Beowulf
Summary:
·
Hrothgar
created a mead hall called Heorot, where the Danes would go to drink mead,
listen to stories and exchange gifts.
·
Heorot
is terrorized by a “Fiend out of hell” named Grendel (100).
·
Beowulf
arrives and offers his “wholehearted help and counsel” to Hrothgar and the
Danes (278).
·
There
is a feast at Heorot for Beowulf and the Geat warriors; during the feast
Unferth asks Beowulf how a failure of a swimming contest could beat Grendel.
·
Beowulf
succeeds by killing Grendel with no weapon or shield; he rips off Grendel’s arm
and it is displayed on the wall of Heorot.
·
They
celebrate Beowulf’s feat by listening to some poets and drinking mead at
Heorot.
·
After
their celebration, Grendel’s mother comes to visit the sleeping Danes; she
takes Grendel’s “bloodied hand” (1303) and Aeschere (Killing him).
·
Beowulf
states, “wise sir, do not grieve. It is always better to avenge dear ones than
to indulge in mourning” (1384-5).
·
Beowulf
prepares for his fight with Grendel’s mother by dawning mail, a helmet and even
uses a sword named Hrunting, which has never failed “the hand of anyone who
hefted it into battle” (1461).
·
Hrunting
fails Beowulf as he struggles to battle Grendel’s mother. He sees an ancient giant’s sword and uses it
on the neck of Grendel’s mother with success.
·
Another
celebration occurs at Heorot and Beowulf tells the Danes and Hrothgar that he
is headed home to Geatland.
·
When
Beowulf returns to Geatland he tells King Hygalac of his battles and
rewards. Beowulf offers King Hygalac a
majority of the rewards and Beowulf is also given land and other gifts.
·
Hygelac
fell and Beowulf took over the kingdom for “fifty winters” (2209).
·
A
thief stole a gem-studded goblet from the dragon’s barrow, where he guarded a
hoard of treasure (2213).
·
After
3 centuries of guarding the treasure, “The dragon began to belch out flames and
burn bright homesteads…far and near the Geat nation bore the brunt of the
brutal assaults” (2312-8).
·
Beowulf’s
throne hall is burned.
·
Beowulf
battles the dragon and Naegling, his sword, fails him when he tries to strike
the dragon.
·
The
dragon bit Beowulf’s neck by the dragon. Wiglaf, the only loyal warrior, stabbed
the dragon in his stomach and Beowulf stabbed the dragon “deep in the dragon’s
flank” (2704).
·
Beowulf
dies and the Geat’s know that their nation is threatened without a warrior king
like Beowulf.
Characters:
·
Beowulf: Hero King of the Geats and a hero to
the Danes. He fights and kills Grendel,
Grendel’s mother, and the dragon. He is
a powerful warrior and a wise king and dies fighting for the safety of the
Geats.
·
Hrothgar: King of the Danes, he requests the help
of Beowulf to fight against Grendel and his mother. Hrothgar rewards Beowulf with treasures and
is happy that Beowulf has successfully helped him and his people
·
Unferth: at first he in envious of Beowulf but
later he learns of Beowulf’s true character.
·
Aeschere: He is taken and killed by Grendel’s
mother. Hrothgar is saddened because of
their close relationship.
·
Wiglaf: The only loyal Geatish warrior to stay
by Beowulf’s side during the battle with the dragon.
·
Grendel: a “fiend for hell”, Grendel attacks
Heorot because they are annoying him with their noise and biblical
stories. He is killed by Beowulf.
·
Grendel’s mother: She seeks revenge for the death
of her son. She grabs Aeschere and kills
him. She is killed by Beowulf.
·
Dragon: Is angered that a thief stole a goblet
from his barrow and the dragon starts to terrorize the Geat’s but faces his
death when he is stabbed by Wiglaf and Beowulf.
Analysis:
Themes:
Honor, death, pride, battle against evil, envy, hardships of man, an elegy,
loyalty, sacrifice, heroism, protector and the deeds of man.
Motifs:
Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon/ Celebrations/ Religious sentiment.
