1)   Explain the message hidden under the lines of the ballad Lord Randal. What does the ballad want to teach?

 

The ballad may convey the message of the danger of women. During the Middle Ages, women were supposed only to be wives or nuns; if they did not conform, they were considered dangerous tempters. The person who poisoned Lord Randal was a witch disguised as a beautiful woman. Therefore, the ballad wants to teach to keep away from dangerous women.

The ballad may also mean not to violate the greenwood. Greenwoods were thought to be the places in which fairies lived. Only people with permission from the Queen of the fairies could hunt there.

 

2)   Explain the features of the ballad as a form of poetry (content, structure, language, semantics, objective).

 

The ballad is an oral and popular form of poetry. The term “ballad” recalls dancing, since ballads were sung and accompanied dance during the village festivals. Therefore, it aimed at preserving popular tradition and at entertaining people during festivals.

The ballad is a narrative form of poetry and, as it is popular, it deals with simple topics: tragic love stories, the supernatural and the battles between Scotland and England. It can be either in total dialog or in a mixture between dialog and narration. It is generally made up of four-line stanzas, rhyming ABCB. It presents simple and concrete language, to make also less-cultured people understand the topic. It makes great use of sound devices like repetition, incremental repetition, assonance, alliteration, rhyme and rhythm. Indeed, ballads were passed on from generation to generation orally, and sound devices let them survive.

 

3)   What can the reader understand about the society of the Middle Ages from ballads?

 

The ballad originated from a popular context; therefore they admire nobility and often deal with it. From them we can also understand that the environment was more pristine and richer of forests: consequently, it was also more dangerous.

The Medieval society had a hierarchical structure: at the top of the social pyramid there was the pope, then the king, the nobles and the knights, the traders and craftsmen. At the bottom there were the peasants, who were bound with the land they cultivate. Women were considered inferior to men; they were expected be only wives or nuns. If a woman did not get married, she was considered dangerous. Widowhood was the period of greater power for women.

Religion was the most important culture code of the Middle Ages. People’s main goal was to obtain salvation, and earthly life was not considered important. Religion influenced all the arts: indeed, Medieval paintings mainly deal with religious topics. Churches were built in the gothic style to draw nearer to God.

 

4)   How many languages were spoken during the Middle Ages and by whom?

 

Before 1066, the language spoken in England was Old English, a series of Germanic dialects. With the advent of the Vikings also Viking dialects were spoken. After 1066, the ruling class was made up of Norman people who despised English and used Norman-French whenever they could. The Normans re-introduced also Latin, which was used in the clergy and in the learned professions. Meanwhile, Old English transformed into Middle English, becoming simpler in structure and richer of words. In conclusion, three languages existed in England after 1066:

-      French, in the court and among the aristocratic people

-      Latin, among the clergymen and the lawyers

-      Middle English, among the ordinary people

Italian was also widely known because of Italy’s commercial importance.

 

5)   What is the difference between a novel and a romance?

 

The novel is a tale which has a strict adherence to the real world. On the contrary the romance is about fantastic and legendary adventures, often containing supernatural elements.

 

6)   Explain the main features of romance (origin, target, content/s, language and any other relevant feature).

 

The medieval romance is the most popular genre in medieval literature and is the expression of the medieval high-cultivated aristocratic society. Romances narrate the deeds of a knight and/or his intricate love stories. Medieval romances derive from the Norman histories and draw on their characters. The Histories are chronicles written by the Normans to justify their political independence from France. Medieval Romances were at first written in French, then they were written in English. They originated in the 12^th C. and survived until the 15^th C.

Romances deal with an individual knight undertaking a single quest; however, during the narration, he can face some minor quests unrelated to the main story. Romances idealize chivalry, feudalism, courtly love, the hero and his deeds. The hero-knight embodies the Right and the Good and is nobler than the ordinary human. He is due to his lord, his lady and the Church. His birth is shrouded in mystery and he is reared away from his true family. For a certain period of time he uses a concealed identity. After meeting an extraordinary challenge, he claims his right, and his triumph benefits his whole group or nation.

The lady symbolizes the perfect Christian female image. Antagonists embody Evil. The setting of the narration is imaginary and vague and often consists in an exotic place. The plot is filled with supernatural and fantastic elements, and presents an optimistic conclusion. Mystical number “3” is often repeated.

The topics of the medieval romance are called matters. Romances which draw characters and plots from classical ancient mythology belong to the matter of Rome. The matter of France deals with the legends of Charlemagne and his Peers. The matter of Britain derives from Germanic and Teutonic traditions. The matter of England is the most frequent and deals with the legends of King Arthur.

The most famous example of medieval romances is the Arthurian cycle. It narrates the adventures of King Arthur and his knights in search of the Holy Grail.

 

7)   What is the quest undertaken by a Knight?

 

The quest undertaken by a Knight may be:

-      To rescue a lady;

-      To fulfill a command for his lord or the Church;

-      To rescue or obtaining an object (the Holy Grail);

-      To meet a challenge;

-      To defeat Evil.

 

8)   What is courtly love?

 

Courtly love derives from the principles of the Medieval aristocratic environment. According to it, love is indissolubly bound with great-heartedness, loyalty, generosity and fidelity. The relationship between a knight and his lady should reflect the one between a vassal and his lord.