Middle Ages - Middle English

Middle English refers to the varieties of the English language spoken after the Norman Conquest (1066) until the late 15th century. Little survives of early Middle English literature, most likely due to the Norman domination and the prestige that came with writing in French rather than English. During the 14th century a new style of literature emerged, with the works of notable writers such as John Wycliffe and Geoffrey Chaucer , whose Canterbury Tales remains the most studied and read work of the period. Poets wrote both in the vernacular and courtly English. It is popularly believed that William Shakespeare wrote in Middle English, but he actually wrote in Early Modern English.