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1、CHAPTER2GeoffreyChaucer&TheCanterburyTalesSelectedReadingsinBritishLiteratureBackground(Anglo-Norman,1066-1400)1066,NormanConquest(theconquestofEnglandbytheFrench-speakingNormans)TheyearofwhichtheNormanscameunderWilliamtheConqueror,andthelastAnglo-Saxon
2、KingHarolddiedwithanarrowshotthroughhiseyeatthebattleofHastings.Theyear1066alsomarkedthebeginningoftheMiddleEnglish,orwesay,theAnglo-Normanperiod.TheNormanlineofkingssatonthethroneforsome90yearsandthengaveplacetotheAngevinkings(orthePlantangenets)in1154
3、.KingHenryIIandhisdescendantsstayedinpowerfor245yearsuntiltheyweresuperseded(replaced)bytheHouseofLancasterin1399whenthelastofthePlantangenets,RichardII,wasdethroned.ThishappenedjustoneyearbeforeGeoffreyChaucerdied.B.Majorhistoricaleventsinthisperioda)T
4、heEstablishmentoftheFeudalSystem:WilliamtheConquerorgrabbedAnglo-Saxonlandbyforceandgaveittohisnoblesandfollowers.Thehierarchywasamulti-tiereddegradationwiththekingatthetopkeepingallthepowerinhishands.Thisrelativepeacebroughtpowerandwealthandcreatedacon
5、genialenvironmentforthegrowthofartandliterature.b)TheLaunchingoftheCrusades:ThiswasaseriesofwarsbetweenChristiansandtheMuslimsthatlastedforabout170years(1096-1270).c)TheWarwithFranceortheHundredYears’War(1337-1453):BritainfirstwonatCrecyandAgincourt,but
6、wasintheenddrivenout.ThatwasthepointatwhichtheNormannoblesbegantoseeEnglandastheironlyhome,NormanandAnglo-Saxonelementsbegantocombineintoonenation,andthentheEnglishlanguagestartedtorevive.2.MedievalLiteratureMedievalliteratureisnotedforitsvastnumberofro
7、mances,whichdealwithheroesratherthancommonlife.SirGawainandtheGreenKnight:Unknownauthor;ExtolSirGawainandhisknightlyvirtuesofloyalty,valor,rectitude,andintegrity;SharesquiteafewbasicfeatureswithBeowulf,linestructureanduseofalliteration.2.RobinHood:Acoll
8、ectionof15th-centurymedievalballadsaboutRobinHood,theheroofthepoor,andtheenemyoftherichandthepowerful;Theballadsrevealthecruelrealityofmedievallifewithitsgrossinjusticeanditsunderlyingdiscontentaswellastheaspirationofthepoor;They
