Medieval Literature and Culture

The turbulent years of the 14th century witnessed a blending of language and culture that led to the rise of Middle English. Which of the following events led to the nickname “the era of catastrophes” ?

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The turbulent years of the 14th century witnessed a blending of language and culture that led to the rise of Middle English. Which of the following events led to the nickname “the era of catastrophes” ?

A. The Hundred Years War
B. The Great Schism
C. The Black Plague
D. All of these answers

How did French become the dominant language of England ?

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How did French become the dominant language of England ?

A. King Alfred wanted all educated people to speak French.
B. Many English nobles preferred French because of the culture’s superior poetry.
C. Edward the Confessor’s wife was French, and she had great influence at court.
D. After the successful invasion of England, the language of William of Normandy became the language of the elite.

What was the function of the Anglo- Saxon Chronicle ?

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What was the function of the Anglo- Saxon Chronicle ?

A. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records the history of the continuity and persistence of Anglo-Saxon culture in Old English.
B. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle offers a lay person’s perspective on Anglo-Saxon history.
C. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle focuses on the courtly adventures of Anglo-Saxon English.
D. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle presents an accurate description of the Second and Third Crusades.

In Chaucer’s “The Miller’s Tale,” why would the miller’s determination to speak following the knight appear unsettling to the 14th century audience ?

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In Chaucer’s “The Miller’s Tale,” why would the miller’s determination to speak following the knight appear unsettling to the 14th century audience ?

A. The knight had not finished his tale.
B. The miller did not ask politely.
C. A member of the clergy should have spoken next.
D. The miller was far beneath the knight in social order, so the miller should have deferred to the person who ranked above him.