英国文学问答题汇总.doc

英国文学问答题1.Shakespeare:Questions:1. Why sleep is so frightening, according to Hamlet, since it can “end” the heartache and the thousand natural shocks”? 2. Why would people rather hear all the sufferings of the world instead choosing death to get rid of them, according to Hamlet? 3. What, after all, makes people lose their determination to take action? Please explain in relation to the so-called hesitation of Hamlet.4. What does Romeo compare Juliet to in the beginning passage of the selection?5. What is Romeo and Juliets attitude toward being a Montague or a Capulet?6.What does Romeo mean when he says “Look thou but sweet, /And I am proof against their enmity”?7. Whats your understanding on the utterance “to be or not be”?8. Briefly comment on the characteristics of Hamlets personality.9.When were Shakespeares major tragedies written? What did he write about in his tragedies?Answers for reference:1. Nobody can predict what he will dream of after he falls asleep.2.Death is so mysterious that nobody knows what death will bring to us. Maybe bitter sufferings, great pains, heartbreaking stories3. 1) Conscience and over-considerations. 2) He wants to revenge, but doesnt know how; 2) He wants to kill his uncle, but find it too risky; 3) He lives in despair and wants to commit suicide, 4)however, he knows if he dies, nobody will comfort his fathers ghost. He is in face of great dilemma.4. Sun.5. They would give up their names for loves sake.6. Only if you are kind to me, their hatred cannot hurt me.7. “To be or not to be” means to live or end ones life by self-destruction. Hamlet has already spoken of suicide as a means of escape, and he dwells on it in a later part of this very speech, giving however a different reason for refraining. The notion that in the words “or not to be ” he is speculating on the possibility of “something after death”-whether there is a future life cannot be entertained for a moment. The whole drift of the speech shows his belief in a future life. Practically the whole speech has become proverbial as an outpouring of utter worldly weariness.8. Hamlet is the typical of humanists under the pen of Shakespeare, who is characteristic of the perfection and perseverance in personality embodied in the Renaissance superman. As Ophelia tells us that he had been the ideal Renaissance prince_ a soldier, scholar, courtier, “the glass of fashion and the mold of form.” But since his father died and his mother hastily remarried, there is transition in his character. He was in the state of depression, melancholy and delay of revenging. Why? Because he realizes, as a humanist, what his real duty lies in. So he pretended to be mad, melancholy, depressed and slow in action. By large, he is very sensitive, resourceful and has his own ideas, and the essence of his revenging his father is not for himself or for the bloody family feuds and hatred but lies in punishing the social corruptions, the wrongs, praising the good, and setting it right. As humanist himself he is all alone, detaching himself from the mass, which is the major reason why he failed himself. 9. Shakespeares main tragedies were written during the period of gloom and depression, which dated from 1600 to 1607.Shakespeares great tragedies are associated with a period of gloom and sorrow in his life. During this period, England witnessed a general unrest, and social contradictions became very sharp. What caused the writers personal sadness is unknown to us. It is generally attributed to the political misfortune of his friend and patron, Earl of Essex, who was killed by the queen.10. What was the keynote of the Renaissance? Can you define it?Answer: Humanism was the keynote of the Renaissance, reflecting the new outlook of the rising bourgeois class. The humanists advocated the emancipation of man, tried to have the new evaluation of man and his powers, fought for equality and justice and opposed feudal tyranny and religious obstinacy.11. What are Shakespeares four great comedies and four great tragedies?Answer: The four great comedies: A Midsummer Nights Dream As You Like it The Merchant of Venice Twelfth Night The four great tragedies: Hamlet Othello King Lear Macbeth12. What is the theme of Shakespeares Sonnet 18?Answer: Only literature (“eternal lines”, “this”) can contend with time, and literature is created by man, so in the final analysis, this poem glorifies mans greatness and immortality, which is a feature of the Renaissance Period.2.Bacon: 13. According to Bacon, what studies chiefly serve for?14. According to Bacon, what are the disadvantages of studies?15. According to Bacon, what is the relationship between studies and life experiences?16. According to Bacon, different people have different attitudes toward studies, please name some.17. According to Bacon, what way should we have toward studies?18. According to Bacon, how studies exert influence over human character?19. Please list at least 4 major works written by Francis Bacon.Answers:13. Studies serve 1)for delight, 2)for ornament, and3) for ability. Their chief use for delight, is in privateness and retiring; for ornament, is in discourse; and for ability, is in the judgement and disposition of business. (3points)14. 1)To spend too much time in studies is sloth; 2)to use them too much for ornament, is affectation; 3) to make judgement wholly by their rules, is the humour of a scholar. (3points)15. 1)Studies perfect nature, and are perfectec by experience: 2)for natural abilities are like natural plants, that need pruning by study; 3)and studies themselves do give forth directions too much at large, except they be bounded in by experience. (3points)16. 1)Crafty men contemn studies, 2)simple men admire them, and 3)wise men use them; 4)for they teach not their own use; 5)but that is a wisdom without them, and above them, won by observation.