Quotes:
For
a brief while your strength is in bloom
but
it fades quickly; and soon there will follow
illness
or the sword to lay you low. (1761-3)
The
strongest of warriors stumbled and fell. (1544)
Both quotes convey the “hardships of
man”. The hardest part of being human is
to know that someday it will all be over. Beowulf falls during his fight with
Grendel’s mother and we see that Beowulf is actually human, his uncontested
victories in the past are dwarfed by his struggle with Grendel’s mother.
For
fifty years
I
ruled this nation. No king
of
any neighboring clan would dare
face
me with troops, none had the power
to
intimidate me. I took what came,
cared
for and stood by things in my keeping,
never
fomented quarrels, never
swore
to a lie. (2732-9)
Beowulf reflects on his life as he knows
his words will be his last. Beowulf felt pride in his actions as king. It consoled him by reassuring him that he had
done some marvelous things in his life.
This quote also explains why Beowulf was such a great warrior. He planted fear in the hearts of his enemies
and his truthfulness as a wise king is also acknowledged.
Now
war is looming
over
our nation, so it will be known
to
Franks and Frisians, far and wide,
that
the king is gone. (2910-13)
Beowulf’s death foreshadowed war against
the Geats. Beowulf’s victories against beast and man were heard throughout the
lands. When Beowulf dies the Geats
realize they are a vulnerable nation because they are no longer protected by
Beowulf.
Lanval
Summary:
Most of the men envied Lanval for his
valor, generosity, beauty, and his bravery. Arthur also forgot him for these
reasons as well. Lanval gave all his
riches away and did not ask the king for any compensation. When Lanval rode off to amuse himself he is
approached by 2 women that take him into a rich tent. He falls in love with the maiden within the
tent and she promises Lanval riches as long as he does not speak of their
relationship. The queen sees Lanval and wants to seduce him. Lanval tells the queen that his loyalty to
king Arthur and he will not be seduced for this reason. The queen accuses him of homosexuality and
Lanval defends himself by saying he is in love with a woman with superior looks
and loveliness compared to the queen’s.
The queen was outraged and lied to the king saying Lanval tried to
seduce her. Lanval is depressed because king Arthur wants him killed if Lanval
cannot defend himself. Lanval is put on
trial and the barons decide that if Lanval can prove that he has a maiden that
is more beautiful and lovely than the queen than his life will be spared. Lanval assumes that the maiden will not come
to his aid because he had revealed the secret of their relationship. The maiden
arrives and Lanval’s words are proven to be true. The most beautiful woman in
the world defended Lanval. The barons
ruled that Lanval be set free. The
maiden and Lanval rode off never to be seen again.
Characters:
Lanval: Envied for his
beauty Lanval is a selfless Knight. He
is loyal to the king and the maiden. He
is tempted by the queen and informs her where his loyalty resides. The barons ultimately rule that his word is
honest.
King
Arthur:
He does not compensate Lanval for his loyalty.
He assumes that Lanval has tried to seduce his queen. He cannot control the “most beautiful woman
in the world” and she and Lanval flee his kingdom
Queen: Disloyal. She tries to seduce Lanval but fails. When she fails she lies. She feels entitled to anything she wants and
is furious when she does not receive it.
Maiden: The most
beautiful woman in the world, she tells Lanval of her love and wins him
over. She tells Lanval that he cannot
speak of their relationship. She saves Lanval by revealing their love. She is a
savior.
Analysis:
Themes/motifs:
Courtly love, chivalry, duty, vindictive women, women as guardians, loyalty,
judgment, and value of wealth.
Quotes:
She
was upset and angry
because
he had insulted her.
She
went to bed sick;
never,
she said, would she get up
unless
the king gave her satisfaction
for
the offence against her. (305-10)
This is an example of the theme
“vindictive women”. The queen fails at
her attempt to seduce Lanval, so she lashes out at him. Lanval speaks his peace and the queen is
offended by Lanval. The queen does not
get what she wants and she wants Lanval held accountable for offending
her.
I
came to seek you from far away.
If
you are brave and courtly,
No
emperor or count or king
Would
ever have known such joy or good;
For
I love you more than anything. (112-7)
The most beautiful woman in the
world is speaking to Lanval. The stages
of courtly love are condensed in their first meeting. They go through 5 of the
stages in their initial meeting alone.
