Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What do you know about life in the Middle Ages in Europe? How was day-to-day life in England during the Middle Ages different from today?

Teaching Suggestion: Students' familiarity with medieval lifestyles may stem primarily from books, movies, or even videos games whose primary purpose is entertainment, not realism. After acknowledging such popular portrayals, draw on the resources below or other materials to help them sort fact from fiction.

• This article provides an overview of life in England during the Middle Ages.
• This article reviews broad developments in English history during this period, which ties into the theme of The Instability of English Feudalism.

2. What was the role of a jester in medieval society? Can you think of any people or professions that fulfill a similar role today?

Teaching Suggestion: To help students recall any prior knowledge, it may help to display an image of a traditional medieval jester as they write. If they’re unfamiliar with jesters, you might ask them to guess what a jester does based on the image.