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Before the Norman conquest of England, the main languages that were used were Old English and Latin (which the educated elite used). However, due to the elite making up a small population, many people used Old English. Much of the literature during this period were based on heroic and religious themes and were even at times interlaced with physical art. A few examples of the literature then were The Lindisfarne Gospels, The Dream of Kells, The Wanderer, and the well known Beowulf.
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After the Norman conquest, we started to see less of Old English being used in England. Instead, we started to see a different variation of Middle English being used which took on French, Old English, and even Latin influences. However, due to the conquest the use of French was enforced almost everywhere- including literature. A few of the works during this period consisted of King Lear, Morte Darthur, Lanval, Canterbury Tales, and Revelations (Julian of Normwich).
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The Renaissance marked by the beginning of the well-known Tudor Dynasty of England. During this period we saw a huge rise in popularity for poetry and drama. This era birthed some of the most well known works like The Faerie Queen and works of William Shakespeare. Plays were performed for both the common people and the elite in both private and public audiences. However, the use of Middle English and French died down, but languages like Early Modern English and Latin flourished.
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This period referred to the Stuart Monarchy of England. The term restoration itself is somewhat of a diss because it refers to the return of interesting literature. This period encouraged controversial and extreme pieces of literature that would have not been accepted in any other period. We saw the birth of Paradise Lost which told the controversial story of the Devil and Adam an Eve, and many other eye-catching works like The Country Wife which was considered a sexual comedy.
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After the Restoration we saw many other well known period of English Literature such as Romanticism, Victorian, and Modern Literature. We have been able to see the birth of these literatures due to the fact that we have had the foundation from medieval literature during Pre-Conquest England times. Although much of the language and even the forms of literature that we see today have changed a ton, we still carry much of our roots with us an it is evident in the literature we read today.