This quote expresses the bluntness of how the maiden expresses her love
to Lanval and how many of the stages of Courtly love are condensed by their
first meeting.
I’ve
served the king a long time;
I
don’t want to betray my faith to him.
Never,
for you or for your love,
will
I do anything to harm my lord. (271-3)
Lanval is expressing that he will
stay loyal to the king and he will not be seduced by her because he values the
king over her.
Sir Gawain And
The Green Knight
Summary:
It
was Christmas time at Camelot. The King
and the court were celebrating New Year’s when a “hulk of a human” came to
visit them (138). The hulk was the Green
Knight, and when he arrived he asked “and who…is governor of this gaggle”
(224-5). Arthur speaks up and says he is
in charge. The Green Knight reveals that
he has come to play a game and he has come to Camelot because he has heard that
it harbors “the worthiest knights ever known to the world” (261). The stipulations of the game are: The Green knight will receive a blow to his
neck from an axe; twelve months later the Green Knight will return the
blow. No one steps up at first so the
king decides to “play”. Gawain found it
unfitting that the King stepped up, so he decided to play. They assure Gawain that he must hit him
directly in the neck with strong force so that it would be impossible for the
Green Knight to return the blow in a year.
Sir Gawain delivers his blow and the Green Knight’s head is
removed. The Green Knight survived the
axe. The Green Knight reminded Gawain
that he must find him in 1 year “and even a fool couldn’t fail to find” him
(455). Time has passed and Gawain must
leave to meet the Green Knight. Gawain
dawns a “shining scarlet shield/ with its pentangle painted in pure gold”
(619-20). Gawain left Camelot to search
for the Green Knight. Gawain sees a very
nice castle in the woods and wants to enter so he may pray. The host suggests Gawain play another game:
He will give Gawain anything he catches during his daily hunts and Gawain must
give him anything he receives as a guest in the castle. The host holds 3 separate hunts. The host gives Gawain deer and Gawain gives the
Host a kiss. The second hunt the host
gives Gawain boar and Gawain gives the Host 2 kisses. Finally the Host gives him fox and Gawain
gives the host 3 kisses but fails to give him the green silk girdle that the
host’s wife give to Gawain. The host’s
wife claims that the girdle will save his life and Gawain says nothing so he
can preserve it. After a sad farewell Gawain is brought to the Green Chapel by
a guide. The guide tells Gawain that he
will not say anything if he chooses not to face the Green Knight. Gawain refuses and meets the Green Knight.
When he meets the Green Knight he exposes his neck. The Green Knight toys with Gawain with 3
separate blows. During the Green Knights
first strike Gawain flinches and the Green Knight questions his character for
it. The second blow Gawain holds still
and the Knight mocks him again. The
third blow was “far from being fatal” (2311).
The blow skimmed Gawain’s neck and he quickly grabbed his helmet and
shield and informed the Green Knight that the game is over. The Green Knight explains that he is Bertilak
and that Gawain had just played a game.
Gawain realized that he had kept the green girdle as a selfish act and
swore to wear it instead of the pentangle.
Characters:
Gawain: Loyal Knight to
King Arthur. He is the only knight to
step up to the Green Knights challenge.
He is constantly tempted by Bertilak’s wife. Gawain is struggling between loyalty that a
Knight must show his King/Host and his loyalty to the ideals of Courtly love.
Green
Knight:
He visits Camelot in peace. He is a
jokester. Mysterious.
Host/Bertilak: another vessel
the green knight uses to “spy” on Gawain.
Bertilak’s
wife:
A temptress. Plays games in order to
test a man’s character.
Analysis:
Themes/motifs:
Self-preservation, passage of time, fate, forgiveness, women as temptresses,
courtly love, chivalry, test of character, loyalty and death.
The
Pentangle-5 senses/ 5 fingers-never at fault/ 5 joys/5 wounds of
Christ-Annunciation, nativity, resurrection, ascension, and assumption./
Friendship, fraternity, purity, politeness and pity.