(3points)17. 1)Read not to contradict and confute;2) nor to believe and take for granted; 3)nor to find talk and discourse;4) but to weigh and consider. (3points)18. 1)Histories make men wise; 2)poets witty; 3)the mathematics subtile; 4)natural philosophy deep; 5)moral grave; 6)logic and rhetoric able to contend. Abeunt studia in morse. (3points)19. 1)Advancement of Learning, 1605; 2)New Instrument,1620; 3)New Atlantis, 1626; 4)Essays, 1625.(3points)3.Jane Austen:Questions:20. Why do you think of Mrs.Bennet? How can you characterize her?21. What do you known about Jane Austens writing style?Answers for reference:20. 1) She is mean, her only care is to marry her daughter to rich young men; 2) She is simple and foolish, even cannot understand her husbands ironical words. 3) She loves her daughter , though she doesnt understand them ,but what she do is only for their happiness rather than herself.21. 1) keen observation of society around her , good ear for conversation, use of mild, irony and penetrating analysis.2)Style, clarity, economy, skillful dialogue, tight plotting, simple and clear. 3）Readers can find sth of themselves, comfort, tranquility, escape in her novels.22. Tell the story of Pride and Prejudice.Answer: Bingley, a rich bachelor, takes Netherfield Park, and brings there his friend Darcy. Bingley falls in love with Jane, and Darcy is attracted to her next sister Elizabeth, but offends her by his proud behavior. He proposes to her but is rejected. Her prejudice against him increases as more misunderstanding arises. After many twists and turns, however, things are cleared up, and the two couples are happily united.23. In Jane Austens surroundings, what were the only important issues in life?Answer: In Jane Austens surroundings, marriage, inheritance of property and maintenance of social prestige were the only important issues in life.24. On what issues were Jane Austens novels centered?Answer: Her novels were centered on such issues as marriage, inheritance of property and maintenance of social prestige.25. From what book is the following paragraph taken? Who wrote it?“Elizabeth, feeling all the more than common awkwardness and anxiety of his situation, now forced herself to speak; and immediately, though not very fluently, gave him to understand that her sentiments had undergone so material a change, since the period to which he alluded, as to make her receive with gratitude and pleasure his present assurances. The happiness which this reply produced, was such as he had probably never felt before; and he expressed himself on the occasion as sensibly and as warmly as a man violently in love can be supposed to do. Had Elizabeth been able to encounter his eye, she might have seen how well the expression of heartfelt delight, diffused over his face, became him; but, though she could not look, she could listen, and he told her of feelings, which, in proving of what importance she was to him, made his affection every moment more valuable.” Answer: It is taken from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.26. Who said the following? From what book is it taken? “I cannot give you credit for any philosophy of the kind. Your retrospections must be so totally void of reproach, that the contentment arising from them is not of philosophy, but, what is much better, of innocence. But with me, it is not so. Painful recollections will intrude which cannot, which ought not, to be repelled. I have been a selfish being all my life, in practice, though not in principle. As a child I was taught what was right, but I was not taught to correct my temper. I was given good principles, but left to follow them in pride and conceit. Unfortunately an only son (for many years an only child), I was spoilt by my parents, who, though good themselves (my father, particularly, all that was benevolent and amiable), allowed, encouraged, almost taught me to be selfish and overbearing; to care for none beyond my own family circle; to think meanly of all the rest of the world; to wish at least to think meanly of their sense and worth compared with my own. Such I was, from eight to eight and twenty; and such I might still have been but for you, dearest, loveliest Elizabeth! What do I not owe you! You taught me a lesson, hard indeed at first, but most advantageous. By you, I was properly humbled. I came to you without a doubt of my reception. You showed me how insufficient were all my pretensions to please a woman worthy of being pleased.”Answer: It was said by Darcy. It is taken from Pride and Prejudice.27. Do you agree with the statement “it is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife”? Why?Answer: To make the statement really true, it would be better to omit “in possession of a good fortune”. The original statement actually is only the wishful thinking of Mrs. Bennet and is rather ironically amusing. Marriage and money have no relationship at all. We cannot define a man by his possession of fortune; marriage is something really holy and people marry because they fall in love with each other, not with money 4.Charlotte Bronte:Questions:28. Whats the theme in Jane Eyre?29. Please show your understanding on the love between Jane Eyre and Mr Rochester .Answers for reference:28. 