Late Medieval English Literature: Chaucer and Gawain
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: A 14th-Century Romance
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is the most famous romance of the late 14th century and one of the best-known Arthurian stories. This work is characterized by its use of the alliterative verse of the epic, combined with a lyrical element.
The Green Knight’s Challenge and Themes
The poem describes how Sir Gawain, a knight of King Arthur’s Round Table, accepts a challenge from a mysterious “Green Knight.” The challenge requires any knight to strike
Read MoreSpanish Golden Age Literature: Cervantes and the Picaresque Novel
Lazarillo de Tormes and the Picaresque Novel
Themes and Motifs
Lazarillo de Tormes presents a profound social and religious satire. It criticizes the false honor that prioritizes maintaining outward appearances. Strong anticlerical criticism is also evident, as all church members who appear in the work behave as:
- Cheaters
- Exploiters
- Licentious
- Greedy
Literary Style
The simple style of the work is a product of the Renaissance trend toward simplicity and naturalness. It is expressed in plain language, befitting
Read MoreMedieval 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
Read MoreSpanish Literary Movements: Generation of ’98 and Modernism
The Generation of ’98
The Generation of ’98 was a group of writers characterized by the central theme of Spain and a natural, simple style that prioritized content over form. Key members included the Group of Three (Azorín, Baroja, and Maeztu), Unamuno, Valle-Inclán, and Antonio Machado. The term “Group of ’98” or simply “’98” is also commonly used.
Stages of the Generation of ’98
- Youth of ’98: The Group of Three published a manifesto seeking to change the Spanish situation.
- Activism of the
Catalan Literature’s Golden Age: The 15th Century Renaissance
The Culmination of Medieval Catalan Literature (15th Century)
The fifteenth century marked the culmination of Medieval Catalan literature, producing some of the most important Catalan works.
Literary Modernization and Context
This era saw significant modernization driven by two factors:
- The introduction of culture into the home.
- The increase in readership thanks to the spread of printing.
Poetry in the 15th Century
In poetry, the traditional model of the troubadour lyric poets declined, leading to the
Read MoreLiterary Movements: Romanticism, Theory, and American Fiction
Rationalism Versus Romanticism: Core Differences
The conflict between Rationalism and Romanticism can be summarized by these opposing concepts:
- Reason / Emotion
- Reality / Fantasy
- Mundane / Exotic
- Conservative / Revolutionary
The romantic journey often leads to the countryside. Romantics associated the country with independence, moral clarity, and purity. However, the Gothic Romantic E. A. Poe saw the country as a phantasmagoric place, while Irving viewed it as idyllic and a means of escape.