Girdle
- Self-preservation. Symbol- all men no
matter how noble, will fall to human temptation.
Forgiveness- Knights wear it with
pride rather than shame.
Quotes:
and
promptly she pressed him to take the present,
and
he granted her wish, and she gave with good grace,
though
went on to beg him not to whisper a word
of
his gift to her husband, and Gawain agreed;
those
words of theirs within those walls
should
stay. (1860-5)
The quote describes the interaction
between Gawain and Bertilak’s wife. Although
Gawain was being loyal to Bertilak’s wife in the context of courtly love and
chivalry, his loyalty toward Bertilak is questionable.
that
day.
But
mind your mood, Gawain
lest
dread make you delay,
or
lose this lethal game
you’ve
promised you will play. (486-490)
Gawain should not be distracted by the
celebration and that he should realize the significance of his obligation.
Gawain has made a commitment to a lethal contest and if he does not complete what
he has promised, he will be regarded as a coward forever.
For
man’s crimes can be covered but never made clean;
once
sin is entwined it is attached for all time. (2511-2)
Gawain expresses his reasoning
behind wearing the green girdle as a “symbol of sin” (2506). Gawain believes that he has committed a crime
by accepting the green girdle and lying about it.
Chaucer's
General Prologue
Summary:
Chaucer
informs the audience that he and others are going to travel to Canterbury to visit
the site of Saint Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral. Chaucer explains that he stayed at a tavern called
the Tabard inn. The travelers are to
tell 2 tales to Canterbury and 2 on the trip back, the winner will receive a
meal paid for by the other travelers.
Analysis:
The
prologue informs the audience why the travelers were telling their stories, the
order they tell their tales and the reason for the pilgrimage.
Quotes:
To
Canterburyward, I mene it so,
And
hoomward he shal tellen othere two,
Of
adventures that whilom have bifalle;
And
which of you that bereth him best of alle-
That
is to sayn, that telleth in this cas
Tales
of best sentence and most solas-
Shal
have a soper at oure aller cost. (795-801)
This quote describes the details of
the “contest” the travelers have agreed to carry out.
Miller's
Prologue/Tale
Summary:
John,
an old carpenter, is married to a young woman named Alisoun. Nicholas wants Alisoun but realizes that she
is spoken for. Nicholas attempts to get
Alisoun’s attention and succeeds.
Nicholas is now faced with the challenge of getting Alisoun and John separated
so he may spend the night alone with Alisoun.
Nicholas lies to John and tells him that he has received a message from Christ. The message is that there is going to be a
flood and John must prepare for it by raising 3 brewing tubs to the roof. John believes Nicholas because Nicholas is an
educated man and John puts trust in his knowledge. John falls asleep on the roof and Nicholas
finally gets to spend the night with Alisoun.
Absolon, another man trying to woe Alisoun, requests that Alisoun give
him a kiss. Alisoun informs Absolon that
she loves another. Absolon requests a
kiss and Alisoun presented her bare bottom out of the window. Absolon kisses her butt and is angered by it.
He returns to the window with a hot iron
poker. He seems to come in peace and
Nicholas sees an opportunity to get in on the joke. Nicholas sticks out his butt and farts in
Absolon’s face. Absolon stuck the hot
poker on Nicholas’s butt and he yelled for water. John assumed that the flood that Nicholas had
warned of was happening. John falls from
the roof and breaks his arm. The townspeople gather to see the commotion and
John looks like a fool when he tries to explain the flood.
Characters:
John- A carpenter.
He is Old, silly and jealous. Married to Alisoun.
Alisoun- 18 years old
and beautiful. Bright. Unfaithful.
Nicholas- College
educated. Familiar with astrology. Sneaky. He stays with John and Alisoun.
Absolon- A squeamish
clerk. Played guitar.
Analysis:
Class
issues, Age, Oppression of women, sex/sexual deviance, relationships between
men and women, and being a Cuckold (a man with an adulteress wife).
