ed ▁Early ▁English ▁Goth ic ▁and ▁continued , ▁with ▁variation , ▁throughout ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges . ▁In ▁domestic ▁architecture , ▁the ▁Norm ans , ▁having ▁first ▁occupied ▁the ▁older ▁Ang lo - S ax on ▁dwell ings , ▁rapidly ▁beginning ▁to ▁build ▁larger ▁buildings ▁in ▁stone ▁and ▁tim ber . ▁The ▁el ite ▁preferred ▁houses ▁with ▁large , ▁ground - floor ▁h alls ▁but ▁the ▁less ▁wealth y ▁constructed ▁simpler ▁houses ▁with ▁the ▁h alls ▁on ▁the ▁first ▁floor ; ▁master ▁and ▁servants ▁frequently ▁lived ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁spaces . ▁We alth ier ▁town - h ouses ▁were ▁also ▁built ▁using ▁stone , ▁and ▁incorpor ated ▁business ▁and ▁domestic ▁arrang ements ▁into ▁a ▁single ▁functional ▁design . ▁ ▁Popular ▁representations ▁ ▁The ▁period ▁has ▁been ▁used ▁in ▁a ▁wide ▁range ▁of ▁popular ▁culture . ▁William ▁Shakespeare ' s ▁plays ▁on ▁the ▁lives ▁of ▁the ▁medieval ▁k ings ▁have ▁proved ▁to ▁have ▁had ▁long ▁last ing ▁appeal , ▁heavily ▁influen cing ▁both ▁popular ▁interpret ations ▁and ▁histor ies ▁of ▁figures ▁such ▁as ▁King ▁John . ▁Other ▁play w right s ▁have ▁since ▁taken ▁key ▁events ▁and ▁personal ities ▁as ▁the ▁subject ▁of ▁drama , ▁including ▁T . ▁S . ▁Eli ot ' s ▁Mur der ▁in ▁the ▁C athedral ▁( 1 9 3 5 ) ▁and ▁Jean ▁An ou il h ' s ▁Be cket ▁( 1 9 5 9 ), ▁that ▁focus ▁on ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁Thomas ▁Be cket ▁and ▁James ▁Gold man ' s ▁The ▁Lion ▁in ▁Winter