1) Jane Eyre is not only a love story; 2) it is also a plea for the recognition of the individuals worth and 3) sex equality that Women attempt to assert their own identity within the male-dominated society.29. Though poor and plain, Jane Eyre, who had a strong will of life, tried hard to get her rights of equality. She left the man very much who was about 20 years older than she and richer. She just wanted him to treat her equally. She was great because her love made disillusioned Rochester happy again. Mr. Rochester was a man full of lifes misery, yet he loved Jane truly and respected her very much. Thats why he got her love.30. Why does Jane Eyre decide to stay with Mr. Rochester?Answer: She has always loved him. She doesnt really want to marry St John. She once left Mr. Rochester because he was already married to Bertha, not because she stopped loving him. The call she hears at the window of “Jane! Jane!” makes her think Rochester is in trouble, so she goes back to find him.31. Tell the story of Jane Eyre.Answer: Jane becomes a governess for Rochester, who falls in love with her, and she with him. They are about to be married when Jane, learning that Rochester has a wife, a lunatic, flees from the house. She is taken in and cared for by Rev. Rivers. Meanwhile, a great misfortune befalls Rochester: he loses his sight during a fire in the house, set by his mad wife. Hearing that Rochester is penniless and disabled, Jane Eyre hurries to him and becomes his wife.32. Why is Jane Eyre so popular?Answer: The heroine is plain and poor; the heroine is the first female character to claim the right to feel strongly about her emotions and act on her convictions; such a psychologically complex heroine had never been created before.33. Who said the following? From what book is it taken?“Cruel, cruel deserter! Oh, Jane, what did I feel when I discovered you had fled from Thornfield, and when I could nowhere find you; and, after examining your apartment, ascertained that you had taken no money, nor anything which could serve as an equivalent! A pearl necklace I had given you lay untouched in its little casket; your trunks were left corded and locked as they had been prepared for the bridal tour. What could my darling do, I asked, left destitute and penniless? And what did she do? Let me hear now.”Answer: It was said by Mr. Rochester. It is taken from Jane Eyre.5.Charles Dickens:Questions:34. How do you understand Pips so called “Great Expectation”? 35. Please explain the reason that Great Expectation is a so-called bildungsroman or growth novel.Answers for reference: (简略版)34. 1) When he was young, he wanted to become a blacksmith like Joe, his brother in law. 2) When he met Havisham and fell in love with Estella, his expectations changed: to raise his social status and become a gentleman, get a better education and then marry Estella. 3) When Pip discovered that his benefactor was in fact a convict, his “great expectation” turned out to be bubble, beautiful but transient. Pip finally realized the money and social status is not the most important thing in life. Whats important is love and loyalty. Mans true value has nothing to do with his money and status.35. It is the novel of the growth and development of the hero Pip. There is absence of parents for Pip who is raised by his sister and brother-in-law; As a gentleman, Pip condescends people of lower class, losing sight of the generous, kind aspect of being a gentleman; He is tested and drawn to destructive love etc.36. Tell the story of the excerpt from Great Expectations you have read.Answer: One night, a familiar figure comes into Pips room - the convict Magwitch, who surprises Pip by saying that he, not Miss Havisham, is the source of Pips fortune. He tells Pip that he was so moved by Pip boyhood kindness that he had dedicated his life to making Pip a gentleman, and made a fortune in Australia for that very purpose. Magwitch is caught and sentenced to death, and Pip loses his fortune.37. What is the theme of the excerpt from Great Expectations you have read?Answer: Affection, loyalty, and conscience were considered more important than social advancement and wealth38. From what book is the following paragraph taken? Who wrote it?“Nothing was needed but this； the wretched man， after loading wretched me with his gold and silver chains for years, had risked his life to come to me, and I held it there in my keeping！ If I had loved him instead of abhorring him; if I had been attracted to him by the strongest admiration and affection，instead of shrinking from him with the strongest repugnance； it could have been no worse. On the contrary， it would have been better，for his preservation would then have naturally and tenderly addressed my heart.”Answer: It is taken from Great Expectations by Charles Dickens.39. How do you evaluate the meeting of Pip with Magwitch?Answer: The reappearance of the convict reveals that he, not Miss Havisham, is Pips secret benefactor. This revelation deflates Pips hopes that he is meant for Estella, and it completely collapses the stark social divisions that have defined him in the novel. The fulfillment of his hope of being raised to a higher social class turns out to be the work of a man from a class even lower than his own. 6.Thomas Hardy:Questions:40. What do you think causes Tesss tragedy?41. Please comment briefly on the fate of Tess in Tess of the DUrbervilles.Answers for reference:40. 1) Tess was an innocent, pure girl. She was honest and sweet-natured and full of love for her family and sympathy for others.2) the poverty of her family, the social environment and the collapse of the Agricultural economy; horse killed-claim kin 3) the double moral standard between men and women of that patriarchal society, “chastity =purity” is only for women.4) For such a girl as Tess, her life was something that she couldnt control, chance of some unknown forces determined everything.41. Tess is actually a victim of her society. Hardy created the heroine Tess just to criticize the society in his time. Tess is a tragic person simply because she is not accepted by the society in which agriculture is menaced by the forces of invading capitalism. So in a way, Tess fate is decided by her society.42. What is the significance of Tess resting on an altar in the heathen temple?Answer: She is the sacrifice of the social conventions and prejudice which society has placed upon her I