Study Guide

Beowulf :

Summery

·         A king by the name of Hrothgar has a problem with a monster that has been attacking his mead hall with people every night named Grendel

·         the party was over and like every other night Grendel attacked them while they were asleep .

·         Beowulf attacked him by surprise while trying to fight him Grendel lost him arm and as a reward for scaring him off they hang the arm on the wall.

·         grendel died and as revenge for her son's death grendels mother attacked the hall and Beowulf chased her under water  where they fought  and by graving a sword he killed her

·         Beowulf returns home and  grows old an  wise while ruling the kingdom  for fifty winters

·         there a dragon that lives in a  stone roofed barrow there he guarded a hoard

·         A person staled a gem from the dragon and he woke up with a rage 

·         the dragon attack by burning the city to cinder

·         Beowulf  decided to face the dragon even do him old age

·         no one wanted to help Beowulf with the fight of the dragon but the only one was  wiglaf

·         the dragon was stabbed in the belly by wiglaf after he bite Beowulf in the neck

·         at the end Beowulf takes the final blow by stabbing the knife deep in the dragons flank

·         Beowulf realize that the dragons bite was venomous and he starts to die

·         He tells Wiglaf that he must now look after the Geats and order his troop to build him a barrow 

Characters

·         Beowulf : A Geatish hero who fights monsters like Grendel and his mother also as a young warrior he had every value of a heroic culture . as he gets older he proves to be wise and effective ruler

·         king Hrothgar :he enjoys military success and prosperity also wise and aged ruler

·         Grendel: A demon descended from cain 

·         The Dragon : a powerful and ancient dragon that guards a horde of treasure in a hidden mound

·         Unferth :  A Danish warrior who is jealous of Beowulf

·         Grendels mother : fewer human qualities and a unnamed swamp hag

Themes

·         Honor

·         death

·         vengeance

·         glory

·         fate

·         balance

·         loyalty

·         good vs. evil

·         heroic deeds

·         family history

Quotes

·         "Wise sir, do not grieve. It is always better
to avenge dear ones than to indulge in mourning.
For every one of us, living in this world
means waiting for our end. Let whoever can
win glory before death. When a warrior is gone,
that will be his best and only bulwark."(1384-1389)

·         "Famous for his deeds
a warrior may be, but it remains a mystery
where his life will end, when he may no longer
dwell in the mead-hall among his own.
So it was with Beowulf, when he faced the cruelty
and cunning of the mound-guard. He himself was ignorant
of how his departure from the world would happen." (3062-3068)

·         Whichever one death fells must deem it a just judgement by God
If Grendel win, it will be a gruesome day; he will glut himself on the Geats in the war-hall, swoop without fear on that flower of manhood
as on others before" (440-445)

Lanval

Summery

·         his loyal to his king but is also neglected by him

·         Lanval is depressed and in financial straits; lost in thought he goes off to the countryside and reaches a stream where he meets two lovely ladies who lead him to their mistress who is beautiful and rich

·         lanval become her lover but she has a request from him not to say anything about their relationship or lose her forever ,

·         from then on he lived in luxury and was able to meet her when ever

·         one night queen Guinevere makes a pass on him but he rejects her , being angry she accuses him of being gay

·         Lanval becomes offended by her remarks so he tells her how beautiful his lover is an points out that ever her servants are more beautiful that the queen 

·         The queen gets angry soi she tells the king that lanval tried to seduce her and insulted her

·         the king called for a trial and being in distressed lanval calls his lover but she doesn't come

·         the barons agree that lanvel must prove what he said

·         suddently two girls attendants of lanvals lover and more beutiful than anyone had ever seen appear

·         finally Lanvals lover arrived to the awe the presents in which they admit she is the most beutiful women in the world

·         she tells themshe is the lover of lanval and that the queen lied and request that lanval be acquitted

·         Lanval and his lover leave on a horse to a beutiful island of avalon and is never heard from again

Characters

·         Lanval:A man who is loyal to his king and also handsome and good hearted

