medieval romance test review

what is written on Arthur's tomb?

"hic iacet arthurus, rex quondam rexque futurus" which means "here lies Arthur, the once and future king"

what is the Green Knight's final evaluation of Gawain?

"you're the finest man that ever walked this earth?"

how many men died during the battle?

100,000

when did English theater begin?

1475ish

when was Everyman printed?

1508-1537

to what specific actions of Gawain's does the Green Knight link each of his strokes of his ax?

1st- kept his honor; 2nd- kissed the hunter's wife; 3rd- failed by keeping the sash/lying

how many copies of Everyman has survived since Middle Ages?

4

Good Deeds

A weak figure who grows stronger as the play progresses, and ultimately accompanies Everyman to his final home.

What kind of play is Everyman?

An anonymous medieval morality play

When was Everyman produced?

Around 1485

Confession

Confessing his sins and doing penance strengthen the severely weakened Good Deeds for the journey.

Who does Everyman encounter 6th?

Confession, gives Everyman a whip to do penance by scourging himself

Who confronts Everman and says he must go on a journey from which he will never return from in the beginning of the play?

Death

True or false: Death doesn't let Everyman tale companions with him on the jounrey

False

True or false: Everyman doesn't pass into eternal salvation in the end

False

Who does Everyman first encounter?

Fellowship, he doesn't go with Everyman when he finds out that Death sent him

What is it an allegory from?

From a sinful life to salvation

how is this story allegorical of Christian redemption?

Gawain is a sinner, Green Knight is Christ figure, terms of salvation: confession, penance (nicked him and he bled), absolved from sin ("I consider you polished as white and as perfectly clean as if you had never fallen since you were first born")

on the way to meet the Green Knight, Sir Gawain stops at a castle. what significant event occurs there?

Gawain is told by a hunter that everything Gawain wins should be given to the hunter by the end of the day in exchange for the game the hunter has caught that day; Gawain kisses the hunter's wife and is given a green sash (he gives the kisses to the hunter, but not the green sash)

Who rises after Everyman scourges himself?

Good Deeds

Who does Everyman encounter 4th?

Good Deeds, she is too weak to even stand up, advises him to seek her sister Knowledge

Who does Everyman encounter 3rd?

Goods, he claims that he it too brittle to make the journey and that he destroys souls instead of saving them

What is the only thing that Everyman can take to the afterlife?

His good deeds

Who does Everyman encounter 2nd?

Kindred and Cousin, they make excuses not to go: Cousin says his toe hurts and Kindred says he will send his maid

Who does Everyman encounter 5th?

Knowledge, promises to accompany Everyman and leads him to Confession

discuss the symbolic use of the color green

LIFE; green is a color associated with living things that are thriving and growing, the Green Knight has the power to either take Gawain's life or let him keep his life, the green sash allows the wearer to continue living

what agreement is made with Mordred?

Mordred would receive Cornwall and Kent if he would meet Arthur with 14 people on both sides- they would wait a month and a day though

Knowledge

Orthodox doctrine is essential to Everyman's safe passage

Which literary device is used frequently in the play?

Personification

Death

Sent by God to summon Everyman to his final reward.

Everyman

The protagonist, he is confronted by Death and told he must undertake a journey from which he may never return. He finds final redemption when his Good Deeds are strengthened by Confession and Penance.

Fellowship, Kindred, Cousin, Goods

Those on whom Everyman had relied during his life but refuse to accompany him into the afterlife

Beauty, Strength, Discretion, Five Wits (Senses)

Though these are good, they, too, desert Everyman when he is on the verge of death.

True or false: Everyman tries to bribe Death to give him more time

True

True or false: The five senses agree to accompany Everyman on his journey after his pennance

True

romance

a Medieval verse narrative chronicling the adventures of a brave knight or other hero who must undertake a quest and overcome great danger for love of a noble lady or high ideal

where and under what circumstances did the Green Knight and Sir Gawain first meet?

a Round Table Feast; Green Knight challenges Sir Gawain to exchange in a fight, Green Knight survives a beheading

chivalry

a code of brave and courteous conduct for knights in the Middle Ages

how long was the battle?

a day

what images make the setting at the beginning of the tale seem demonic? explain symbolism

a green grave mound, boiling pool, old cave, overgrown weeds- symbolizes death and, especially the boiling pool, reminds of Grendel's fiery waters from Beowulf

what does the Green Knight give Gawain?

a green-gold embroidered girdle

what kind of play is Everyman?

a morality play

what is another name for a miracle play?

a mystery play

what is medieval romance?

a narrative set in a world of pure wish-fulfillment, where the ordinary laws of nature are suspended and idealized and the superhuman hero almost always defeats evil

how much time was allotted for Gawain's quest?

a year and a day (wink wink, looking at you "Wife of Bath's Tale")

what incident begins the battle?

