Old and Middle English Literature: History and Key Works

Old and Middle English Literature

1. Introduction to Medieval Literature

The chronology of Medieval literature is divided into two primary periods:

• Old English (Anglo-Saxon) Literature: Written in Old English within Anglo-Saxon England from the 7th century until decades after the 1066 Norman Conquest. The definitive work is Beowulf.
• Middle English Literature: Written in the Middle English language from the 12th century until the 1470s. The definitive work is The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer.

2. Old English Literature

The Anglo-Saxon period is defined by specific historical and linguistic traits:

Political Context

Germanic tribes—the Angles, Saxons, Jutes, and others—arrived in England around 500 AD. Initially, England was divided into several kingdoms before the Viking invasions of the 9th century.

Linguistic Characteristics

• Grammar: Old English is distinguished by a complex set of inflections for verbs, nouns, adjectives, and pronouns, resulting in a less fixed word order and the preservation of grammatical gender.
• Vocabulary: The language was significantly more homogeneous than later stages of English, as most French and Latin borrowings occurred in subsequent centuries.

3. Beowulf

Plot Summary

Set in Scandinavia, the poem follows Beowulf, a hero of the Geats, who assists Hrothgar, King of the Danes, after his mead hall, Heorot, is attacked by the monster Grendel. After defeating Grendel and his mother, Beowulf returns to Geatland (modern-day Sweden) and eventually becomes king. Fifty years later, he is mortally wounded while defeating a dragon. Following his death, his attendants cremate his body and erect a memorial tower on a headland.

Textual Analysis

(Read the beginning of Beowulf for class discussion)