·         His Lover : A beautiful fairy , who gives Lanval her love and body

·         Queen Guinevere: the kings wife who thinks she could get whatever  she wants  behind the kings back

·         King Arthur : His jealous of lanval because everyone likes him so that is why he never pays him

Themes

·         chivalry

·         courtly love

·         role reversal (men vs. women)

·         Duty ( to love or lord )

·         temptress's

·         vindictive women

·         supernatural women = good

Quotes

·         Love stung him with a spark
that burned and set fire to his heart
"Lovely one," he said, "if it pleased you,
if such joy might be mine
that you would love me,
there is nothing you might command,
within my power, that I would not do,
whether foolish or wise. I shall obey your command;
for you i shall abandon everyone. (118-128)

·         "Lanval gave rich gifts  Lanval released prisoners  Lanval dressed jongleurs  Lanval offered great honors.  There was no stranger or friend  to whom Lanval didn't give." (209-214)

·         The queen got angry; in her wrath, she insulted him: Lanval, she said I am sure you don't care for such pleasure; people have often told me that you have no interest in women. You have fine-looking boys with whom you enjoy yourself." (275-82)

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Summery

·         one night the king and his knights were having a holiday  celebration

·         A man in green approached them and demand to see the person in charge

·         He claim to come in peace , but he demands to be indulge in a game

·         the king agrees and made an offer to do it himself but instead Gawain stands up and requests that he be allowed to take the challenge himself

·         The Green knight explains the rules of the game a he understands the pact he has made so he cuts the greens knight head

·         the green knight does not fall from his horse and picks up his head from the floor and rides off

·         the king and Gawain decide to hang the axe above the main dais and return to the feast 

·         as the seasons winter is finally back and the knights prepare to sent Gawain off on his quest for the green knight

·         time passes by and it was time for  charismas eve and he prays to find a place to attend charismas mass

·         He finds a beautiful castle and he decides to head towards it  there he is welcomed by guardians and they allowed him to enter

·         he was received warmly and meet the host lord and his wife

·         that same night they had wine and celebrated

·         the days where coming closer for Gawain to meet the green knight  so he decide to leave but the lord told him of a game that he current refuse 

·         they had to give each other there winning for the day  

·         the lord will go hunting in the mornings for meat

·         Gawain will stay in his room but the lords wife was creeping to his bed

·         the hosts wife jokes with him and she also offers to be his servant and also use her body

·         Gawain just fallows her lead but still guarding himself while being gracious

·         she accuses him of not being the real Gawain so he panics

·         he asked her to explain what she meant by that so she responds that the real Gawain will never let a lady leave him room without taking a kiss

·         He allows the kiss and the host comes back he gives the venison he hunt

·         Gawain gives him the kiss the host asked him where he won the prize but he points out that they agree to exchange but not tell where or how they were acquired

·         the next two days had the same patter the host will hunt and the lady will continue to tease Gawain with  three kisses

·         the lady asked for love tokens but Gawain refuses he has nothing to give her so the lady offers him a ring he refuses , then she offers him a green girdle that she claim is magical , that it will protect him from death so he accepts the girdle

·         that afternoon Gawain gives the host the tree kisses but not the girdle

·         it time for gawain to leave but he puts the green girdle around his waist

·         Gawain was escorted by a guide who tells him to run away and promises not to say anything

·         Gawain goes toward the forest and fines the  green chapel

·         The green knight comes out from a crag carrying a axe  , he greed's Gawain

·         the green knight holds the blade high and teases him but Gawain tells him to hurry but when he was ready to attack Gawain  flinches

·         he teases him twise but the third blow he have cuts flesh from his neck as a punishment for not telling the trued about the green girdle he received

·         the green knight and the host of the castle were the same person

·         The host did not think of it a big deal and invited him to go back and celebrate but Gawain refused 

·         Gawain became angry and cursed the girdle  so he asked to revel him true reveling his name as Bertilak de Hautdesert a servant of Morgan le Faye who is the old women in the castle which she also is the aunt of Gawain and Arthurs half sister and Merlins mistress

·         gawain being angry and disapointed returns to camelot but not stayed away it took him a willed until his wound was almost healed