Quotes:
John,
myn hoste lief and dere-
Thou
shalt upon thy trouthe swere me here
That
to no wight thou shalt this conseil wraye
For
it is Cristes conseil that I saye. (393-6)
Nicholas is speaking to John about the
flood. Nicholas takes advantage of
John. John believes Nicholas because he
is pretending to be ill and Nicholas’s credentials as a college student/astrologer
convince him.
This
carpenter out of his slomber sterte,
And
herde oon cyen “Water!” as he were wood,
And
thoughte, “Allas, now cometh Noweles flood!” (708-10)
John is not the sharpest tool in the
shed and he believes Nicholas’s bogus flood story. This is the main reason why John is a
Cuckold, he is oblivious to the affair of Nicholas and Alisoun.
Wife of Bath's Prologue/Tale
Summary:
A
knight sees a maiden and rapes her. The
court rules that the knight should be killed for his offences. The queen demands that the knight receive a
second chance. The queen informs the
knight that he must figure out what women want most. The knight must do so within a year or he
will be killed. The knight travels the land searching for the answer. He receives some advice but knows that it is
not the answer the queen is looking for.
The knight sees an old woman and speaks to her as a last resort. The knight informs the old woman of his quest
to figure out what women want. The old woman promises to inform the knight of
the answer, only if the knight promises to fulfill her demands later. The old woman and knight go to the court and
tell them what women desire; they want to have control in their relationships. The queen and court agree that the knight has
found the answer. The old woman reminds
the knight of his previous promise and request that the knight marry her. The knight reluctantly agrees. The knight is not pleased with the marriage
and the old lady offers him a choice: He
can have her be loyal but old and ugly or she will be young and beautiful but unfaithful. The knight decides to let the old woman chose
and by doing so he gave her exactly what she wanted, control. The knight learned his previous lessons and
the old woman became young, beautiful and faithful.
Characters:
Knight-
Rapes a young maiden. Searches for the thing women most desire. He learns from his past mistakes by giving
the old woman the opportunity to choose.
Old
woman- Supernatural, wise, helpful, ulgy.
She is the vessel that brings the answer to the queens question.
Queen-
Spares the knight’s life. States the
stipulations of his pardon.
Analysis
Control-
what women want in this tale. Sexual
license with in marriage, having fun within the rules of marrage. Women speaking for peace- the queen give the
knight a second chance.
Quotes:
I
graunte thee lif if thou canst tellen me
What
thing it is that wommen most desiren. (910-1)
Queen is in control of the sentence
because King Arthur granted her control.
We see that the Queen pardons the knight and gives him a chance to
redeem himself for his prior offences.
My
lady and my love, and wif so dere,
I
putte me in youre wise governaunce:
Cheseth
yourself which may be most plesaunce
And
most honour to you and me also. (1236-9)
These words are what create a
promising ending for the knight. The
knight is telling the old woman that he offers her control. He expresses that she may choose to be ugly,
old and faithful or young, beautiful and unfaithful. The knight receives a young, beautiful and
faithful wife because he gave her what women most desired.
Pardoner's
Prologue/Tale
Summary:
Three
rioters see that an old friend had been killed by death. The rioters decide to search for death and
kill him. They discover a sad old man
and the old man informs the rioters that he is waiting for death but death
never comes. The rioters ask the old man
where they can find death and he tells them that death is in a grove under an
oak tree. When they arrive at the tree
they find gold instead of death. The
three rioters agree that they must use secrecy when gathering the gold. Two them stay behind while another one (the
youngest) is tasked to get wine. While
the youngest is gone the other two that stayed behind decide to split the gold
two ways and kill the younger rioter when he returns. The younger with the same idea puts poison
into two of the three bottles. When the
young rioter returns with the wine the other two kill him. The two rioters sit down and drink from the
poisoned wine bottles. All three found
death under the oak tree.
Characters
Rioters- Greedy, witty,
they all possess knee jerk reactions.
Old
man-
wise, in pain, sad. Wants death to find him (not his time).
Death- Gets a desired
reaction out of the rioters. The rioters search for death to kill him but death
wins in the end.
Analysis
Avarice
(extreme greed) is the root of all evil.
To kill death is to repent. Sin equals death. Gluttony.
Quotes:
Thou
partest nat so lightly, by Saint John!
