Passage ID's Flashcards
(28 cards)
He [Cædmon] remembered everything that he was able to learn by listening, and turning it over in his mind like a clean beast that chews the cud, he converted it into sweetest song, which sounded so delightful that he made his teachers, in their turn, his listeners. He sang about the creation of the world …. And [he made] a great many others [songs] besides about divine grace and justice in all of which he sought to draw men away from the love of sin and to inspire them with delight in the practice of good works.
Title: Caedmon’s Hymn
Author: Bede
Points of Significance:
Expression of religious devotion engaged in praising God and his works.
God gave Caedmon a wonderful gift in order to draw men to the Christian faith and spread God’s word.
So [Hwæt]. The Spear-Danes in days gone by and the kings who ruled them had courage and greatness. We have heard of those princes’ heroic campaigns. There was Shield Sheafson, scourge of many tribes, a wrecker of mead-benches, rampaging among foes. This terror of the hall-troops had come far. A foundling to start with, he would flourish later on, his powers waxed and his worth was proved. In the end, each clan on the outlying coasts beyond the whale-road had to yield to him and begin to pay tribute. That was one good king.
Title: Beowulf
Author: Unknown
Points of Significance:
“Those princes’”
Although he is setting up some relation, he is also creating distance as they are not our princes
Values
Valued valor, courage, greatness, power
Story of Shield Sheafson
Founder of the Spear-Danes
• Audience knows it, we don’t
Scourge, wrecker, violent
• Worth of praise because its directed at other tribes, not the Danes
• Even those there is ambiguity about the words describing him, “That was one good king” erased that ambiguity
Strange origins: Foundling
• Don’t know who his parents are
• Washes up a shore and people take him in, and ends up as king
When Shield wrecks other tribes mead halls, he is praised, but when Grendel comes in and wrecks there’s, it is hated
• Ambiguity about what makes a hero and what makes a monster
• Need Beowulf to come in and be a new Shield Sheafson
In off the moors, down through the mist-bands, God-cursed Grendel came greedily loping. The bane of the race of men roamed forth, hunting for a prey in the high hall. Under the cloud-murk he moved towards it until it shone above him, a sheer keep of fortified gold. Nor was that the first time he had scouted the grounds of Hrothgar’s dwelling – although never in his life, before or since, did he find harder fortune or hall-defenders. Spurned and joyless, he journeyed on ahead and arrived at the bawn. The iron-braced door turned on its hinge when his hands touched it.
Title: Beowulf
Author: Unknown
Points of Significance: (Grendel’s attack)
Like Beowulf and Shield, Grendel is an outsider
o Comes from the “moors”, like a marsh-land
o Moves in darkness, through the mist
How he moves o Greedily loping o Roamed forth Covering a lot of ground Hunting for a prey in the high hall
Animal is hunting the humans, or Grendel who is not human like becomes more human like and the humans become more animal like
Grendel has no problem moving the iron-braced door
o He is super strong, magical powers, we don’t know but he does it with ease
Grendel is not fully described
o Why tell the story this way
Trying to create suspense
Ambiguity about being sympathetic towards Grendel
o Endures God’s wrath because he is cursed
o Emphasis on Grendel being alone
o Removed from the joy of the hall, from the joy of being around people
He is exiled, which is one of the worst punishments that could be given
Then his rage boiled over, he ripped open the mouth of the building, maddening for blood, pacing the length of the patterned floor with a loathsome tread, while a baleful light, flame more than light, flared from his eyes. He saw many men in the mansion, sleeping, a ranked company of kinsmen and warriors quartered together. And his glee was demonic, picturing the mayhem: before morning he [atol aglæca] would rip life from limb and devour them, feed on their flesh; but his fate that night was due to change, his days of raveninghad come to an end.
