Medieval Background
The year 1066, marked by the Battle of Hastings, which fundamentally altered England's language and social structure was regarded as what?
What is the Norman Conquest?
This famous crusader king spent very little time in England and was ultimately held for ransom upon his return from the Third Crusade.
Who is Richard the Lionhearted 67?
The literary device in which a story serves as a setting for a set of smaller stories, like the pilgrimage in The Canterbury Tales.
What is a frame story?
The term for a brief story told to teach a moral or illustrate a point, which the Pardoner uses as his story type.
What is an exemplum?
This item, received from the lady of the castle, does Gawain keep a secret from his host, thus failing the host's second "game."
What is the green girdle (or green sash)?
This great calamity swept across Europe in the mid-14th century, wiping out an estimated third of the population and contributing to the decline of the feudal system.
What is the Black Death (or Black Plague)?
This king, the younger brother of Richard the Lionhearted, was forced to sign the Magna Carta in 1215, which limited the power of the monarchy.
Who is King John?
This characterization technique, exemplified by Chaucer explicitly stating, "He was a true and perfect gentle-knight," is the opposite of indirect characterization.
What is direct characterization?
This is the main moral that the Pardoner preaches in his tale, despite his own avarice.
What is "Greed (Avarice) is the root of all evil" (Radix malorum est cupiditas)?
The initial "game" proposed by the Green Knight to King Arthur's court.
What is the Beheading Game?
These holy wars, beginning in the late 11th century, were initially efforts to reclaim the Holy Land, but led to significant cultural exchange between Europe and the Middle East.
What are the Crusades?
This king, who reigned from 1154 to 1189, established common law in England and is known for his conflict with Thomas Becket.
Who is Henry II?
The literary technique where an author describes a character using physical appearance, actions, and dialogue, without directly stating the character's personality.
What is indirect characterization?
The ironically fortunate discovery the rioters make under the tree, which ultimately leads to their demise.
What is a pile of gold coins (or eight bushels of gold)?
Gawain's motivation for ultimately accepting the green girdle, which is his failure in the code of chivalry.
What is the fear of death (or love of his life)?
This economic and social system was the primary power structure in Medieval Europe, based on the holding of land in exchange for service or labor.
What is Feudalism?
The first king of the Tudor dynasty, he defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field, ending the Wars of the Roses.
Who is Henry VII?
The host of the Tabard Inn, Harry Bailly, suggests this activity to pass the time on the pilgrimage, which is the central organizing element of The Canterbury Tales.
What is a storytelling competition?
This is what the Pardoner does immediately after finishing his Tale, revealing his hypocrisy to the other pilgrims.
What is offer his fake relics and pardons (or attempt to sell his pardons)?
This key literary device is present when the Green Knight reveals that his entire test was a ploy orchestrated by an old, dark female figure.
What is irony?
The language shift that occurred after 1066, changing the court and official documents from Old English to a form of this language, influencing the development of Middle English.
What is French (specifically Norman French)?
The last king of the House of York, he was famously depicted by Shakespeare as a hunchbacked villain and lost his crown and life in 1485.
Who is Richard III?
Chaucer’s main purpose for giving such detailed and sometimes critical descriptions of the pilgrims in his Prologue.
What is to provide a satirical portrait (or social commentary) of 14th-century English society?
The two main sins the three rioters in the tale are initially guilty of, causing them to set out on their quest.
What are Drunkenness and Blasphemy (or Gluttony)?
The Green Knight's true identity, which is revealed to be the lord of the castle where Gawain stayed.
Who is Bertilak de Hautdesert?