Lecture Three. Literature of the fourteenth century. Langland and Chaucer.

1. Historical context.

2. W. Langland. The Visions of Piers Plowman

3. Geoffrey Chaucer.

   1. Biography.

   2. Early works. The French and Italian periods.

   3. The Canterbury Tales

i) The plan of The Canterbury Tales.

ii) The characters

iii) The Canterbury Tales as an encyclopedia of medieval

genres

d. Chaucer’s role in the history of English literature

The fourteenth century in England was a fluid, exciting and contradictory age. Monarchy was at all appearances cresting a wave of success. Edward III was a glamorous and ambitious king who appreciated the outward show of monarchy: pageantry, honours, patronage. He founded the greatest order of English chivalry, the Order of Garter. His court was a centre of culture and chivalry renowned over Europe.

The English language, which remained the language of the vast majority, eventually won out over Anglo-Norman, and by the beginning of the fourteenth century its victory was clearly evident. The Parliament of England used English increasingly from around the 1360s, and the king's court used mainly English from the time of King Henry V (acceded 1413).

With the French monarchy relatively weak, England was losing its status of a dim off-shore island and attaining the rank of a European power. It was forging links with all over Europe, its merchants were prospering, forming the beginning of a solid middle-class.

However, this glorious structure was based on a dangerously flimsy foundation. There were numerous sighs of decline of the traditional medieval class structure. The population of the country fell over the 14^th cent. from 4 to 2 million people. The epidemic of Black Death (plaque) in 1348-9 reduced the population by one third and undermined the whole basis of society. People’s anger at the abuses and corruption of the upper classes (so vividly expressed by W. Langland) led to the Peasants’ revolt of 1381. The Hundred Years War (1357-1453) against France outstretched England’s resources and impoverished the country. The fight for Power culminated in the civil War of the Roses.

There was also growing dissatisfaction with the Church.

From the point of view of communication, 14^th cent. England was far more remote from the centre of Europe than it is today. But the very remoteness gave it more freedom and independence of the official centres of theology (especially Rome), and encouraged free thinking. The centre of free though in England was undoubtedly Oxford.

The first schools in Oxford date back to the 1160-s, started by students who failed to get a degree in Paris and wanted to continue their education. A hundred years later the first colleges appeared.

Roger Bacon, was a student of Oxford, then taught there. He was one of those scholars, who formed the basis of English thought as practical, based on experience.

John Wyclif (1330-1384) was a renowned lecturer in philosophy and theology, an exponent of Realism and a radical reformer. Wycliffe openly attacked papal supremacy over the English church and preached what he called ‘cheaper” church, a church without luxury or indulgence. Trying to bring God’s word closer to common people, he instigated the translation of the Bible into English, and translated parts of it himself. Two translations were made, in 1382 and 1388 – the first Bible in English. Wyclif was condemned by Rome.

William Langland (ca 1330 –1400)

Piers Plowman (The Visions Concerning Piers the Plowman)

An allegorical poem in the genre of the dream vision, a major monument of medieval didactic poetry.

Survives in a large number of manuscripts – clear evidence of its popularity with the medieval readers.

Three widely varying versions: A, B, and C-texts

The A-text - 2,567 lines – about 1367-70

The B-text – (more than 7,000 lines) – about 1377-79, an extension of the A-text

The C-text (the same length) – about 1385-6 – a substantial reversion of B.

Two parts: The VISIO and The VITA. The Visio: the Prologue and the first 7-10 Passus, the first two visions of the narrator. Comprises the pilgrimage in search of Truth.

The Vita: the lives of allegoric figures Dowel, Do bet and Do best.

The Contents

Vision One: While wandering on the Malvern Hills, the narrator (who, it transpires later, is called Will) falls asleep and has a vision, ‘a fair field full of folk’ between the Tower of Truth and the Dungeon of Evil. The field is a collective image of mankind, ‘alle manner of men’, from the king to a beggar. Through a series of visions this generalized picture gradually becomes richer and more concrete. The author shows that Evil has found its way into all social groups. This picture becomes a critical portrait of contemporary society. The greatest sin of all is avarice. One of the central images is Lady Meed, an allegory for bribery. She is opposed to Lady Holy Church, the author’s ideal of virtue.