Title: Beowulf
Author: Unknown
Points of Significance: (Grendel enters Herot)
Showing excess emotion
o Showing rage
“Baleful light, flame more than light, flared from his eyes”
o Once he enters the halls, there is not sympathy anymore
Hildeburh had little cause to credit the Jutes: son and brother, she lost them both on the battlefield. She, bereft and blameless, the foredoomed, cut down and spear-gored. She, the woman in shock, waylaid by grief, Hoc’s daughter – how could she not lament her fate when morning came and the light broke on her murdered dears? (1070-78 )
So a truce was offered as follows: first separate quarters to be cleared for the Danes hall and throne to be shared with the Frisians. (1085-87) So, if any Frisian stirred up bad blood with insinuations or taunts about this, the blade of the sword would arbitrate it. (1104-06)
Then Hildeburh ordered her own son’s body be burnt with Hnaef’s, the flesh on his bones to sputter and blaze beside his uncle’s. (1115-1118)
Title: Beowulf
Author: Unknown
Points of Significance:
Poem starts by absolving her of blame
o Nothing she could do to start it or end it
Her relationship to death, and men
o Son, brother, and husband all die
o Hoc’s daughter
Identified by her relationship to men
Truce was called
o Achieved through words
o The truce was shaking and wouldn’t last
She directs how the funeral goes
o Son’s body should be burnt with her brother
o Relationship between nephew and uncle is special
o Frisian’s heir (son) being burned with a Dane (her brother)
She is the bearer of and has the closest relation to death. The passage shows the context of who suffers in the spoils of war, yet gives consolation of burying the son and brother together. Like an elegy, she is somewhat alone as those she loved have been claimed by death. Like the Wanderer
Where did the steed go? Where the young warrior? Where the treasure-giver? Where the seats of fellowship? Where the hall’s festivity? Alas bright beaker! Alas burnished warrior! Alas pride of princes! How the time has passed,gone under night-helm as if it never was!(The Wanderer, lines 92-96)
Here wealth is fleeting, here friend is fleeting.here family is fleeting, here humankind is fleeting. All this resting-place Earth shall become empty. (Wanderer 108-110)
All shall be well for him who seeks grace,help from our Father in heaven where a fortress stands for us all.(114-115)
Title: The Wanderer
Author: Unknown
Points of Significance:
Highlights an ubi sunt and an elegy as this warrior is all alone. Shows the woes of the transitory phase of life and beauty into death and despair.
Now, earth, hold what earls once held and heroes can no more; it was mined from you first by honourable men. My own people have been ruined in war; one by one they went down to death, looked their last on sweet life in the hall. I am left with nobody to bear a sword or to burnish plated goblets, put a sheen on the cup. The companies have departed. The hard helmet, hasped with gold, will be stripped of its hoops; and the helmet-shiner who should polish the metal of the war-mask sleeps; the coat of mail that came through all fights, through shield-collapse and cut of sword, decays with the warrior. (2246-60)
Title: Beowulf (Lay of the Last Survivor)
Author: Unknown
Points of Significance:
One of the qualities of a good king is to be a ring giver, a treasure giver
In this, he is burying it because there is no community to give it to
o No use in hoarding it
o Can’t give a sword to buy loyalty
Has echoes of a ubi sunt
o The gold and materials are here, being given to the earth
No consolation
o Objects will decay and have no value
But natheless, whil I have time and space,
Er that I ferther in this tale pace,
Me thinketh it accordant to resoun
To telle you al the condicioun*[circumstances]
Of eech of hem, so as it seemed me,
And whiche they were, and of what degree,
And eek in what array that they were in (35-42)
Title: General Prologue
Author: Chaucer
Points of Significance:
Chaucer pilgrim to highlight their degree (what they did) and array (their clothing, which marks their social status)
A Knight ther was, and that a worthy man,
That fro the time that he first bigan
To riden out, he loved chivalrye,
Trouthe and honour, freedom and curteisye.
