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summary rhyme and reason
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a summery of rhyme and reason
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samenvatting rhyme and reason
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Samenvatting Rhyme and ReasonThe Old English Period (500-1066)
- For 400 (till fifth century) years Britain had been a province of the Roman Empire,
and the original inhabitants of Britain, the Celts (de Kelten), had been largely
dependent on the Roman armies for their protection.
- In 410 (end of romeinse rijk)the Celts couldn’t prevent the newcomers from settling
in Britain -> newcomers are Germanic tribes like Angles, Saxons and Jutes (founders
of the English nation with their language).
- In 793, the monastery of Lindisfarne was destroyed by Vikings -> this started a new
wave of foreign invaders. They raided the coastal areas, robbed people and buildings
and they made off again.
- By the end of the ninth century England was in acute danger of becoming
Scandinavian territory (lot Vikings) -> the Anglo-Saxon king Alfred the Great
prevented this with a decisive victory over the Danish army in 871.
- When Alfred died Danish influence increased but in 1042 the crown once more fell to
an Englishman -> Edward the Confes-sor (came from Normandy in France) -> this led
to an abrupt change in the history of England.
Monsters and Heroes
- The poems, tales were passed on by word of mouth from generation to generation
by the Angles, Saxons and Jutes.
- The most important epic poem that was written down and has survived is Beowulf:
- It tells of the young Swedish prince Beowulf, who visits the court of Danish King
Hrothgar. For twelve years Hrothgar’s kingdom had been ravaged by a monster
called Grendel, and no Dane and been able to put an end to it. One night, when all
have gone to sleep, the monster breaks into the royal hall. Beowulf, who is reputed
to have the strength of thirty men, takes it on single-handed and in the fight that
follows tears off its arm. After a night of feasting Grendel’s mother appears, eager to
avenge her child, and seizes one of the kings nobles. Beowulf follows her to her
dwelling-place, a dark and gloomy lake that burns at night. He is carried off to a
mysterious hall at the bottom, where another fight takes place. This time Beowulf
gets into serious trouble and it is only with the help of a huge ancient sword that
hangs of the wall that he can save himself. He cuts off the monster’s head and carries
it back to the surface. On his return Beowulf is honored as a great hero, and after
many festivities he returns to Sweden. In the second part Beowulf, an old man now,
is himself king of Sweden. Then an ancient treasure is stolen while the dragon that
guards it is asleep. When the monster awakes and finds part of its hoard gone, it is
determined to be revenged.
- The story is told in a dignified and impressive way, moving slowly, with many noble
speeches and fine descriptions -> it is a typical early Germanic poetry -> no rhyme
and no fixed rhythmical pattern.
- Each line is dived into two half-lines, each containing two stressed and a varying
number of unstressed syllables (alliteration).
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, The Middle English Period (1066-1500) -> Engelse middeleeuwen
- In 1042 the Danish rule in England came to an end and Edward ‘the confessor’
(godsdienstig leven) became the next King of England -> he had French habits.
Edward died in 1066 and left the throne vacant.
- Duke William and Harold Godwinson could get the throne. When Harold Godwinson
was crowned, William took action and crossed in 1066 the Channel with his troops. In
the battle of Hastings was Harold killed and William the Conqueror became first king.
- William set out to organize society along the lines of the feudal system of his own
country. Norman French dialect, became the language used in the higher circles of
society and in all matters of law and government.
- In the fourteenth century English became the national language -> literature had
changed too -> because of the French influence the alliterative line was replaced by
the French type with end-rhyme and fixed syllable patterns.
- The typically Germanic poetry, with its main themes of war, death and glory, gave
way to more refined and elegant types.
- The courtly love tradition gave women, almost totally absent in Anglo-Saxon verse, a
prominent place in the figure of the knight, who combined courage and strength with
gentle manners and reverence for women in general and his own lady in particular.
Chaucer’s Portrait Gallery -> The Canterbury Tales (raamvertelling)
- The most important poet of the Middle English period is Geoffrey Chaucer (1340-
1400) -> he was a courtier/diplomat and his greatest work is The Canterbury Tales ->
the work has never been finished and has 24 tales -> link-and-frame
- The story introduces us to a company of 29 pilgrims who have come together at a
London inn -> they are preparing to go on a pilgrimage to the grave of Archbishop
Thomas Becket, who had been murdered by knights of king Henry II in 1170. They
agree to hold a storytelling contest, and the winner will be treated to a free dinner.
The innkeeper is the judge and each pilgrim was to tell two tales on the way to
Canterbury, and another two on the way back, which would bring the total number
of tales to some 120.
- The General Prologue is the Chaucer’s portrait gallery of pilgrims. He is giving the
details of the pilgrims and he admires them even if their bad -> there is an irony that
exposes them for what they really are, and in this way the tales becomes a
fascinating panorama of medieval (middeleeuws) society. The knight is Nobel.
- A squire (schildknaap) was a young man of noble birth preparing to be a knight -> he
had to serve as page, then as a squire and when he proved his worth, he would
receive is knighthood from the king -> soldier and lover (win his lady favour) -> he is
the perfect example of the courtly love.
- The monk (St. Benedict, St. Maurus, St. Augustine) is connected with the church and
they were supposed to live within a monastery, devoting their lives wholly to the
service of God. The famous monks emphasized the importance of poverty and
simplicity. Chaucer’s monk is an outridere whose duty was to look after the monastic
estates.
- Wife of Bath: Dame Alison stands out as a remarkable character -> she considers
herself an expert in all matters of love. She married 5 times, two were bad an three
were ‘good’ (rich and old). She made them work at night. Her last husband, hot
young student from Oxford, did she marry for love -> battle of sovereignty.
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