Morality play-allegorical story from the 15th/16th century In which virtues and vices are personified to teach the humanity how to each salvation (protagonists often had names like Messenger, God etc.)It contained biblical themes from Old Testament such as the Great Flood, the fall of Adam and Eve etc./Miracle play-based on the lie of saints, similar to mystery play, religious drama, based on the life of saints/Mystery play- between the 11th & 14th ct based on events in the Bible and Christ’s redemption/Fabliau-short satiric story about middle class/Heroic Couplet-a couplet written in rhymed iambic pentameter/Amor vincit omnia-Latin expression for translation ”Love conquers all”. The favorite saying from the novel “Canterbury Tales”/St. Augustine-Christian saint sent from Rome in 597. to England with 40 monks to teach Christianity to the Anglo-Saxons. Built a church in his capital city, Canterbury, became the first Archbishop of Canterbury./Unferth-male character from Beowulf, son of Ecglaf and Hrothgar’s thane who teased Beowulf about the swimming contest/The siege of Rhodes-first English opera, produced in 1656./Sir Robert Walpole-first British prime minister/Tottel’s Miscelany-one of the most influential anthologies of poetry published by sir Thomas Wyatt in 1557./Arcadia-prose romance written by Sir Phillip Sydney/Bede-a poet from Old England who wrote the earliest poems-“Caedmons hymn”, which is about an illiterate man who had a vision and became a poet/Margery Kempe-a woman from the 14th

century who wrote an autobiography about her having visions/Petrarch-Italian poet from the Renaissance who established the conventions for the sonnet,14-line sonnet which deals with love/Una- female character from Spenser’s “The Faerie Queene”,a symbol of protestant church in England/Sonnet-poem with 14 lines, each containing 10 syllables and a fixed patterns of rhyme/Sonnet Sequence-a collection, cycle of sonnets that tell a story, such as “Astrophil and Stella”/Squire-male character from Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales”. The son of the Knight and represents a new generation, that differs from his father’s/Mock Epic-one that mocks human behavior, but not of the epic genre/kenning-complex metaphors, new words invented to make alliteration possible/Orlando Furioso-a romantic epic, by written by Ariosto, which Edmund Spencer used as a source for his Faerie Queene/Blank Verse-poetry with regular rhythm usu with 10 syllables and 5 stresses in the each line, but without rhyme/Bede-(also Venerable Bede)(c. 673–735)an English monk and historian. At his monastery in Jarrow in north-east England, wrote many books, the most important of which, Ecclesiastical History of the English People, written in Latin, first serious work of English history/Coutrly love-love of a knight towards a maiden,(often married),important to treat the ladies in an aristocratic manner/Magna Carta-1st document officially stating political&legal rights of the Eng. that King John was forced to sign(often referred to as the basis for modern English law)

597.-St. Augustine came from Rome to England731.-“Ecclesiastical History of the English People” by Bede787.-first raid on England by Danes and Norwegians9th ct. –King Alfred unites the country892.-“The Anglo-Saxon chronicle” (in old English)1066.-the Normans conquered England1095.-1221.-The Crusades(“Holy War”)1189.-1109.-Richard I1170.-Sir Thomas Beckett murdered in Canterbury1215.-Magna Carta1360’s- Middle English appears1346.-1356.- England in war with France1348.-the plague1381.-new taxes imposed1136-1138.-“The History of the Kings of Britain” by Geoffrey of Monmouth1475.-William Caxton introduced printing to England1485.-Henry VII became king. The first Tudor1509.-Henry VIII–important for development of humanism1534.-Henry VIII became the supreme head of the state & of the church1557.-Tottel’s Miscellany1558.-1603.-Queen Elisabeth1558.-the war with Spain, English victory over Spanish armada1576.-the “Theater” was built1605.-the attempt to blow the parliament failed1625.-Cahrles I the conflict between the Parliament and the Crown reached the climax1642.-the beginning of the civil war;(Commonwealth)1649–1660.-The Commonwealth in England1660.- The Restoration (of the monarchy)1666.-the great fire of London, war with Holland1656.-the 1st opera produced and performed, ”The Siege of Rhodes”1685.-James II came to the throne1707.- the Union of States