Ful worthy was he in his lordes werre,
And therto hadde he riden, no man ferre
As wel in Cristendom as hethenesse,
And evere honoured for his worthinesse.(43-50)
Title: General Prolgoue
Author: Chaucer
Points of Significance: (Knight’s Portrait)
Repeatedly called worthy
Participated in the crusades
Right internally characteristics
- Trouthe can mean four things
a. Loyalty (public promise)
b. Personal integrity
c. Truth (reality itself, what is factual)
d. Can mean God
He was a verray,* parfit, gentil knight. [true]
But for to tellen you of his array,
His hors were goode, but he was nat gay.
Of fustian he wered a gipoun* [he wore a tunic of thick cloth]
Al bismotered with his haubergeoun,* [hauberk/coat of mail]
For he was late* come from his viage, [recently]
And wente for to doon his pilgrimage.(72-78)
Title: General Prologue
Author: Chaucer
Points of Significance: (Knight’s portrait)
Horse was good, but not ostentatious
Talked about his clothing
- Clothes were stained (by we don’t know what)
- Why is he so eager to go on pilgrimage still wearing his battle wear
a. Did he do something guilty where he feel he needs to go on pilgrimage
b. What help has he received that he needs to thank God for
c. Battles referred to are of older battles
Stereotypes are open to failure
Portrait could also be stereotyped in a negative way (that they always fail in this certain way)
“And if you liketh alle, by oon assent,
For to stonden at* my juggement [abide by]
And for to werken as I shall you saye,
Tomorwe whan ye riden by the waye
–Now by my fader soule that is deed,
But ye be merye I wol yive you myn heed!
Holde up youre handes withouten more speech.”
Oure counseil was nat longe for to seeche;
Us thought it was not worth to make it wis,
And graunted him withouten more avis, *[deliberation]
And bade him saye his voirdit as him leste.
Title: General Prologue
Author: Chaucer
Points of Significance: (Host’s plan)
Host basically says “Agree to this contest before I tell you about it”
Counsel of people granted him what he wanted because it is not worth debating/making a problem over
Echoes of parliament
- Host as King in a sense. A lower ranking estate member ruling over higher ranking estate members
- Submitting to figures of authority without thinking about it isn’t necessarily a great thing
Oure Hoste lough and swoor, “So mote I goon,* [=I swear]
This gooth aright: unbokeled is the male.* [pouch, purse]
Lat see now who shal telle another tale.
For trewely the game is wel bigonne.
Now telleth ye, sire Monk, if that ye conne,* [are able/know]
Somwhat to quitewith the Knightes tale.”
The Millere, that for dronken was al pale,
So that unnethe* upon his hors he sat, [uneasily]
He nolde avalen* neither hood ne hat, [remove]
Ne abiden no man for his curteisye,
But in Pilates vois he gan to crye,
And swoor, “By armes and by blood and bones,I can a noble tale for the nones,
With which I wol now quite the Knightes tale.”
Title: Miller’s Prologue
Author: Chaucer
Points of Significance: (Miller’s quite)
Respond to / Repay (Revenge)
Host says to the Monk to tell a story to respond to the Knight’s tale, but the miller jumps in to respond
i. The Miller was so pale because he’s so drunk
ii. Miller says he’ll repay the knights tale, and tells a noble sarcasm tale
1. Mocks every point of the Knight’s tale
iii. Why does the Miller respond?
1. Miller is a part of the lower class while the knight is of higher class
a. High horse vs. droopy horse
2. Chaucer wrote this after a revolution was attempted by the lower class against the upper class.
a. Part of the revolution was over milling writes (political commentary)
b. But the tale says to not take it too seriously
But first I make a protestacioun* [affirmation]
That I am dronke; I knowe it by my soun.
And therfore if that I mysspeke or seye,
Wyte it* the ale of Southwerk, I you preye. [blame it on]
Title: Millers Prologue
Author: Chaucer
Points of Significance: (Miller’s apology)
- I can tell that I am drunk, so if I say anything wrong, don’t blame me, blame the beer
- Yet he tells a very well crafted tale
- For who is it funny?
a. At the expense of the drunk miller who doesn’t know his place?
