INTRODUCTION
The topic of this essay is about the linguistic consequences of The Norman Conquest, the main turning point that led to Middle English. In order to achieve this goal, we will firstly go through the historical context that favored this change to be produced. Secondly, we will touch the romances that appeared after the Norman Conquest. Afterwards, we will deal with the most notorious changes, replacements and additions that characterized the first step to Middle English throughout the comparison between two texts, one belonging to Old English and the other from early Middle English. Eventually, this essay will be finished with a conclusion gathering a brief summary of the information.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
It was the year 1066 when King Edward´ life came to an end. As he had not children, there was no direct heir so many contenders laid claim to the throne of England. Harold Godwinson, Earl of Wessex, was the immediate successor of Edward because of his richness and influence among the English aristocrats but another two contenders appeared: On the one hand, William of Normandy ensured that he was promised the crown by Edward before his death and Harold agreed although changed his mind later on. On the other hand, Harald III of Norway (Harald Hardrada) also joined the dispute.
As William saw his chances to inherit the crown were in danger, he decided to build large fleet and invade England. Eventually, William gained the Crown when Harald Hardrada died at the
In the late 800’s King Alfred the Great was a great influence to Anglo Saxon literature because his “military and political success” (Amodio) led to a period of stability where culture and literature thrived, but that period of time did not last very long. The English were fearful of the Vikings coming to attack
Charles Scott Moncrieff’s translation of Beowulf is more linguistically similar to the original text than interpretive of that text which indicates a formal equivalence philosophy. Moncrieff’s translation uses literal translations of the original language, and mirrors the structure and layout of the original text. The first line of Moncrieff’s translation, “Then came from the moor / under misty slopes,” appears to be an exact translation of the original first line. Also illustrated in the first line is the similarity of form. Moncrieff’s translation preserves the medial caesura of the original with backslashes.
‘The consolidation of royal authority, in the years 1487-1509, was due to Henry VII’s control over the nobility.’ Explain why you agree or disagree with this view. It can be argued to a certain extent that the consolidation of royal authority for Henry VII, in the years 1487-1509, was a result of control over the nobility. The challenge lied in the ability to decrease their power without alienating them whilst removing their position of threat. However, there were other contributory factors in Henry’s consolidation of his royal authority, such as his diplomatic skills in dealing with foreign powers and the indispensable use of royal finances.
Consultation with the Oxford English Dictionary, Elly van Gelderen’s History of English, and other Norse primary texts will be
Before Beowulf died, he declared Rune as the king; the warriors heard what the king said before his death, They helped Rune with carrying the king and the dragon’s treasures. Back in the kingdom, Rune was welcomed as the new
William the Conqueror ruled while known as Duke of Normandy during the years
It is evident that the Beowulf poem should not be viewed as a historical document, but it is hard to deny its connections to its context and its time. In this essay I will explore and compare the Norton critical edition of The Beowulf poem and the revised edition of the Poetic Edda. I will look into how the two correlate with each other, some of the common themes and ideals that are evident in the texts as well as how the
The crusades affected trade in Europe. The way trade got affected was the bad causes that came because of the crusades. During one of the crusade wars, Europe 's good were affected during the wars, because after them, the were running low on merchandise and products. So not only was this bad for merchants, but it was bad for the townspeople, because they need resources. It also affected Europe in another way.
Alliteration, Imagery, and Kenning in Beowulf In the Anglo-Saxon poem “Beowulf”, the author’s used multiple different literary devices, three in particularly stuck out throughout the entire story, being alliteration, kenning, and imagery; the literary devices were used to connect the story, and help the reader understand the life of Beowulf, and emphasize the parts that were not clear throughout the story. The author uses literary devices throughout the story of “Beowulf” to emphasize on Beowulf’s heroism, and to connect Beowulf to the epic poem. The use of alliteration is used to create a voice that only the readers will understand from reading throughout the story, an example following the idea of alliteration would be “Whichever one death fells must deem it a just judgement by God” (lines 400-441). Alliteration is to be described as a repetition of similar consonant sounds.
The story tells of many characters who faced the same circumstances as Beowulf, yet failed to respond in a similar and valiant effort, like Beowulf. For example, when facing the dragon nearly all of his hand picked soldiers coward in fear. Beowulf then showed humility by turning down his first offer to be king. When Hrothgar died, he offered Beowulf the throne; however, he refused, which allowed the rightful heir, Hrothgar’s son to be placed into power. This decision exemplifies the value he placed on ethics and honor.
Critically assess the extent of Christian and Latinate influence on Beowulf. When first reading Beowulf it would appear that the Christian references within it superimpose onto the essentially pagan view that makes a huge body of the poem. Therefore, within this assignment, there will be investigations of inconsistencies. Sources clearly show that Beowulf was written by Germanic pagans that had been debauched by some leftist ecclesiastic wordsmith , to the insistence that the author designedly created the Christian allegory along the lines of Book 1 of The Faerie Queen. It is know that Germanic traditions and techniques were used by Anglo-Saxons to frame Christian literature, just as it was with the poet of Beowulf.
Imperialism and its consequences Imperialism is the term that describes one nation’s dominance over another nation or territory. In the 1800s there were four types of imperialisms, which were; Colonial imperialism, Economic Imperialism, Political Imperialism, and the Socio-Cultural Imperialism. Colonial Imperialism, this form of imperialism is virtual complete takeover of an area, with domination in all areas: economic, political, and socio-cultural. Economic Imperialism, this form of imperialism allowed the area to operate as its own nation, except for the trading and other businesses.
These values contribute toward Beowulf's Fame and determine his decisions and actions. Sometime after Beowulf returns victorious from Denmark, his king and father figure dies in battle. The Queen, afraid her own son was not capable of protecting them from their enemies, offers the crown to Beowulf. Beowulf declines this offer. " But Beowulf refused to rule when his Lord's own son was alive."
Beowulf is an archetypal character within a legendary piece of text. He embodies the conglomerate of many Anglo Saxon values expressed throughout his heroic journey. Contrived by the mighty Northern Anglo Saxons, Beowulf is the manifestation of the Anglo Saxon ideals. This work of art helps us identify and analyze Beowulf’s ideals in a way that lets us deduce the values of the Anglo Saxon society. Examination of this poem lets us familiarize ourselves about a society obsessed with religion, vengeance and war-lust beings.
In particular, Beowulf’s action of traveling to the land of the Danes to save them from Grendel and his mother is a noble act. However, the motive of this decision is fueled by the hero’s desire for greed, fame, and power. After returning from his quest, Beowulf informs his king, Hygelac, “‘Thus the king acted with due custom. I was paid and recompensed completely, given full measure and the freedom to choose from Hrothgar's treasures by Hrothgar himself’” (Heaney 2144-2149).