Medieval Literature Terms PDF

Allegory: A narrative or description that conveys a hidden meaning, typically moral, political, or spiritual. Characters, events, and details often symbolize abstract concepts (e.g., The Pilgrim\'s Progress by John Bunyan). Alliterative Verse: A form of poetry that uses alliteration (repetition of...

Allegory: A narrative or description that conveys a hidden meaning, typically moral, political, or spiritual. Characters, events, and details often symbolize abstract concepts (e.g., The Pilgrim\'s Progress by John Bunyan). Alliterative Verse: A form of poetry that uses alliteration (repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words) as the principal organizing device, common in Old and Middle English poetry (e.g., Beowulf). Chivalric Romance: A type of medieval narrative that celebrates the adventures, quests, and virtues of knights, often focusing on themes of courtly love, honor, and bravery (e.g., Sir Gawain and the Green Knight). Morality Play: A type of medieval drama that teaches moral lessons through allegorical characters representing virtues, vices, or human qualities (e.g., Everyman). Middle English Language: The stage of the English language spoken from roughly 1150 to 1500, marked by significant influences from Norman French and Latin after the Norman Conquest (e.g., The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer). Bob and Wheel: A poetic device in Middle English verse, especially in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The \"bob\" is a short line (usually two or three syllables), followed by the \"wheel,\" which is a rhymed quatrain. Feudalism: A medieval social and economic system in which land was owned by lords who granted it to vassals in exchange for military service and labor, creating a hierarchical structure of power. The Three Estates: A social hierarchy in medieval society consisting of the clergy (First Estate), the nobility (Second Estate), and the commoners or peasants (Third Estate), each with distinct roles and privileges. Courtly Love: A medieval European literary and cultural concept of love that idealized chivalric romance, focusing on the noble, often unattainable love of a knight for a lady, celebrated in literature and song. Pilgrimage: A religious or spiritual journey undertaken to a sacred place for devotion, penance, or seeking blessings, often featured in medieval literature (e.g., The Canterbury Tales). Allusion: A literary device in which a writer references a person, place, event, or work of literature, often indirectly, to add deeper meaning or context. Mystery and Miracle Plays: Types of medieval drama. Mystery plays dramatized biblical stories, while miracle plays focused on the lives and miracles of saints. Symbolism: The use of symbols to represent ideas, themes, or concepts beyond their literal meanings in literature (e.g., the green girdle in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight symbolizes both temptation and protection). The Great Chain of Being: A medieval and Renaissance philosophical concept that envisions all creation as part of a strict hierarchical order, from God at the top to inanimate objects at the bottom, emphasizing the interconnectedness of all things. The Chivalric Code: A set of ideals and rules guiding knights\' behavior, emphasizing virtues like bravery, honor, loyalty, courtesy, and protection of the weak, often central to medieval literature.