英美文学简史-Chapters-1—2.ppt

English Literature Chapters 12,Key Points in Chapter 1,The Old English (Anglo-Saxon) Period History of Invasion Anglo-Saxons Caedmon Beowulf King Alfred the Great Beowulf significance Outline of the Story Medieval Literature: A Brief Introduction 1066Norman ConquestMiddle EnglishFeudal Society The Arthurian Legends Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Robin Hood John Wycliffe,The Old English Period,History of Invasions 5th century BC: tribal kingdoms of Celtic people 55 BC: invaded by the Roman Empire (under control for over 400 years) 5th Century: by Germanic people: the Angles and the Saxon From the late 8th century on: by ferocious Vikings from Scandinavia 1066: by Normans from northern France, descendants of Vikings,The Old English Period,Anglo-Saxons 5th century invaded and defeated the Celts and the Romans A branch of Germanic tribes 597 AD: began to be converted to Christianity Basically barren in literary creation,The Old English Period,Caedmon Second half of the 7th century The first known poet in English literary history,The Old English Period,King Alfred the Great 9th century Defeated a wave of invasions Brought peace, security and prosperity Built schools, wrote annals, and encouraged cultural growth Decided that literature should be written in the vernacular, or Old English,Beowulf,Significance The only organic whole poem to come out of the Anglo-Saxon period An epic of well over 3,000 lines Probably the greatest epic ever left by the ancient Germanic tribes The most ancient ever since the demise of the Greek and Roman literature,Beowulf,Outline of the Story 8th century Scandinavia, Sweden, Denmark, King Hrothgar Sea monsters Grendel and his mother Fiery dragon,Medieval Literature: A Brief Introduction,1066Norman ConquestMiddle EnglishFeudal Society 1066: the French-speaking Normans conquered England The last Anglo-Saxon King Harold died in the battle of Hastings Marked the beginning of the Middle English or Anglo-Norman period Establishment of the Feudal System, 1381 Peasant Rising, the completion of the Domesday Book (土地调查清册，末日审判书) ，the launching of the Crusade, the signing of the Magna Carter (大宪章) in 1215, the war with France or the Hundred Years War,Medieval Literature: A Brief Introduction,The Arthurian Legends 1147: Geoffrey of Monmouth, Historia Regum Britannia, collected the legends about the king Enriched by a good number of later writers Some stories include those of the Holy Grail, Merlin， Sir Lancelot, Quest for the Holy Grail, and the death of the king. The Celtic King Arthur became a national hero for the English nation The legend had always been popular on the European continent,Medieval Literature: A Brief Introduction,Sir Gawain and the Green Knight One important story in the Arthurian legend. 4-par work of 2,530 lines in 101 sections Knighthood under the scrutiny of the Christian lens is found wanting Written in north Midland dialect,Medieval Literature: A Brief Introduction,Robin Hood Collection of 15th century medieval ballads about Robin Hood Robin Hood, the hero of the poor, the enemy of the rich and the powerful The ballads are many in number, “Robin hood and the Monk,” “Robin Hood and the Guy of Gisborne,” “Robin Hood and the Porter,” Lytell Geste of Robin Hood,Medieval Literature: A Brief Introduction,John Wycliffe (1320-1384) An Oxford Scholar The translation of the Bible from the sonorous Latin Vulgate Version into Middle English Far-reaching influence upon the evolution of the English language Precursor of Martin Luthers Reformation All his life he kept speaking vehemently against the Pope and the whole religious hierachy His followers formed what later came to be known as the Lollard movement.,Key Points in Chapter 2,Geoffrey Chaucer First Prominent English Poet Works Chaucer and English Language The Canterbury Tales Features of Chaucers Narration in The Canterbury Tales Major Characters in The Canterbury Tales The Pre-Elizabethan Period: A Brief Introduction 3 Major Events Turning the Middle Ages into the Modern Time Reformation Renaissance Thomas More Utopia,Geoffrey Chaucer (1340-1400),First Prominent English Poet Chaucer was the first prominent poet in history and ranks with Shakespeare as the most popular and most widely read of all poets today. He has been one of the major influences on writers of later generations not only in England but also across the world. Sometimes called the father of English literature, Chaucer is credited by some scholars as the first author to demonstrate the artistic legitimacy of the vernacular Middle English, rather than French or Latin.,Geoffrey Chaucer,Works Canterbury Tales The Book of the Duchess The House of Fame The Parliament of Fowls Troilus and Criseyde,Geoffrey Chaucer,Chaucer and English Language Sometimes called the father of English literature, Chaucer is credited by some scholars as the first author to demonstrate the artistic legitimacy of the vernacular Middle English, rather than French or