Anastasia Bergamo Liceo Scientifico

1
CULTURE ANDLITERATURE IN ENGLAND IN THE
MIDDLE AGES

• Anastasia Bergamo Liceo Scientifico
  A. Einstein
• 3 A anno
  scolastico 2010-2011

2
LANGUAGES IN THE MIDDLE AGES

• Latin was spoken among the clergy and influenced
  Old English.
• After 1066 French was spoken among the nobility
  and at court.
• English was spoken among ordinary people.
• In the 14 th century English became the
  predominant language.

3
CULTURE

• Anglo-Saxon culture (4 th century- 1485) ? oral
  tradition Beowulf
• Introduction of Christianity
• monasteries became centres of culture
  and education
• The reign of king Alfred the Great (871-899)
• Latin texts were translated into Old
  English
• The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (1st example of
  English prose)

4
BOOKS AND PRESS

• Monasteries were cultural centres
• The clergy was the only literate class
• Monks copied manuscripts by hand on leather pages
• In 1475 William Caxton set up a press in London.

5
MEDIEVAL ART

• 1. The Anglo-Saxons had great artistic skills
• they decorated weapons, jewellery and
  objects
• 2. Christian art manuscripts and
• books of prayers
• were decorated
• 3. Anglo-Norman period
• scenes of everyday life

6
RELIGIOUS ARCHITECTURE

• 1. Abbeys and minsters were built in Norman
  style
• the cathedrals of Canterbury and Durham.
• 2. Later on the Gothic style was imported
• Westminster Abbey (1245)

Durham
Canterbury
7
MEDIEVAL MUSIC

• The earliest music was compound by the poets
  who
• celebrated the adventures of heroes a
  single
• melodic line and voices
• With the statement of Christianity ritual
  music
• disappeared
• During the reign of Edward IV English music
• developped
• John Dunstable, the first composer, introduced
• melodies and harmonies which anticipated the
• Renaissance.

8
BEOWULF

• - Genre epic poem (3200 lines)
• - Author anonymous
• - Origin 7 th century
• - Language Old English
• - Influence of Scandinavian sagas
• legends inspired by
  ancient historical events
• - Setting Denmark, Gaetland and Sweden

One manuscript (around the year 1000)
9
CULTURAL BACKGROUND

• The poem belongs to the tradition of Anglo-Saxon
  oral poetry.
• It was characterized by alliteration and
  repetition of fixed phrases that help
  memorisation.
• The verse form was a double line with a break in
  the middle to create rhythm.
• The metre was based on a pattern of stressed and
  alliterated words.
• The number of sillables in a line was not
  important.
• In Anglo-Saxon times
• poems were composed orally by scops
• who recited them by heart and to the
• accompaniment of harp or
  lyre.

10
PLOT

• The poem tells the story of the noble warrior
  Beowulf,
• 
  a Scandinavian hero

• Part one
• Beowulf goes to Denmark to help the Denish King.
• He fights and kills the monster Grendel.
• He fights and kills Grendels his mother.
• He goes back home to Geatland.

Beowulf and Grendel
11

• Part two
• Beowulf becomes king. His reign his peaceful and
  long.
• He fights and kills a dragon to protect his
  kingdom.
• After the fight he dies from his home wounds.
• THE PROTAGONIST is a hero, a warrior
• he is strong, brave, proud , loyal.