·         He tells the king of his journey and explains that he will wear the green girdle for ever as a sign of his sin so every knight adapted the green girdle in to armor as a sign of unity

·         Characters

·         Green knight : a man cover completely in green form head to toe  that sets him apart from everyone else

·         Gawain : Arthurs nephew and also a loyal knight who loves life why too much to dye

·         The host : the host turns out to be the green knight

·         The host wife : she attempts to seduce Gawain while staying in the castle , also a beautiful young women who also helps morgan le faye  in her plot

Themes

·         chivalry

·         forgiveness

·         temptation

·         courtly love

·         trial

·         self preservation

·         faith

·         honor

·         honesty

·         morality

·         time/ season

·         death/ eternal life ( mortality)

·         women ( temptress / evil)

·         supernatural women

Quotes

·         “Regard,” said Gawain, as he held up the girdle,
“the symbol of sin, for which my neck bears the scar;
a sign of my fault and offence and failure,
of the cowardice and covetousness I came to commit.
I was tainted by untruth. This, its token,
I will drape across my chest till the day I die.
For a man’s crimes can be covered but never made clean;
Once sin is entwined it is attached for all time.” (2505-12)

·         "There hurtles in at the hall-door an unknown rider,
One the greatest on ground in growth of his frame:
From broad neck to buttocks so bulky and thick,
And his loins and his legs so long and so great,
Half a giant on earth I hold him to be,
But believe him no less than the largest of men,
And the seemliest in his stature to see, as he rides,
For in back and in breast though his body was grim,
His waist in its width was worthily small,
And formed with every feature in fair accord 
was he.
Great wonder grew in hall
At his hue most strange to see,
For man and gear and all
Were green as green could be."   (136–150)

·         " But no wonder if a fool finds his way into folly and be wiped of his wits by womanly guile- it’s the way of the world. Adam fell because of a woman, and Solomon because of several, and as for Samson, was bamboozled by Bathsheba and bore the grief. All wrecked and ruined by their wrongs, if only we could love our ladies without believing their lies". (2414-21)

The Miller's Prologue and Tale

summery

·         A drunken miller starts to tell the story of john and his wife Alison

·         John is an old man who works as a carpenter and has no studies at all

·         He married a young and beautiful girl who he loves with all his life but she  likes to have fun

·         John doesn't keep her at home all the time because he was jealous and also afraid of being "cokewold"

·         They had a boarder named Nicholas who had study in college for a year

·         Alison and Nicholas wanted to have a night together without john being around

·         Nicholas who knew about astrology came up with a plan to trick John

·         Nicholas told him john about a big flood and that they had to build casks up in his roof and when he gives the word to cut the casks so they can float

·         The day came and all three of them got inside the rafts and waited but Alison and Nichols waited until john was a sleep and headed up to the room and sleep together

·         Absilon who is a parish clerk and liked Alisoun showed up in her house and asked Alison for a kiss but instead she hangs out the butt and Absilon seeks revenge and picks up a hot poker and ask for another kiss but instead this time Nicholas shows his butt and farts and Absilon burns him

·         Nicholas yells water and wakes up john who cuts down the rafter  and hurts himself from the fall

Characters

·         The miller : narrator who was drunk and tells a blasphemous tale

·         John : carpenter who married Alisoun and has no studies an very jealous and also keeps Alisoun in confinement  

·         Nicholas : lives with alison and john and also is good looking ,flirtatious and when to college for one year and knows about astrology

·         Alisoun  : she is johns wife married at age 18 she is smart unlike her husband and ends up having a affair with Nicholas

·         Absilon : his a parish clerk at a church . his in love with alisoun and up tight and squeamish about farts and vulgar talk  oh and his a musician

Themes

·         Fabliau

·         class issues

·         entrapment / oppression of women

·         age issues

·         astrology

·         men/ women relations

·         temptation

·         education issues

·         religion/ hypocrisy

·         vengeance

·         sex / sexual deviance

·         cuckoldry

·         jealousy

·         Quotes

·         Thus swived was the carpenteres wif,
For al his keeping and his jalousye;
And Absolon hath kist hir nether ye;
And Nicholas is scalded in the toute.
This tale is doon, and God save al the rowte! (742-745)

