Review of Content for Anglo-Saxon, Medieval, and Elizabethan Ages

2/26/04

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Table of Contents

Review of Content for Anglo-Saxon, Medieval, and Elizabethan Ages

Remember, as you complete this review that questions and answers are color-coded according to literary time period:Anglo-Saxon - Black slides (dark, pessimistic age)Medieval - Red and White (red and white for the War of the Roses)Elizabethan - Gold (for the Golden Age)

In what way does Beowulf decide to approach Grendel differently than previous warriors?

Without weaponry--Beowulf will fight with his bare hands.

Name Beowulf’s king.

Who has gap-teeth?

The Wife of Bath

Who leads a toast of Beowulf and asks protection of her sons?

Name the character described:“Her way of smiling very simple and coy. Her greatest oath was only ‘By St. Loy!’ And she was known as Madame Eglantyne.”

The Prioress or Nun

Name the character described:“A lover, a cadet, a lad of fire With locks as curly as if they had been pressed. He was some twenty years of age, I guessed.”

What proof of victory over Grendel does Beowulf display?

He hangs Grendel’s arm from the rafters.

In what season do people generally go on pilgrimages?

In the Spring, when the droughts of March are pierced with April showers, then people long to go on pilgrimages.

Name the character described:“Though a philosopher, as I have told, he had not found the stone for making gold.”

Oxford Cleric or Student

Name the character described:“A manly man, to be an Abbot able; Many a dainty horse he had in stable…He let go by the things of yesterday And took the modern world’s more spacious way.”

Name the character described:“He loudly sang, ‘Come hither, love, come home!’ The Summoner sang deep seconds to this song, No Trumpet ever sounded half so strong.”

Name the character described:“His beard, like any sow or fox, was red And broad as well, as though it were a spade And, at its very tip, his nose displayed a wart…”

Name the character described:“He would add this figure too, That if gold rust, what then will iron do?”

Who is named Madame Eglantyne?

The Prioress or Nun

Who is named Alison?

The Wife of Bath

Name the inn where all the pilgrims of The Canterbury Tales gather.

The Tabard Inn, located next to The Bell, in Southwerk, a district of London

Can the reader draw any conclusion as to why The Wife of Bath goes on the pilgrimage?

The Wife of Bath probably travels for the sheer pleasure of new adventures; she may even be looking for a new husband. She has gone on many pilgrimages, including a trip to Jerusalem, but she gives little evidence to prove that she is devout--despite familiarity with Biblical scriptures.

To what societal group does The Oxford Cleric belong?

The Ecclesiastical or Church Group

How are The Canterbury Tales structured?

The Canterbury Tales are told as a frame story, a series of stories within the context of a larger tale; the tales themselves are written in heroic couplets, rhymed pairs of iambic pentameter.

Give another name for Herot.

What important title is Chaucer given?

He is called The Father of English Literature.

Why has no one been able to defeat Grendel before Beowulf?

A protective spell was cast, making weaponry ineffectual

To where does Grendel flee when attacked by Beowulf?

The marsh--also called a fiery lake, an Anglo-Saxon reference to hell

Who is “the blissful martyr” whose help the Canterbury pilgrims seek?

Saint Thomas aBecket

Name the only positive portrait given by Chaucer of a member of the church.

Name “that guardian of evil” in Beowulf.

How does the reader know that The Knight cares little for appearances?

In stark contrast to [his son] The Squire’s court dandy description, The Knight travels to Canterbury attired in the rough, fustian tunic he wore on the crusades, still smudged from his armor.

Why is Chaucer called The Father of English Literature?

Chaucer writes the first realistic work of fiction; furthermore, although the language of scholars was Latin, and the language of the court was French, Chaucer chooses to write in the language of the common people--Middle English.

To what tribe does Beowulf belong?

Name the three groups of people which comprise medieval society and who all travel together on this pilgrimage.

1. Ecclesiastical or church2. Urban or city3. Feudal

Describe Anglo-Saxon society.

1. Animism is the religion; druids serve as priests2. Women are incredible warriors3. There is a strong love of beauty, indicative in poetry and metal work4. William the Conqueror comes at the end of the age

Name the famous printer who prints the first edition of The Canterbury Tales.

What function do dragons serve in Anglo-Saxon lore?

1. They serve as PROTECTORS of treasure.2. They are VIOLENT creatures who speak directly to Woden, god of poetry and death.3. They should be feared and respected, much like serpents.4. They represent EVIL.

Where is Chaucer buried?

In what later became known as the “Poets’ Corner,” a burial spot in Westminster Cathedral where key literary figures are buried.

Created by A. Baylor

Author: HCPS