Thou
speke right now of thilke traitour Deeth,
That
in this contree alle oure freendes sleeth. (464-6)
The rioters are speaking with the
old man and they demand to find death so they may kill him.
And
here is gold, and that ful greet plentee,
That
shall departed been among us three.
But
natheless, if I can shape it so
That
it departed were among us two. (523-6)
The two rioters are conspiring to
split the gold they have found and kill the young rioter that went to
town. Greed is the reason they decide to
kill.
The Book of
Margery Kemp
Summary:
After
her first attempt with child birth Margery started to see visions of the
devil. After her visions of the devil
she has a vision of Jesus and she devotes her life to him. Margery asks that her husband be celibate
with her and he agrees. She starts on a pilgrimage
to Jerusalem and gets stuck in Rome because she gave all of her money to the
poor. She is known for her all white
robe and she is also known to be crying hysterically in public. She is mocked and almost burned at the stake
in northern England. The friar is annoyed
with Margery’s crying. Margery discovers
that her husband is sick so she returns home to care for him. Her husband and son dies and she goes with
her daughter-in-law back to Germany. She
then travels to France and eventually returns back to England. She promises to record her story.
Characters:
Margery
Kempe- Middle class townswoman, she has her own money. Strict follower of the laws of the church. Known as a religious eccentric. Accepted by
the Poor.
Analysis:
Role
of women-link between women and faith. A
nonfiction account. The physical aspects of Jesus. Class issues- she is the mayor’s
daughter. Women gaining greater access
to faith.
Quotes:
“I
wish no longer for you to fast, therefore I bid you in the name of Jesus eat
and drink as your husband does” (228).
Margery is asking God if she can
break her Friday fast so that she and her husband may be celibate. Margery is speaking directly to God which is
a prime example of how women were gaining greater access to faith in literature.
And
therefore she cried
many
times and often when she met a seemly man and wept and sobbed in full
sorely
in the manhood of Christ as she went in the streets of Rome” (431).
Margery views the physical aspects
of Christ in every handsome man she meets.
Margery was known for her public sobbing and this is an example of what
caused her to do so.
Everyman
Summary:
God
is angry with his creations. He states
that the creatures are not serving him and that they have no fear of
judgment. Death informs Everyman that he
must journey with his book of count (accounts). Everyman tells Death that he is not ready but
Death says he must go. Death allows
Everyman to choose someone to bring with him.
Fellowship, Kindred, Goods and Riches, Pride, Discretion, strength,
beauty and five wits fail Everyman. He discovers that Good Deeds is weak. Confession informs Everyman that if he
repents, Good Deeds can accompany Everyman.
Everyman enters his grave and Good Deeds is at his side. Everyman’s soul is saved.
Characters:
God- Angry with his
creations. Demands satisfaction
Death- Informs
Everyman of his journey.
Everyman-Is put to the
test. Learns that Good Deeds and
repenting are the only ways into heaven
Good
Deeds-Loyal
to Everyman. Accompanies Everyman to his
grave.
Confession- Informs Good
Deeds that he can repent and Goods Deeds may follow him to his judgement.
Fellowship,
Kindred, Goods, Knowlede, Beauty, Strength, Discretion, and Five-Wits:
They
all fail Everyman because when a man ages these characteristics fade and
eventually are lost forever.
Analysis:
To
love God does not mean to love goods and riches. Spreading issues of faith. If
you repent then you can enter heaven. Morality. Being prepared. Good Deeds is the way to heaven.
Quotes:
For
before God thou shalt answer and shew
Thy
many bad deeds and good but a few-
How
thou hast spent thy life and in what wise,
Before
the Chief Lord of Paradise. (107-10)
Death is telling Everyman that he
must answer before God. God informs
Everyman that Good Deeds are his ticket into heaven.
EVERYMAN Gramercy, Good Deeds! Now may I true friends
see.
They
have forsaken me every one-
I
loved them better than my Good Deeds alone. (854-6)
Everyman neglected Good Deed. In
life and he discovers that his good deeds are the only thing he can take with
him to death.
Everyman is expressing that Good Deeds
was the only one that would be by his side during his time of judgment.
