English Oral Testing: Questions and Answers on Historical Events

Norman Invasion of Britain

1. When did the Normans invade Britain, and where were they from? Who was their leader? THE NORMANS WERE FROM NORTHERN FRANCE AND THEIR LEADER WAS WILLIAM, THE DUKE OF NORMANDY. THEY INVADED BRITAIN IN 1066 (ONE THOUSANDS-SIXTY SIX) AT HASTINGS WITH THE BATTLE OF HASTINGS, AND KILLED THE LAST ANGLO-SAXON KING: HAROLD OF ENGLAND (KILLED BY AN ARROW)

Battle of Hastings Details

1. Tell about the Battle of Hastings of 1066. Who fought? Who won? What happened on Christmas day, 1066? THE BATTLE OF HASTINGS WAS FOUGHT BETWEEN ANGLO-SAXONS AND NORMANS AT HASTINGS.
   • THE ANGLO-SAXONS'S LEADER WAS HAROLD II OF ENGLAND, AND THEY HAD ONLY FOOT SOLDIERS.
   • THE NORMANS'S LEADER WAS WILLIAM DUKE OF NORMANDY, AND THE HAD ARCHERS AND MOUNTED WARRIORS.
   THE NORMANS WON WHEN HAROLD II WAS KILLED WITH AN ARROW IN HIS EYE. AFTER THE WIN, WILLIAM WAS CROWNED AT WESTMINSTER ABBEY ON CHRISTMAS DAY IN 1066.

Norman Conquest Construction

1. What did William's followers build after the Norman Conquest to demonstrate their power? Why did they build them? AFTER THE NORMAN CONQUEST THE ENGLISH RULING CLASS WAS DESTROYED AND THE ANGLO-SAXON LOST THEIR LANDS; WILLIAM REPLACED THEM WITH HIS FOLLOWERS AND PROMOTED THE CONSTRUCTION OF:
   • NEW CHURCHES AND CATHEDRALS
   • CASTELS
   TO DEMONSTRATE THEIR POWER AND PROTECT THEMSELF.

Motte and Bailey Castle Features

1. Tell about the Motte and Bailey Castle and the Keeps (slides and video). FUNCTION: DEFEND THEMSELF MADE OF WOOD MOTTE AND BAILEY CASTLE MOTTE Keep Flying bridge Cowshed Hall Workshops Scarp Barracks Ditch Well BAILEY Water Palisade Drawbridge Main gate britishcastle.co.uk MOTTE : CASTLE ON TOP OF A HILL BAILEY: VILLAGE WHERE PEOPLE LIVED
   • MOTTE: HILL CASTLE: IN WHICH LIVES THE KING - CASTELLO SCARP: SCARPATA CHE PORTA AL CASTELLO FLYING BRIDGE: BRIDGE WHO MOVES - PONTE LEVATOIO
   • BAILEY : FLAT AREA - ZONA PIANEGGIANTE WELL: WHERE PEOPLE TAKES WATER - POZZO AL CENTRO DEL VILLAGGIO BARRACKS: WHERE PEOPLE LIVES - BARACCHE DOVE VIVE LA GENTE COWSHED: WHERE ANIMALS STAY - STALLE HALL: PLACE WHERE PEOPLE MEET AND SOCIALISE WORKSHOPS: WHERE PEOPLE WORKS - BOTTEGHE DOVE LA GENTE LAVORA STABLES: RECINTI - PROTECTION PALISADE: BARRIERE DITCH FILLED WITH WATER: CANALI PIENI D'ACQUA MAIN GATE: INGRESSO PRINCIPALE
   THEY REALISED THAT THE WOOD WASN'T THE BEST MATERIAL BECAUSE IT CATCHES FIRE EASILY SO THEY STARTED TO BUILD THEM WITH ROCK AND STONE = KEEPS !! Stables

Norman Feudal System

1. Tell about the feudal system introduced by the Normans. WILLIAM INTRODUCED THE FEUDAL SYSTEM The KING owned all the land. He portioned it out to the barons in exchange for services. BARONS, in turn, portioned out the land to knights (or vassals) in exchange for military services. NOBLES KNIGHTS fought for their barons in exchange for protection. CLERGY. Some members of the clergy came from noble families. PEASANTS were serfs who cultivated the land that belonged to their lord. They paid taxes. PEASANTS WERE THE 95% OF THE POPULATION AND THE ONLY ONES WHO PAY TAXES

Domesday Book Purpose

1. Tell me about the Domesday Book. What was it? What was it's function? ... THE LAND WAS SO BIG THAT WILLIAM CARRIED OUT A SURVEY TO KNOW WHO LIVES ON IT (PEOPLE AND ANIMALS) THIS SURVEY ALSO HELPED HIM TO KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY HE COULD RAISE IN TAXES .