Latin.,Geoffrey Chaucer,The Canterbury Tales A collection of 20-odd stories The stories are framed by means of a fictitious pilgrimage The stories in the Tales come from different sources. These include, among others, the French sources, the Italian, the biblical, the Asian, and folklore.,Geoffrey Chaucer,Features of Chaucers Narration in The Canterbury Tales The salient features of Chaucers narration are its enormous sense of humor, its loyalty to reality, and its infinite sense of humanity. Chaucers gallery of portraits of the people is ambitious: they come from virtually all walks of life, from the upper strata all the way down the ladder to the lower. His portrayal of the people is amazingly selective and inclusive.,Geoffrey Chaucer,Major Characters in The Canterbury Tales Parson, nuns, monk, friar, summoner, pardoner, Merchant, the Wife of Bath, haberdasher (男子服饰经销商，杂货商), dyer, carpenter, weaver, carpet maker, skipper （船长）,The Pre-Elizabethan Period: A Brief Introduction,3 Major Events Turning the Middle Ages into the Modern Time The Reformation The Renaissance Printing from movable type,John Wycliffe,Marin Luther,The Pre-Elizabethan Period: A Brief Introduction,Reformation The first voice of revolt came from John Wycliffe The Reformation first started in Germany by Martin Luther He nailed his 95 theses on to the door of the castle church in Wittenberg, just to start a discussion of matters relevant to the faith and the church. The followers of the movement, distinct now from the Catholics, became known as the Protestants, and the Reformation has also been known in history as the Protestant Reformation. They believe in the doctrine of justification by faith, that mans justification or salvation depends on the grace of God which comes through faith alone.,The Pre-Elizabethan Period: A Brief Introduction,Renaissance The reformation indicated that man had made considerable progress in his epistemology. There appeared individual expression and critical thinking, The Renaissance, or the rebirth or revival of classical learning, first began in 14th century Italy. For the first time in history, the medieval minds saw the beauty of the human form and learned about the importance of human life and human values. Man began to live for his own sake more than for God and for the next world. Humanism as a movement came into existence.,Thomas More (1478-1535),Utopia Published in Latin in 1516, translated into English in 1551. Utopia takes a look forward to the future of man and offers an ideal which has inspired generations of serious social thinkers, political scientists, writers as well as humankind as a whole ever since its publication.,I The making of England,Who were the early inhabitants in the island of Britain? Britons, a tribe of Celts Where did the Celts come from? Powerful Celts in central and north Europe from 750 BC to 12 BC mainland Celts (Gauls) and island Celts (Britons and Gaels) Gaels in Scotland and Ireland speaking Gaelic,II Roman Conquest,In 55 BC, Julius Caesar, the Roman Conqueror, occupied Britain. In 410, Roman Empire fell into decline.,Significance of Roman conquest,left no deep impression on its national life Roman mode of life: theatres and baths in the towns (the city of Bath) Appearance of Roman streets and city ancient London city,Bath, Englands world heritage city,Founded in Roman Conquest Famous for its hot springs Jane Austins second home: Bath museum Wife of Bath,Royal Crescent and the Circus built in the 18th century,Beowulf on the screen,Henry VII and Tudor Dynasty,Chaucers life (1344-1400),Born in 1343 in London As a son of a wine merchant and deputy to the kings butler Little known about his education, he could read French, Latin and Italian. Was appointed to the household of the Countess of Ulster in 1357 and started his royal service since then.,5) In 1359-1360, went to France with Edward IIIs army during the Hundred Years War. 6) Got married in 1366 7) Went abroad several times for diplomatic and commercial missions. 8) especially in Italy, he met Boccaccio and Petrarch in 1372-73, much influence by the Italian humanists, such as Dante.,9) Died in 1400 and buried in the poets corner of Westminster Abby 10) Chaucers monument was erected in 1555.,The Canterbury Tales,A pilgrimage of 30 people on a route to and from Canterbury (England) To tell stories to amuse themselves on the way Harry Bailly, the innkeeper, promised a free meal for the best-storyteller,In structure: prologue and 24 stories (intended to have more than 100 stories and kept unfinished and handed down in manuscripts) Prologue serves as a brief introduction, to enable readers to have a general view of the whole content. Among the 24 individual stories, 2 in prose and 22 in verse form.,Wife of Baths Tele,The Wife of Bath is depicted as the new bourgeois wife asserting her independence.,The famous lines in Canterbury Tales,Whan that Aprill, with his shoures soote The droghte of March hath perced to the roote And bathed every veyne in swich lico