MB UNIUD

GEOFFREY CHAUCER

The man who best  describe the patter of life and the culture of atmosphere of the Middle Ages was Geoffrey Chaucer. He is considered the father of English literature. His masterpiece is The Canterbury Tales but before he had produced other works. He had translated the French poem Roman de la Rose which is the quintessence of Courtly Romantic Love. Most of his works were influenced by French and Italian contemporary literature.

The theme of fine loving related to the relax atmosphere of Medieval courts and the rituals of chivalry are explored in The Legends of Good Woman and Troilus and Criseyde.

His prologue of Canterbury Tales is considered immortal. He described with irony the different characters of medieval society.

During the Middle Ages romances and ballads were told and sung firesides and at courts.

ROMANCES

Romances had as their themes The Arthurian Legend set in England, The Charle Magne Legend borrowed from French and The legend of Troy filtered through Italy.

In the 15^th century the first book were printed in England by Caxton.

The first translated work was the story of the king Arthur and the knights of round table. The version was by Sir Thomas Mallory. It was based on a French original and its was "La morte d'Artù" .

BALLADS

The production of ballads characterize medieval England.

They come mainly from the oral tradition and were generally accompanied by music and dance.

The main ingredients of ballads were refrains, stock epithets, formulaic pattern, narrative content and theme.

They were mostly composed in four lined stanzas and were later collected by Bishop Thomas Percy in Reliques of Ancient  English poetry and by Walter Scot in Minstrelsy of the Scottish border.

ENGLISH FORMS OF DRAMA

Drama was another significant expression of Medieval Culture.

The English tradition of Drama dates back to the late 13^th and early 14^th century.

A dramatic element is present in the rituals of any community life (births, marriages, funerals, initial ceremony) especially in primitive literature. This was true also of early forms of drama with which Celts, Angles, Saxons, Danes and the Normans were used to be entertained. It is obvious that this were forms of popular performances but with the Advent of Christianity new dimension were added to these performances.

MIRACLE AND MISTERY PLAYS

They were the earliest dramatic performances in Great Britain.

They were based essentially on sacred history or on the legend of the Saints. The great cycles of Gospel were treated ( the Nativity, the Passion and the Resurrection).

This representations were performed during religious festival (Corpus Christianity Days, Christmas, Whitsun tide and Easter).