·         “Jalous he was and heeld hire marwe in cage
For she was wild and young, and he was old
And deemed himself been lik a cokewold
He knew not Caton for his wit was rude
That bad men sholde wedde his similitude
Men sholde wedden after his estat
For youthe and elde is often at debate” (116-122)

The Wife of Baths

summery

·         A old women talks about her life with her five marriages and how she has control over them

·         Her husband's would give her many presents to show there appreciation for her and make her happy

·         Her fifth husband was one of the husband she had more problems with

·         He liked to read a book that would have tells about every women in history and how bad they where  she was fed up with her husband always reading that book so she ripped pages for the book so her husband hit her in the face which made her deaf

·         Her husband felt so bad that he gave her power to every thinks he had and the fist thing she did was to burned the book he was reading all the time

·         The tale was about a young  knight that had raped a beautiful lady 

·         The knight them get punish for his crime but thanks to the queen that saved him he lives but she asked something from him

·         She asked him to find what is it that women most want in the world  he has a year and a day to find the answer

·         He head out to find the answer but many women say money , freedom, est.

·         He then found a group of women who he ask for help one of the women who says she can vouch for him if he pledges to her and he does

·         ones they arrived to the kingdom he say what women want the most is to be in charge of their husbands and have control

·         then the old women tells him to marry her and he does but it's not a happy marriage at all

·         the old women gives him a choice to become beautiful and unfaithful or stay ugly and loyal

·         He gives her the power to choice whatever is best so she chose to be beautiful and loyal at the end

Characters

·         the narrator : she tels her story life and how her marriages where all different  because she likes to have fun and willing to start a six marriage still

·         The knight : raped a girl but also keeps his honor when keeping his word to the old lady and gives the old lady the power she wanted

·         The old lady : supernatural , she helps the knight with the answer and also marries him

Themes

·         marriage

·         control

·         role of women w/in marriage

·         sexual license w/in marriage

·         licentiousness

·         time

·         rape

·         women as intercessors

·         what women want

·         quests

·         sovereignty of women

·         honor

·         "happy wife happy life"

·         supernatural women

Quotes

·         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)

·         I graunte thee lif if thou canst tellen me What thing it is that wommen most desiren: Be war and keep thy nekke boon from iren. And if thou canst nat tellen me anoon, Yit wol I yive thee leve for to goon a twelfmonth and a day to seeche and lere An answere suffisant in this matere, And suretee wol I han er that thou pace, Thy body for to yeeledn in this place." (910-18)

·         He yaf me al the bridel in myn hand, To han the governance of hous and land , and of his tonge and his hand also; and made him brenne his book anoonright tho. and whanthat i hadde geten unto me by maistrye al the sovereinetee (819-824)

The Pardoners

summery

·         A man that tells a story of a man who scams people of their money by selling his preaching and promises of salvation

·         He himself says that he preaches just for money and not to correct sins

·         he rather take the last penny of a starving family than to give up his money

·         the tale describe a group of  young man that what revenge for their death of their friend

·         they start to search for death but instead found a old man who is  waiting for death

·         they think the old man is a spy for death

·         the old man told them about and oak tree and they head out to find him

·         under the oak tree they find treasure they star to plot against each other so the two oldest plant to kill the youngest and keep the money but they don't know that he is planting the same and kill them too

·         they send the youngest to get drinks but on his way back he buys poison that is really strong with just one drop will kill them completely

·         the guy comes back but he gets staved by the other two guys so they start to celebrate and drank the drink with poison and dye

characters

·         The pardoner : he still people's money by telling  lies , his also greedy and only cares for himself and a hypocrite

·         the young guys : greedy . plot to kill each other and looking for death

