Vocab
Reprisal - (From Beowulf)
Punishment, retribution for an injury
Narrator
The teller of a story. May be any combination of being a character within story/outside of story, first/third person, omnipotent/limited.
What group of people were the Anglo Saxons under between the years 43-410
What happened at the Green Chapel?
The Green Chapel is where Sir Gawain and the Green Knight met for the end of their deal.
What were the motives behind the Green Knight sneding his wife to test Sir Gawain?
To test Sir Gawain's integrity.
Sly dealings, skill in deceiving, mischievous
The Three Types of Irony (+ meaning)
Situational - Thinking one thing will happen, something else happens
Dramatic - Audience knows something Characters don't
Verbal - Saying one thing, meaning another thing
Who were the Anglo-Saxons?
A group of Germanic tribes that lived in Great Britain. Native, NOT Romans.
Why did the Green Knight spare Sir Gawain and only cut his neck?
The Green Knight was impressed with the bravery of Sir Gawain and had originally planned not to even cut him, but chose to after Sir Gawain was dishonest about the magic sash.
In the Pardoner's Tale, what true nature was shown of humans?
The greed of the human mind.
Obstinate - (From Canterbury Tales)
Unreasonably stubborn
Setting
Place & Time a story occurs
Polytheistic Pagans
In the Wife of Bath's Tale, what was the key theme?
In a relationship, women need true power and sovereignty.
Comparing women in the Wife of Bath's Tale to women now, what is similar?
Both still search for equal power and fair sovereignty.
Extolled - (From Beowulf)
Epic Hero
Epic Hero - legendary protagonist (main character), embodiment of a culture's highest held values & morals
The language the Anglo Saxons wrote in (pre-Romans)
Trick question, they had no native written language. They eventually developed Old English and adopted Latin.
In the Wife of Bath's Tale, what crime did the Young Knight commit to be in trial?
The Knight raped a young woman.
In Beowulf, how is Beowulf characterized?
Beowulf is characterized as an arrogant, powerful soldier, a strong leader, and, later, a king.
Efficacious - (From Green Knight)
Effective or useful
Epic Poem
A very long story, often told in rhythmic verses
What Alfred the Great was notable for
He was king of the West Saxons, he defended his kingdom against the Vikings, and greatly reformed the military system
In what ways is Beowulf an Anglo-Saxon Epic Hero?
Beowulf is an epic hero because he represents the most important values of the Anglo-Saxons. He's a strong leader, a warrior, et cetera.
In Beowulf, how is Grendel characterized? What does he symbolize?
Grendel is characterized as a strong, feared swamp monster who preys on humans and attacks at night.
Grendel is symbolic of evil and sin. He is a devil type character.