And therfore every gentil wight I preye,
For Goddes love, demeth nat that I seye
Of yvel entente, but for I moot reherce
Hir tales alle, be they bet* or werse, [better]
Or elles falsen som of my mateere.
And therfore, whoso list it nought yheere,
Turne over the leef and chese another tale;
For he shal fynde ynowe,* grete and smale, [enough]
Of storial* thyng that toucheth gentillesse, [historical]
And eek moralitee and hoolynesse.
Blameth nought me if that ye chese amis….
Aviseth you,* and putte me out of blame: [take heed]
And eek men shal nought maken ernest of game.
Title: Miller’s Prologue
Author: Chaucer
Points of Significance: (Chaucer Pilgrim’s apology)
- Turn over the page and choose another tale for you’ll find another tale that is has gentleness and has morality and holiness
- He says he’s about to tell a story that is inappropriate and warns the reader
- My responsibility is to retell the stories that were already told, the blame is not on me
Fair was this yonge wif, and therwithal,
As any wesele hir body gent and smal….* [slender and delicate]
Hir mouth was sweete as bragot* or the meeth, *[honey drinks]
Or hoord of apples laid in hay or heeth. [heather]
Winsing she was as is a joly colt…. [skittish]
She was a primerole, a piggesnye, [flowers]
For any lord to leggen in his bedde,
Or yit for any good yeman to wedde. (125-62)
Title: Miller’s Tale
Author: Chaucer
Points of Significance:
Mocking courtly-love
She’s beautiful
- But like a weasel who is slender and delicate
- Skittish as a horse
- She was a primrose, a pig’s eye (flower)
- For aristocrats, she is only good for sex
a. For lower class, she’s good to marry
And prively he caughte hire by the queinte,* [clever thing/genitals]
And saide, “Ywis,* but if ich have my wille, [indeed]
For derne* love of thee, lemman, I spille,” [secret; die]
And heeld hire harde by the haunche-bones, [thighs]
And saide, “Lemman,* love me al atones,[sweetheart]
Or I wol dien, also God me save.”
Title: Miller’s Tale
Author: Chaucer
Points of Significance:
Nicholas grabs her by the crotch
He speaks in courtly love language yet his actions are against this
Keeps saying, “love me or I’ll die” or “love me/have sex with me or I’ll ejaculate anyway”
• Using this elevated courtly love language, but is using this to get sex, not a lengthy intelligent conversation
• Wants instant gratification not the delay that courtly love is about
Story is supposed to be funny but the Miller and the Chaucer Pilgrim both disavows it
• Allison’s reaction is hard to interpret
o She threatens to cry rape and then a few lines later, she plots to have sex with him
• One way to look at it is a way to mock the aristocrats because they speak in such this high language but they just want sex too.
• Could also be a jab at Nicholas because he is acting more aristocratic than he is and its okay that she is just a pilgrim. It’s only making fun of the peasants
• Either way, it’s mocking courtly love
o Woman is not unattainable
o No delay/ instant gratification
Thus swived* was the carpenteres wif [screwed]
For al his keeping* and his jalousye, [guarding]
And Absolon hath kist hir nether ye,
And Nicholas is scalded in the toute:* [rump]
This tale is doon, and God save al the route*! [company]
Title: Miller’s Tale
Author: Chaucer
Points of Significance: (Punishments) (Moral?)
Carpenter’s wife was screwed
Nicholas was scalded on the ass
Fabliau’s are meant to be immoral
• So why tag a moral onto this story?
• Suggests there is some order or understanding to these characters
o Carpenter’s wife is screwed even though he tried guarding here, and broke his arm
…And out his ers he putteth prively,
Over the buttok to the haunche-boon.
And therwith spak this clerk, this Absolon,
“Speek, sweete brid, I noot nought wher thou art.”