The Black Death

1. Tell me about the plague (or Black Death). Where did it start? How did it reach Europe? Why was it called Black Death? How did people react to the disease? When was the plague bacillus discovered? What did people think was responsible for the plague at that time? THE BLACK DEATH WAS A PANDEMIC THAT WAS BORN IN CHINA AND ARRIVED IN EUROPE CARRIED BY FLEAS LIVING ON BLACK RATS ON TRADING SHIPS. IT WAS CALLED THE "BLACK DEATH" BECAUSE THE BODY BECAME DARKER AFTER THE DEATH. PEOPLE TRIED TO MOVE FROM THE CITY TO THE COUNTRYSIDE TO SURVIVE, BUT IN 1348 THE BLACK DEATH KILLED MORE THAN 1/3 OF THE POPULATION. PEOPLE BELIEVED THAT THIS DISEASES WAS A SIGN OF GOD'S ANGER. AFTER THE PLAGUE THERE WAS AN UPWARD MOBILITY
   • WHEN SOMEONE MOVE TO AN HIGHER SOCIAL CLASS -a AND MERCHANTS STARTED TO BECOME AS RICH AS NOBLES.
   • GEOFFREY CHAUCER OFFER A PORTRAIT OF THIS NEW SOCIETY IN HIS MASTERPIECE "THE CANTERBURY TALES"

Medieval Ballads Characteristics

1. What are medieval ballads? BALLADS ARE NARRATIVE POEMS ACCOMPANIED WITH MUSIC (MUSIC HELP THE STORYTELLER TO REMEMBER THE STORY). THEY WERE GENERALLY ANONYMOUS AND TRANSMITTED ORALLY BUT IN THE 13TH AND 14TH CENTURY THEY STARTED TO BE WRITTEN DOWN.
   • 1765 BISHOP THOMAS PERCY COLLECTED AND PUBLISHED THEM.
   THE MOST COMMON THEMES ARE
   • LOCAL EVENTS
   • ACTION OF FAMOUS HEROES
   • SUPERNATURAL PHENOMENA
   LANGUAGE: SIMPLE AND COMMON STRUCTURE: QUESTION-ANSWER CONTAIN REFRAINS - RITORNELLO : A GROUP OF WORDS REPEATED 4 LINE STANZAS WITH RHYME:
   • ABCB
   • ABAB
   THEY DON'T HAVE A MORAL AIM DIFFERENT TYPES OF BALLADS
   • BALLADS OF MAGIC: GHOSTS, WITCHES, FAIRIES, ...
   • BORDER BALLADS: ABOUT THE RIVALRY BETWEEN SCOTTISH AND ENGLISH
   • BALLADS OF LOVE AND DOMESTIC TRAGEDY
   • BALLADS OF OUTLAWS - FUORILEGGE (ROBIN HOOD)

Lord Randal Ballad Analysis

1. Tell about the medieval ballad Lord Randal: what does it talk about? Is it an original ballad? What are its main themes? What types of animals can we find in the ballad? LORD RANDALL IS A DIALOGUE BETWEEN A MOTHER AND HER SON (LORD RANDALL) WHO HAS BEEN BETRAYED AND POISONED BY A MYSTERIOUS WOMAN. HE TELLS HIS STORY TO HIS MOTHER BEFORE DYING. LORD RANDALL IS A POEM ABOUT LOVE, DEATH AND BETRAYAL AND A MEDITATION OF THE ABSURDITY OF LIFE. THE POEM IS AN ANONYMOUS SCOTTISH BALLAD, ORIGINALLY CONCEIVED AS A SONG AND TRANSMITTED ORALLY. THAT WAS COLLECTED AND PUBLISHED IN 19TH CENTURY BY FRANCIS CHILD. THE ORIGINAL VERSION OF IT IS PROBABLY AN ITALIAN BALLAD CALLED "L'AVVELENATO." IN THE POEM WE CAN FIND HAWKS AND HOUNDS - FALCHI E SEGUGI

Narrative Poem Elements

1. What is a narrative poem? What narrative elements does it contain? A NARRATIVE POEM IS A POEM THAT TELLS A STORY IN VERSE AND CONTAINS NARRATIVE ELEMENTS:
   • THE DESCRIPTION OF CHARACTERS
   • THE SETTING IN TIME AND PLACE
   • THE USE OF A NARRATOR (OFTEN IN FIRST PERSON).
   THEY CAN BE LONG OR SHORT STORIES.
   • THE SHORT ONES SOMETIMES ARE COLLECTED INTO GROUPS.

