Beowulf and Canterbury Tales.

The only long epic poem in Old English ( germanic language) is Beowulf. This poem tells about the adventure of a Scandinavian prince, called Beowulf. He's a traditional hero and he's the most famous warrior in the land of Geats, territory in Southern Sweden. Beowulf crossed the sea to the land of Danes to save it of mortal enemy: Grendel. He won the battle and he returned triumphant and he took the power for 50 yars as king. Then a dragon invaded the land and Beowulf killed it but after that he died.

In this epic poem the character represents the braveness, the goodness and the salvation for the society while the Dragon represents the fear of people during that time.

Canterbury Tales and Geoffrey Chaucer.

Geoffrey Chaucer was born in London into a wealthy family of wine traders in 1343. He can be considered like the father of the English literature.

His poem most important is Canterbury Tales. It's a long narrative poem set in spring that tells the story of thirty people (men, women, monks, nun and Chaucer himself) who are going on a pilgrimage. They are travelling to Canterbury in Kent to the shrine of Thomas Becket. They meet at the Tabard Inn in London.

During the pilgrimage every pilgrim should tell two stories while going to Canterbury and two coming back. The best stories receives a prize while the worse a penality.

In this work Canterbury represents the holy city while London the terrestrial city.

Also, the pilgrimage was famous because it was the only way to travel for normal people but also to save their souls.

With this work Chaucer wanted to give a portrait of English society that is corrupted by the religion and the middle classes.

Important in this period is also Thomas Becket, He was an archbishop that fought against his best friend called Henry II (the king of England) because the king wanted to limit the church powers.

                        
                       The Prioress

This tales talks about of a nun that proves to be rich and not humble. She spoke french very well, she wore a coral trinket on her arm, she had a seat of beads with green gaudies and she fited her dogs whit meat and white bread (very expensive in this period). Chaucer with this poem do a parody of church.

                             The Wife of Bath

The Wife of Bath is a storyteller who recites her autobiography of her travelling around the world as a pilgrim. She confesses that she got married five times and she had many lovers when she was young. 

She seems proud of it and she represents worldly qualities as well as a female.

Her name is Dame Alice and Bath is the town she came from and it's a city that Romans built in England.