This Nicholas anoon leet flee a fart
As greet as it hadde been a thonder-dent
That with the strook he was almost yblent,
And he was redy with his iren hoot,
And Nicholas amide the ers he smoot:
Of gooth the skin an hand-brede aboute;
The hote cultour brende* so his toute [burned]
That for the smert he wende for to die
Title: Miller’s Tale
Author: Chaucer
Points of Significance:
Man who is afraid of bodies and their functions kisses someone’s neither eye
o Punishments? Nicholas and Absolon (slide)
Nicholas puts his butt out the window and farts at Absolon and Absolon was nearly blinded so he stuck a hot coulter in Nicholas’ ass.
• Nicholas takes the joke too far
• Aboslon is punished with bodily functions
• John is punished because he married too far from his station
• Allison deserved to be punished?
o Consent? Unsure
Yes if she did consent, no otherwise
o Their punishments are quite serious
Who is it funny for? Moral wise
• Peasants or Aristocrats
And whan that I have told thee forth my tale
Of tribulacioun in mariage,
Of which I am expert in al myn age –
This is to saye, myself hath been the whippe –
Thanne maistou chese… (178-82) [you may choose]
…tho* housbondes that I hadde, [those]
As three of hem were goode, and two were badde.
The three men were goode, and riche, and olde;
Unnethe* myght they the statut holde [barely]
In which that they were bounden unto me –
Ye woot wel what I mene of this, pardee.[by God]
How pitously anight I made hem swinke [labor]
Title: Wife of Bath’s Prologue
Author: Chaucer
Points of Significance:
I’ve been the whip, the one who is in control, the one who caused the woe
3 husbands were good, 2 were bad
• The 3 were good, rich, and old
• Could they hold their marital debt (sex)?
• Made them labor (have sex with her)
• Is she being presented as a hag or such?
o Is the piece (story) displaying misogyny?
She wants to teach women how to deceive
• Something education about this tale?
She knows these are the stereotypes and is putting this on as an act
o She boasts about the woes she causes
Now of my fifthe housbonde wol I telle –
God lete* his soule nevere come in helle – [grant]
And yit he was to me the moste shrewe;* [greatest scoundrel]
That feele I on my ribbes al by rewe,* [in a row]
And evere shal unto myn ending day.
But in oure bed he was so fressh and gay,
And therwithal so wel koude he me glose,* [flatter]
Whan that he wolde han my bele chose* [pretty thing] That though he hadde me bet on every boon,
He coude winne again my love anoon.*immediately
Title: Wife of Bath’s Prologue
Author: Chaucer
Points of Significance:
“God grant his soul never go to hell”
She prays his soul never goes to hell
Yet he was the worst scoundrel she knew
To the day she dies, she’ll still feel the pain from him beating her in the ribs
• Yet, she likes him… (his name is Jenkin)
She is old but still feels the woe for sex
Men may guess and try to interpret the text of the bible, she can interpret it her way
The men may be falsifying their interpretation/the truth
o She stays with the 5th husband because he was so good in bed, and sweet talk her
Even though he was abusive, he could win her love again, immediately
She says her body can be glossed like a text can be
• Jenkin can read her body and fulfill her sexual needs
Could write about abusive husbands being forgiven because they can be good in other areas
Who painted the leon, tel me who?
By God, if wommen hadden writen stories,
As clerkes han within hir oratories,*[chapels]
They wolde han writen of men more wikkednesse
Than al the merk of Adam may redresse. ie, all men
Title: Wife of Bath’s Prologue
Author: Chaucer
Points of Significance: (Who painted the lion?)
The story told would be very different if it were told by women
Women would have written men with more wickedness than all men could redress
She blames misogynistic tones on who has control over the story
• The fifth husband tells/reads her stories of wicked women (misogynistic stories)
• The wife tears some pages out of the book
o He beats her, she pretends to die
He gives her control because he feels so bad
But at the laste with muchel care and wo We fille accorded by us selven two. 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 whan that I hadde geten unto me By maistryeal the soverinetee, [mastery, dominance] And that he saide, “Myn owene trewe wif, Do as thee lust the terme of al thy lif; Keep thyn honour, and keep eek myn estat,” After that day we hadde nevere debat. God help me so, I was to him as kinde As any wif from Denmark unto Inde, And also trewe, and so was he to me.
