!

• When a te$t is geared to1ard a particular class ofpeople, it is said to be 1ritten ad status, Latin for "to the

estate!"• The "+irst Estate" 1as the hurch! The "4econd Estate"

1as the 5obility!The "Third Estate" 1as the easantry!• The &6th century 7enedictine on8 -elfric gives the

theory of three estates 9 clergy, nobles, and

cooners 9 1or8ing haroniously together!• These "estates" are defined priarily by 1hat one does 

as 1ell as by the social class one is born into;!•  Woen 1ere also categori0ed according to three

specifically "feinine estates": virgin, 1ife and 1ido1!

7/17/2019 Medieval and Renaissance Literature Curs 1 (1)

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/medieval-and-renaissance-literature-curs-1-1 5/7

The -rthurian ycle

• The -rthurian cycle trace ho1 +rench 1riters in the &< th and &3th centuries transfored the legendary histories of7ritain into "roance!=

• The 1or8s of hr>tien de Troyes focus on the

adventures of individual 8nights of the /ound Table andho1 those adventures ipinge upon the cult of chivalry!

• In roance the adventurous uest is often entangled1ith personal fulfillent of love for a lady 9 achievingher love, protecting her honor!

• In the &3th century, clerics turned the sagas of -rthur andhis 8nights 9 especially 4ir Lancelot 9 into ienselylong prose roances!

7/17/2019 Medieval and Renaissance Literature Curs 1 (1)

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/medieval-and-renaissance-literature-curs-1-1 6/7

onclusions

• haucer and his conteporaries are heirs toclassical and edieval cultures that had beenevolving for any centuries!

•

There is a tendency to thin8 of the iddle -gesas a single culture in 1hich architecture, art,usic, and liturgy @oin in agnificente$pressions of a unified faith!

•

This vie1 overloo8s the diversity of edievalcultures and the social, political, religious,econoic, and technological changes that too8place over this vastly long period!

7/17/2019 Medieval and Renaissance Literature Curs 1 (1)

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/medieval-and-renaissance-literature-curs-1-1 7/7

ourse -ssesent

•  -ttendance: <6A

• 4einar grade: 36A

•

+inal e$aination: )6A