The Age of Chaucer Quiz

The Age of Chaucer (1350-1400)

• The Peasants' Revolt of 1381: A significant uprising of common people protesting harsh living conditions and unfair taxation after the Black Death. The Poll Tax, requiring everyone to pay the same amount regardless of wealth, fueled the revolt. Led by Wat Tyler, peasants marched on London, demanding an end to the Poll Tax, slavery, and fair treatment. The revolt ended with Tyler's death, arrests, and executions of leaders.
• Key takeaway from the revolt: It showed common people could challenge authorities and marked a shift in societal perspectives on fairness.

The Hundred Years' War (1337-1453)

• A long series of wars between England and France, primarily due to English kings claiming the French throne.
• England's victories in battles, especially those using longbows, fostered national pride and strengthened English identity and culture.
• The use of English increased in everyday life. Knights and soldiers started using English, contributing to the language's prominence. Geoffrey Chaucer's shift to English writing was influenced by this trend.
• The war significantly changed English language, culture and literature, involving stories of battles, heroism and chivalry.

Geoffrey Chaucer

• Lived from approximately 1340-1400.
• A civil servant working for the king, often on diplomatic missions to Europe.
• Engaged with European literature, particularly from Italy, influencing his style.
• His famous work, The Canterbury Tales, presented a collection of stories told by diverse travelers on a pilgrimage to Canterbury.
• Unique for being written in English, depicting all social classes (not just nobles).
• This contributed to making English a language for great literature and is often referred to as the "Father of English Literature."

John Wycliffe and the Lollards

• John Wycliffe was a late 1300s priest and teacher at Oxford University.
• He advocated significant reform within the Church.
• He believed everyone should be able to read the Bible, leading to the first English translation of the Bible with his followers, the Lollards.
• Lollards spread the translated Bible and promoted religious and social awareness of the Bible's importance.
• Wycliffe and his Lollards challenged the Church's wealth and power, pushing for religious reform for common people to read the bible freely.
• This movement spurred interest in English translations and individual interpretations of religious texts.

Rise of English Language

• By 1400, English had become the primary language in England (government, courts, etc.).
• The Hundred Years' War was a major factor in this shift, as English replaced French in importance.
• English evolved into Middle English, blending Old English and French elements.
• Writers like Chaucer established English as a powerful tool for writing and storytelling by taking aspects of European literature.

Test your knowledge on the pivotal events of the Age of Chaucer, including the Peasants' Revolt of 1381 and the Hundred Years' War. Explore the causes and implications of these historical events, and understand how they influenced social dynamics and national identity. Dive deep into the themes of fairness and nationalism during this transformative period.