TMT Context Flashcards
(11 cards)
What is the garden scene reminiscent of
Genesis in the bible. The garden of Eden. Adam and Eve, Damian being the serpent.
The societal system set in place during medieval times and new laws
The feudal system and sumptry laws.
The feudal system was the hierarchy in society. Peasants, May, are at the bottom and knights, one tier above. This is a significant difference in this society though.
The sumptuary laws were put in place at the time and restricted lowere societal levels from partaking in certain things, such as eating some foods, wearing some clothes. This made societal levels instantly recognisable. May would’ve been subject to these.
The new urban middle class
The merchant class, similarly to ADH’S upper middle class is newly emerging. The use of trade for measuring wealth was a new and increasingly popular practice.
Chaucer’s other similar tales, and what this whole thing is called
The Canterbury tales. TMT is part of the marriage tales.
Other members of this family include The Clerks Tale, Wife of Bath’s Tale, and Franklin’s Tale.
Significance of gardens in medieval times
Medieval gardens provided people with herbs and medicines, as well as food. They were also recreational and relaxing. They were high functioning and important.
They were signs of status, and the flashier the garden the better.
Parts of the gardens were separated, allowing for privacy and good structure.
Special comic genre of medieval times that TMT pulls from
Fabliaux
Some of Chaucer’s tales are fabliaux, and many, like TMT contain many traces of the genre.
Its main focus was to say satirizemedieval life, like marriage, religion and more.
Fabliaux is humorous and witty, and characters are usually from lower or middle class.
What does TMT parody from European medieval societies
Courtly love.
This ties in with the fabliaux, as courtly love conventions are subverted, making everything absurd and hypocritical. This highlights character flaws by satirising courtly love.
Courtly love is from French poems that use the genre.
Character archetype of an incompatible marriage in medieval times
Senex Amans
A story of an incompatible marriage with an old man and young wife. Popular genre that audiences at the time would’ve recognised.
Greek and Roman origins
A personified quality or abstract noun
An apostrophe. E.g: ‘O wedlock’ or ‘O selly Damyan, allas!’
Chaucer’s tie to the merchant class
His father was wine merchant, part of this new class.
How marriages were dealt with in medieval times
They weee arranged, and men occasionally could choose their brides.
They were usually between strangers and no love involved.
Much younger age of marriage, 12-17
Religious sacrament.
Contractual.