Beowulf-the hall Heorot is attacked by Grendel. B. comes to Heorot and there meets Hrothgar, the friend of B’s father (Ecgtheow). B. promises to go against the monster with his bare hands. At night Grendel comes to hall, kills one sleeping guy. Beowulf grabs and tears off his arm (mortal wound for Grendel). Celebration in the morning. Hrothgar gives gifts (commitatus code-proof that he was a good king).after the party, everybody fells asleep, Grendel’s mother attacks, comes to avenge his son, and goes following narrow paths (inner quest), in her cave, B. founds, and beheads her with it. He came to Heorot carrying Grendel’s head, further celebration at Heorot, gifts… Old English epic, commtatus code, kennings, alliteration, no rhyme, no stanzas, monotonous tone, written in non-christian and non English environment, written down later, elements from the Old Testament (Grendel’s Cain’s descendant, God is the creator of all things),elements of the quest. There are many biblical elements in the poem but there are also pagan elements (contradictions), Christian elements must’ve been added later during its transmission. When Hrothgar’s best friend is killed B. wants revenge (a tooth or a tooth culture).non-christian element: if one has the courage, hecan change everything. No hope for the afterlife, only their courage helps them achieve immortality, through fame. B is a historical person, although there is no definite evidence. Most trivial things are described. Heroic quest – typical for heroic poetry, but there is also an internal quest. Challenge – a disaster, the culture is threatened by a higher force. Calling – the hero is called to solve the problem. Grendel – a challenge to the society, can’t stand the songs sang by the people in the hall, human happiness makes him mad. Equal in strength with B. (B. has the strength of 30 men, G. kills 30 men)Sir Gawain and The Green Knight – the bob and the wheel – rhyme introduced with alliteration. Between Beowulf & Sir Gawain, there’s a 2ct. gap. Not a typical French romance. He is a typical hero (domestic romance), author is anonymous. Many elements of old heroic poetry (boasting, feasting), usage of the alliteration but here we have the first introduction of the rhyme. Alliteration is spread over several lines. Written in northwestern dialect. Court of king Arthur gets invaded by G.K.-arrogant, monstrous but nevertheless reasonable. Challenges them to fight him, because of their fame. The court is to receive testing, no one replies, and Arthur is obliged to fight him, but them sir Gawain accepts the challenge to release the king (sth like commitatus code). Gawain beheads the knight, but he just picks his head and walks away. Now Gawain is to challenge G.K. after a year of searching and fighting beasts and dragons (physical quest), he finds him. After meeting Peter (symbol of New Testament), he finds G.K. and fights him. He only gets a small cut on the cheek(a symbol of Christ’s blood spilled for people).he didn’t kill him because he accepted the belt, a symbol of New Testament

Samuel pepys – known for his diaries, senior government officer in the service of 2 kings, Charles II and James II. He recorded some major events like The great fire of London, but has included many private details. He knew many of the most important figures of his day, including Sir Christopher Wren and Sir Isaac NewtonMiller’s Tale – John, the naive carpenter, lived in Oxford, marries young Alison who cheats on him with Nicholas, young, clever helper. Absolon also hits on Alison, butt ends disgraced by kissing her butt. N & A told John to build 3 boats on the roof because N told him that God said that there will be another flood. That was a story so that A&N could meet in secret. In the end John gets laughed at as if he was mad. N got punished for taking other man’s life when he tried to get rid of A, he accidentally killed him. John woke up then thinking that flood started, got into a boat, and eventually broke his arm. He got punished for being too naive. Then A got punished for believing in courtly love. The cause of all – woman, was left unpunished. Laughing at human stupidity.Canterbury Tales-by Geoffrey Chaucer. Resembles Decameron in many ways. A collection of tales told by group of young people, without order. Begun in 1387. It consists of the stories told by a varied group of pilgrims, people traveling from London to Canterbury to show respect for St Thomas Becket. It is one of the first great poems in English, and some of the stories are well known for referring to sex in humorous ways. 2 levels of fiction, few different genres of tales (fabliaus, sermons, romances). Language – no silent e. the prologue is written in iambic pentameter.Edmund Spenser – The Faerie Queene - a long poem (1590–6). Written in praise of Queen Elizabeth I and its imaginary characters and events represent moral values. It is Spenser’s best-known poem. The style of writing had a strong influence on the development of English poetry, and the pattern of rhymes in each verse was used by many later poets.

14th-15th ct-plays performed in church, as part of the liturgy(Latin).popular: Mystery, Morality & Miracle plays, many

16th ct- The Renaissance-plays still performed. The development of humanism (Henry VIII)…Anglicanism

17th ct-after death of Queen Elisabeth. James I started the Stuart monarchy. Unrests, Cambridge vs. Oxford (liberal,

written in cycles, on the streets on holydays. Plays were staged simultaneously. One of the usu. guild of character was carpenter (Miller’s Tale). Plays were performed until 16th ct, then many humorous scenes were added, and eventually religious drama disappears because there was too much humor inserted.

appears (separation from Rome). Eng. open to different influences (Italy). Changes in architecture (more light, larger windows). Promotion of class. Literature and arts. Petrarc, Erasmus of Rotterdam & Thomas More (Utopia). Greek elements mixed with Christianity. General sense of social and political duty. General optimism and feeling of safety

progressive vs. royal conservative) 1642. civil war, puritans took over, closed theatres. Strict censorship. Period of great discoveries, development of science & medicine. Domination of short literary forms, short lyrics. Meditations-short works of religious prose. Sermon-discourse on a biblical text-in both religions. Masque-short play written for & performed by the aristocratic audience.