an adder strikes a knight on the foot and the knight draws his sword to kill the adder; as soon as both parties see the sword, they begin to fight

what sight does Sir Bedivere see when he throws Excaliber into the lake?

an arm rose out of the lake and caught the sword and turned it thrice in hand before bringing it below the water

legend

an imaginative story handed down for generations and believed to have some historical base

who wrote Sir Gawain?

an unknown author

verse narrative

another word for narrative poetry; tells a story written in metered verse; doesn't necessarily follow rhyme patterns; includes epics, ballads, idylls, and lays

what request does Bedivere make the hermit?

asks if he can stay there forevermore to pray for Arthur's soul

how did it begin?

clergy began inserting dialogues into Mass to make service more meaningful and impressive; these miniature dramas, much expanded, became miracle plays

what is sir Bedivere to do while Arthur is healing in Avilion?

comfort himself and do the best he can, pray for Arthur

why is this story still retold?

contains fantasy, suspense, and humor and is extremely moral

what where the three stages of a Medieval romance quest?

dangerous journey, test, return to home

what is the subject matter of a miracle play?

dramatized Biblical scenes

what does Arthur dream on Trinity Sunday?

dreamt of himself sitting in a chair on a scaffold in the richest clothes imaginable above a vast, dark, deep sea crawling with beasts and he is flipped into the beast-filled waters

minor characteristics of Medieval romance (5)

faithful follower who is tested; wise old man; dreams that predict future; use of the number 3; betrayal

what is Arthur's reaction to the loss of men?

he is angry and wants to kill Mordred the "traitor"

what could be going through Gawain's mind as Green Knight is about to use the third stroke? why is he miserable and ashamed?

he is upset that he has abandoned the rules of Arthur and chivalry for desire to save his own life

how does Gawain react to the Green Knight's taunts?

he says that he has shied away once, but never again; he will stand still until the ax has hit him

in what two ways does the Green Knight seem lighthearted?

he speaks merrily and releases Gawain from being killed

why does Sir Bedivere not follow Arthur's instructions?

he thinks that harm and loss will follow if he throws the sword into the lake

what happens to sir Lucan?

he was already wounded, but when he tried to carry Arthur he dies

what do you learn about Gawain from his response to the Green Knight?

he will be brave in the face of death

what warning does Arthur give to his men before they meet Mordred on the field?

if they see a sword, they should begin to fight

where did it begin?

in the Medieval church

what happened when miracle plays moved outdoors rather than being in a church?

lost connection with church and became a form of entertainment rather than for religion (even though they were still renditions of Biblical scenes)

what were the four most prevalent female figures in Medieval romance?

maiden, mother, crone, temptress

who was the primary audience of morality plays?

middle class towns; many could not read or write so this was their form of entertainment

what type of play grew out of miracle plays and Medieval allegories?

morality play

do we know the author of morality plays?

nah, they were originally orally told so there's no definite author

at the end of the tale, who is speaking?

narrator; Sir Thomas Malory

major characteristics of Medieval romance (9)

near perfect hero; evil enemy; a quest; a test of the hero; supernatural elements; conflict of good and evil; female figures; written in verse narrative; usually set in the past

who is the hermit?

old Bishop of Canterbury

where were miracle plays performed?

on wagons that moved from place to place within a city or town

what is romance like today?

presents a happier world, more exciting and more heroic than the real world with a happily ever after

when was it written?

probs around 1375

who takes Arthur's body away?

queen

what is the noise Arthur hears on the battlefield?

robbers were looting the fallen men of their brooches, rings, and jewels

what is the major theme of Everyman?

salvation of soul as death approaches

why does Gawain throw off the sash?

sash caused him to be a coward

when Queen Guenevere learns of the battle's results, what does she do and how does she change?

she and five of her ladies go to Amesbury and she becomes a nun and wears white and black; she was never merry again and she spent the rest of her life fasting and praying

who does Arthur say he has sorely missed this day?

sir Lancelot

which of Arthur's knights are still living?

sir Lucan de Butler and sir Bedivere

adder

snake

what news does the hermit tell sir Bedivere?

some ladies had brought him a dead corpse and they asked him to save the dead body for money

what are some characteristics of a morality play?

struggle of good vs evil, allegorical (characters appear as abstract virtues and vices), characters are one-dimensional (they have no depth, you can't have deep convos with them :/), didactic (they are there to teach moral lessons)

why does the Green Knight keep Gawain waiting?

suspense, he's sharpening his weapon

what is Britwell copy?

text most often used now; reprinted in 1904

describe the fight between Arthur and Mordred

they run at each other and he gets nicked in the brain

what instructions does Arthur give to sir Bedivere concerning his sword, Excaliber?

throw Excaliber into the lake and tell Arthur what he sees in the water afterwards

what happens when stories are retold several times?

variations occur

what advice does Sir Lucan give to his King concerning Mordred?

warns him to remember his dream and what Gawain had warned him

what knowledge do legends give us?

what was valued and how the people of Middle Ages lived their lives