Medieval Poem Aims

1. What were the main aims of a medieval poem? What did the narration express? THE NARRATIVE POEM HAS A DUAL AIM : ENTERTAINING AND GIVING INSTRUCTIONS. THE NARRATION EXPRESSES THE MORAL VIEW OF THE TIME. THE POEMS PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO LIFESTYLE, PSYCHOLOGY AND EXPERIENCE OF INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERS.

Geoffrey Chaucer's Life and Legacy

1. Chaucer: tell about his life, his three literary periods and his legacy. GEOFFREY CHAUCER WAS BORN IN LONDON IN 1343 BY A FAMILY OF WINE MERCHANT. HE RECEIVED AN EXCELLENT EDUCATION AND FOUND A JOB IN THE HOUSE OF JOHN OF GAUNT, SON OF KING EDWARD III OF ENGLAND. HIS SKILL AS A WRITER AND HIS CLEVER MIND HELPED HIM RAISE HIS SOCIAL STATUS. HE WORKED AS A CONTROLLER OF THE CUSTOMS FOR THE PORT OF LONDON; THIS HELPED HIM TO IMPROVE HIS LANGUAGE SKILLS = HE SPOKE:
   • ENGLISH
   • FRENCH
   • LATIN
   • ITALIAN
   HE DIED IN 1400 AND WAS THE FIRST POET TO BE BURIED IN WESTMINSTER ABBEY IN THE POET'S CORNER. CHAUCER'S THREE PERIODS:
   • FRENCH PERIOD = POEMS MODELLED ON FRENCH ROMANTIC STYLES
   • ITALIAN PERIOD = INFLUENCED BY BOCCACCIO
   • ENGLISH PERIOD = MARKED BY GREAT REALISM (CANTERBURY TALES)
   CHAUCER IS THE FATHER OF ENGLISH LITERATURE BECAUSE
   • HE WAS THE FIRST POET KNOWN BY NAME
   • HIS DIALECT GRADUALLY BECAME THE BASIS OF MODERN ENGLISH
   • THE CANTERBURY TALES CONTAINS A PORTRAIT OF MEDIEVAL SOCIETY
   • HE COINED ABOUT 2000 WORDS AND PHRASES (TWITTER, FEMININITY, GALAXY, SCISSORS, "LOVE IS BLIND", ...

The Canterbury Tales Overview

1. The narrative poem The Canterbury Tales: what does it talk about? (plot). Tell about the narrative frame, its style, characters, themes, characterisation, Chaucer and women.
   • PLOT : 30 PILGRIMS, INCLUDING CHAUCER AS NARRATOR, MEET AT THE TABARD INN IN LONDON. THE DESTINATION IS THE HOLY CITY (CANTERBURY) WHERE THEY CAN FIND THE SHRINE - RELIQUIE- OF THOMAS BECKET, THE FIRST MARTYR IN THE CATHEDRAL. THE INNKEEPER SUGGESTS THAT EVERY PILGRIM SHOULD TELL TWO STORIES ON THE WAY TO CANTERBURY AND TWO ON THE WAY BACK. (WHO TELL THE BEST STORY WIN A FREE DINNER) THE MAIN REASON OF THE PILGRIMS IS TO SOCIALISE BUT ALSO THEY ASK FORGIVENESS OF SINS.
   • STRUCTURE GENERAL PROLOGUE = INTRODUCE THE PILGRIMS 24 TALES - PRECEDED BY A PROLOGUE IN WHICH HE INTRODUCED THE THEME OF THE TALE - FOLLOWED BY AN EPILOGUE STYLE WRITTEN IN RHYMING COUPLETS (AABB) IAMBIC PENTAMETERS -> LINES WITH 10 SYLLABLES
   • CHARACTERS HE WANTED TO GIVE A PORTRAIT OF ENGLISH SOCIETY INTRODUCING THE CHARACTERS IN THE PROLOGUE, BUT HE
     • DIDN'T FOLLOW THE SOCIAL HIERARCHY
     • MIXED FEMALE AND MALE
     TO UNDERLINE THE GROWING IMPORTANCE WOMEN WERE ASSUMING THE NAME GIVEN TO THE PILGRIMS REFER TO THEIR PROFESSION.
   • THEMES
     • THE JOURNEY - REBIRTH
     • THE VARIETY OF HUMAN LIFE
     • THE CHANGING ROLE OF WOMEN

Decameron and Canterbury Tales Comparison

1. What do Boccaccio's Decameron and Chaucer's Canterbury Tales have in common? CHAUCER AND BOCCACCIO HAVE A LOT IN COMMON DECAMERON 10 YOUNG PEOPLE 100 STORIES NARRATIVE FRAME: THE PLAGUE IN FLORENCE CANTERBURY TALES 30 PILGRIMS 24 STORIES (HE DIED BEFORE WRITING ALL THE STORIES) NARRATIVE FRAME: PILGRIMAGE TO CANTERBURY