Nguyễn Duy Bình

Foreign Languages Department

Vinh University
Tel: 0947 492 309
Email: duybinhdhv@gmail.com

2021-2022
MIDDLE ENGLISH LITERATURE
(1066-1485)

2021-2022
 1.1. Historical background

In the 9th and 10th

centuries, Vikings
from Scandinavia
occupied the North-
East of Britain. Their
language, Old Norse
(gave many words to
the English language).
 The Norman Conquest

▪ In 1066: Invasion of England by William

the Conqueror, the Duke of Normandy
(normans).
▪ French became the language of the
Royal Court, and the ruling and
business classes.
▪ Linguistic class division, where the
lower classes spoke English and the
upper classes spoke French.
 The Norman Conquest

It was the last invasion in England but had an

enormous influence in many aspects of British life:
habits, language, society, literature, justice, etc.
 French Influence

▪ French: the language of the top of society;

▪ More than 10,000 French words into English, 75% still in
use and no longer felt as foreign.
▪ By the 13th / 14th centuries, only the top class uses
French.
▪ By 15th century it disappears but always as a favourite
foreign language.
 Middle English

▪ In the 14th century English

became dominant in Britain
again.
▪ This language is called Middle
English.
▪ It was the language of the great
poet Chaucer (c1340-1400)
▪ It would still be difficult for native
English speakers to understand
today.
Middle English
 The important facts

▪ The English parliament was established in 1295.

▪ Crusade, the religious battle between Muslims and
Christians, took place in between 11th and 13th century.
▪ Magna Carta, the great charter
r which limited the power
of the monarchs was passed on 15th June, 1215.
 The important facts

▪ In 1362, English was declared to be the language of law

and courts.
▪ The Feudal System, which had been very strong earlier,
collapsed after the Black Death, a plague in 1348-49.
▪ In the fourteenth century, Reformation of English Church
began under the leadership of John Wycliffe.
▪ William Caxton established printing press in 1476.
 The important facts

▪ Columbus discovered America in 1492 and Vasco da

Gama reached India in 1498.
▪ During this period Copernicus (1473-1543) proved that
the sun is the centre of all planets.
 The Renaissance

▪ Renaissance began with

the fall of Constantinople
in 1453.
▪ Constantinople was the
capital of the Byzantine,
Empire and the centre of
classical learning.
▪ Occupation of
Constantinople by
Mohammad 11, the Sultan
of the Ottoman Turks and
a crusader, in 1453.
 The Renaissance

After the defeat, the

Christian scholars fled to
different parts of Europe
where they spread their
knowledge (classical
books).
 The Renaissance

This revival of the classical knowledge is called

renaissance. Its features are:
▪ curiosity about the unknown
▪ patriotism,
▪ desire for unlimited wealth and power,
▪ love of adventures,
▪ admiration for beauty,
▪ care for humanism
▪ fondness for the past.
 LITERARY FEATURES

▪ Poetry serves as the main genre.

▪ Prose in English gets a strong foundation.
▪ The English language reaches a considerable
standard though old spelling continues.
▪ Drama began in the form of “Mystery Play,” “Morality
Play” and “Interlude”.
 LITERARY FEATURES

▪ The writers of the age are influenced by Dante,

Petrarch and Boccaccio.
▪ Love, chivalry and religion are the three main literary
subjects of this period.
▪ The spirit of romance dominates the age.
▪ Use of pentameter (ten syllables in each line) begins.
▪ End-rhyme is introduced.
▪ Humour, irony and satire are brought into practice.
Main authors
 JOHN WYCLIFFE

▪ JOHN WYCLIFFE was born in

Yorkshire about the year 1320.
▪ He was educated at Oxford, took
holy orders, received the living of
Lutterworth in Leicestershire
(1374).
 JOHN WYCLIFFE

JOHN WYCLIFFE attacked many of the

religious ideas of his time.
His belief: anyone who wanted to read
the Bible ought to be allowed to do so;
but the Bible was in Latin.
 JOHN WYCLIFFE

▪ He wrote many Latin books in support of his

revolutionary opinions.
▪ He issued a large number of tracts and pamphlets
in English.
▪ An English translation of the Bible made at the end
of his life has been attributed to him, but its
authorship remains uncertain.
 JOHN WYCLIFFE

▪ He was strong in his denunciation

of the abuses then rampant’
▪ He died peacefully in 1384.
 JOHN WYCLIFFE

After he was dead and buried, his bones were dug up

again and thrown into a stream which flows into the
River Avon (which itself flows into the River Severn):
 JOHN WYCLIFFE

The Avon to the Severn runs,

The Severn to the sea,
And Wycliffe’s dust shall spread abroad,
Wide as the waters be.
 Quiz
Click the Quiz button to edit this object
 OLD ENGLISH LITERATURE
(450-1066)

That’s the end of this chapter!

2021-2022