Themes

·         greed

·         hypocrisy

·         lies

·         cheater

·         prideful/ gluttony

·         exemplum

·         moralist

·         avarice is the root of evil

·         irony

·         sin = death

·         quest

Quotes

·         “Nay, nay,” quode he, “thane have I Cristes curs!
Lat be,” quode he, “it shal nat be, so theech!
Thou woldest make me kisse thyn olde breech
And swere it were a relik of a saint,
Though it were with thy fundament depient. (658-662)

·         I wol none of the Apostles countrefete:
I wol have moneye, wolle, cheese, and whete,
Al were it yiven of the pooreste page,
Or of the pooreste widwe in a village--
Al sholde hir children sterve for famine.
Nay, I wol drinke licour of the vine
And have a joly wenche in every town.
(159-165)

·         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 Book of Margery Kemp

summery

·         A daughter of a mayor who had a  nervous breakdown  after her first child

·         During this time she though she saw the devil but also was recover after a vision of Jesus Christ

·         She decides to devote her life to god and have a  celibacy life with her husband  but first she had to convince him and she does by  giving him fourteen children

·         She starts her live as devoted person to god emotionally and dramatically

·         She becomes a religious eccentric

·         She loves god so much that she cry and every time she sees some think that remind her of his suffering or during a religion service

·         Every handsome man she sees she thinks is god

·         she makes several pilgrimages, the longest and most difficult of which is a journey to Jerusalem

·         she is a marry women but she still wanted to be a nun

·         she even married god spiritually

·         She devotion is so intense that she expresses them physical even in sexual terms in her visions

·         her husband grows old and sick , one of her son get marry to a German women , soon after her husband dead her son die too

Characters

·         Margery Kempe : she loves god more than anything , she wrote her story into a book

·         John Kempe : Margery husband he did not agree to live in celibacy with her , died of an injury

Themes

·         physical aspects of Jesus

·         physical experiences of faith

·         illiterate population

·         women greater access of faith

·         class issues (mayors daughter)

Quotes

·         Then came to her the lady's priest saying , “Damsel, Jesus is dead long since .”
  When her crying ceased, she said to the priest, “Sir, his death is as fresh to me as if he had died this same day, and so, I think, it ought to be to you and to all Christian people.” (435 )

·         "There must i need be homely with you and lie in your bed with you . Daughter , you desire greatly to see me , and you may boldly , when you are in bed, tale me to you as your wedded husband "[ ... ] (433)

·         "And then our lord said to her soul , " daughter ,these sorrows and many more suffered i for you love, and divers pains, more than any man can tell on earth .[...] (438)

Everyman

Summery

·         Death is called by god to pick up everyman and make him account for his sins

·         everyman asked death if he can take someone with him and he agrees

·         everyman head on a journey to find someone willing to go with him

·         first he asked fellowship but he declined

·         then he asked kindred and cousin but they also said no

·         then everyman turns to goods to go with him but he also declined

·         lastly he asked good deeds and he was willing to go but because Everyman had never done any good dead in his life , good deeds said no

·         good deeds told him to seek knowledge and ask for a solution and he did only way was to  confess his sins

·         ones he did good dead was able to go with everyman in his journey to go with death

Character

·         messenger

·         god

·         death

·         everyman

·         fellowship

·         kindred

·         cousin

·         goods

·         good deeds

·         knowledge

·         confession

·         beauty

·         strength

·         discretion

·         five wits

·         angel

·         doctor

·         themes

·         morality play

·         spreading issues of morality / faith

·         to illiterate population

·         good deeds to the way to heaven

·         repentance

·         mortality ( being prepared)

·         quest

·         time

·         abandonment of worldly goods

·         class

Quotes

·         "Ye hearers, take it of worth, old and young,
And forsake pride, for he deceiveth you in the end,
And remember Beauty, Five Wits, Strength and Discretion,
They all at last do Everyman forsake,
Save his Good Deeds, there doth he none take:
But beware, for if they be small,
Before God he hath no help at all;
No excuse may be there for Everyman."
(902-909)

·          "KNOWLEDGE : Now hath he suffered that we all shall endure,
The Good Deeds shall make all sure.
Now hath he made ending.
Methinketh that I hear angels sing
And make great joy and melody
Where Everyman’s soul received shall be. " (887-892)