Chaucer, Langland, and the Medieval Estates System
(i) Pardoner’s Tale
The extract from “The Pardoner’s Tale” shows how Geoffrey Chaucer critiques the corruption in the medieval Church. The Pardoner is a character who represents greed and hypocrisy. He uses his sermon to trick people into giving him money by selling fake indulgences and relics.
The italicized words in line 12, “as clean and eke as clear,” are very important because they show how fake his promises are. These words make it seem like he is offering a very pure and holy solution to
Read MoreNorman Conquest: William I’s Impact on England
The Norman Conquest of 1066
The Witan made the obvious choice, and Harold Godwinson became the new King of England. He marched north to Stamford Bridge, where he battled and defeated Harald Hardrada. Soon after, news arrived of a new threat from the south: William of Normandy. The two armies clashed at the Battle of Hastings (October 14, 1066). Harold died in battle, and William was crowned King in London as William I. The Bayeux Tapestry depicts the events of the battle.
The Norman’s Impact
This
Read MoreSpanish Renaissance Literature: Characteristics and Poetry
Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron is a bitter narrative satire against the institutions of his day. Dante is the continuation of the Renaissance in Spain, but it appears with its own characteristics, making traditional religious beliefs coexist with the new valuation of the world, and the national with new European trends. Two factors, politics and culture, contribute to the Spanish Renaissance having its own personality:
- The reign of Charles I of Spain and V of Germany is a symbol of glory, full political
Apostrophes, Digraphs, and Literary Movements
The Apostrophe:
Not s’apostrophen:
- On / In: H aspirated before the ‘hawa’à’.
- In front of words that start with Y, U consonàtiques, yogurt.
The ‘A’g:
- In front of words starting UI am HI HU unstressed: indústria.
- Before the words of ‘host una’.
- Before words that start with the prefix A-MB negative value: the name asimetria.
- Before letters: e, the essa.
- Before an aspirated H: the hippie.
Preposition ‘Of’:
- Before I / U consonàtiques: huelva.
- Before aspirated H: hoollywod.
- Before the names of the letters themselves
17th-Century English Poets: Donne, Marvell, and Milton
John Donne (1572-1631)
Born in London to a Catholic family, John Donne studied at Oxford and Cambridge but didn’t receive a degree due to his faith. He worked for Sir Thomas Egerton for five years, but his true passion was poetry. Inspired by Ovid, Donne’s emotionally intense verses departed from the Petrarchan style, focusing on earthly love. His secret marriage to Anne More in 1601 resulted in imprisonment and job loss. The following decade brought poverty, but also a prolific period of writing
Read MoreSpanish Romantic Prose and Drama: Key Authors & Works
Spanish Romantic Prose and Drama (1835-1850)
The period between 1835 and 1850 was a short but intense period for narrative in Spain, giving rise to new genres.
The Historical Novel
Significant authors in this genre include Ramón López Soler (Castilla) and Francisco Navarro Villoslada (Doña Blanca of Castile).
Writing Habits of the Time
The development of journalism and a romantic interest in all things typical of a country heavily influenced writing habits.
The Legend
The legend was a widely cultivated
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