Author: Wife of Bath’s Prologue
Title: Chaucer
Points of Significance:
o She was given control over the house and land, and over his tongue, and his hand (because he beat her so bad and felt bad)
o Made him burn his misogynistic book
o Tells audience to have control over your body
o Says they never debated again (duh)
o Stay faithful
o Give the women control, and all will be well
She would still be the best wife ever
Thou art so lothly,* and so old also, [hideous]
And therto comen of so lowe a kinde, *[lineage]
That litel wonder is though I walwe and winde. toss and turn
“But for ye speken of swich gentilesse
As is descended out of old richesse–
That therfore sholden ye be gentilmen –
Swich arrogance is nat worth an hen.
Looke who that* is most vertuous alway, [observe who]
Privee and apert,* and most entendeth* ay [publicly/tries]
To do the gentil deedes that he can,
Taak him for the gretteste gentilman.
Crist wol we claime of him oure gentilesse,
Nat of oure eldres for hir ‘old richesse.’
For though they yive* us al hir heritage,[give]
For which we claime to been of heigh parage,*[descent]
Yit may they nat biquethe for no thing
To noon of us hir vertuous living,
That made hem gentilmen ycalled be,
And bad us folwen hem in swich degree. (1115-30)
Title: Wife of Bath’s Tale
Author: Chaucer
Points of Significance:
Knight rejects marrying this woman
Because she is hideous, and old and come from a low lineage (not high-born)
Suppose to marry within your own estate, Knight would be marrying down
Knight take gentility as something your born with, while the potential wife says it’s something you can learn
She says to look at peoples action, both privately and public
Who tries the most to have gentle deeds done
Determine it from Christian virtues
• Not because of parents’ old riches
She says gentility comes from actions and deeds, not rank or wealth
• Can come from God, or Christian values
She raises the argument that the virtue is something that can be taught/learned
“Chees now,” quod she, “oon of thise thinges twaye:
To han me foul and old til that I deye,
And be to you a trewehumble wif,
And nevere yow displese in al my lif,
Or elles ye wol han me yong and fair,
And take youre aventure of the repair* [visitors]
That shal be to youre hous by cause of me–
Or in som other place, wel may be.
Now chees youreselven, wheither that you liketh.” (1225-33)
“My lady and my love, and wif so dere,
I putte me in youre wise governaunce:
Cheseth youreself which may be most pleasaunce
And most honour to you and me also.
I do no fors the wheither* of the two, [I don’t care which]
Foras you liketh it suffiseth* me.” [satisfies]
“Thanne have I gete of you maistrye,” quod she,
Sin I may chese and governe as me lest?”
“Ye, certes, wif,” quod he. “I holde it best.”
“Kisse me,” quod she. “We be no lenger wrothe.”
Title: Wife of Bath’s Tale
Author: Chaucer
Points of Significance:
To have me ugly and old, until I die, but also have me faithful
Or else you would have me young and fair and take your chances with the guests that come to your house (unfaithful)
• Ugly and faithful or Beautiful and unfaithful
• In original stories, it’s about public representation: ugly at day and beautiful by night or vice versa
Question is about your virtue which can be changed
Knight basically tells her to choose
• Gives her mastery
• Did he stumble into the right answer (He gives up on deciding between the two)
• She treats it like he has learned his lesson
o Gives him both beauty and faithfulness
Wife of Bath’s tale and prologue both have similar endings
• Both women end up with mastery over the men
• When you give women control, then everything works out
Is the end of WPT pro-women? Is it misogynist?
Misogynist
• The knight practically gets off without punishment
• The knight doesn’t learn his lesson, as he relieves control because he doesn’t care, he’s stuck with the women anyways, and both aren’t preferable to him
• Knight is marrying down (estate-wise)
