Medieval England: Chaucer, Magna Carta, and Thomas Becket
Key Events and Figures in Medieval England
The Return of Christianity
Who Brought Christianity Back to Britain?
In 597, Pope Gregory I the Great sent a monk, Augustine, to bring Christianity back to England. Augustine’s mission of Christianization was successful.
The Magna Carta and Parliament
What Was the Magna Carta?
The Magna Carta was a charter that demanded specific liberties, asked to be signed by the barons, knights, clergy, and townspeople. Edward I, the son of Henry III, respected the terms of the Magna Carta, and in 1295 he summoned a council made up of barons, clergy, knights, and representatives of the towns. This was known as the “Model Parliament”, England’s first parliament.
Thomas Becket: Conflict and Martyrdom
In 1162, Henry II appointed Thomas Becket as Archbishop of Canterbury. Becket defended the Church’s independence and refused to accept the Constitutions of Clarendon (1164), which stated that the king had authority over all people, including the clergy. The conflict between Becket and the king lasted until December 29, 1170, when Becket was murdered in Canterbury Cathedral by four knights who claimed to act on the king’s orders. Becket was seen as a martyr and saint, and his shrine became a major pilgrimage site. His murder shocked all of Europe. This pilgrimage is the fictional setting for The Canterbury Tales. To restore his reputation, Henry walked barefoot to Canterbury and was flogged by monks at the cathedral. Henry II died in 1189 and was succeeded by his son, Richard I, known as Richard the Lionheart.
Geoffrey Chaucer and The Canterbury Tales
Protagonists of The Canterbury Tales
Chaucer included various social groups like the feudal class and the clergy, but not the very rich or very poor. The upper classes would not have traveled with common pilgrims. Chaucer gave importance to individualization—each character has unique traits, thoughts, and behavior, contrasting with the typical medieval static character types. The descriptions vary in length, perspective, and tone, showing how a person’s role in society shaped their identity and worldview.
The Canterbury Tales as a Portrait of English Society
The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer is considered a portrait of 14th-century English society because it brings together characters from different social classes—nobles, clergy, middle class, and peasants—each with distinct personalities, values, and flaws. Through their stories and behaviors, Chaucer offers a realistic and often critical view of the society of his time, especially its institutions like the Church. By writing in Middle English, he also connects directly with everyday people. The work captures the diversity, tensions, and changes of medieval England in a vivid and accessible way.
Review Exercises and Answers
FILA A Answers
Exercise 1: True or False Statements
- 1. True (T)
- 2. True (T)
- 3. False (F): He was a Member of Parliament for Kent.
- 4. True (T)
- 5. False (F): He was the first English poet to be known by his true name.
- 6. False (F): It belongs to the French period.
Exercise 2: Fill-in-the-Blanks Keywords
- pilgrims
- Canterbury
- shrine
- Tabard
- thirty
- host
- two
- two
- prize
- penalty
- narrator
- Prologue
- twenty-four
- prologue
FILA B Answers
Exercise 1: True or False Statements
- 1. True (T)
- 2. False (F): He sympathized with them.
- 3. False (F): He was buried in Poets’ Corner at Westminster Abbey.
- 4. True (T)
- 5. False (F): The contrary is correct.
- 6. True (T)
Exercise 2: Fill-in-the-Blanks Keywords
- spring
- Inn
- pilgrims
- Canterbury
- shrine
- thirty
- Chaucer
- two
- prize
- penalty
- poem
- twenty-four
- prologue
- theme