OutlineofEnglishliterature.doc

Chapter 1 The Beginning Period of English Literature I. 1. OverviewA. The history of Britainw a. Iberians from the Mediterranean (about 3000 BC)w b. Celtic tribes from Europe (about 750BC)w c. The Roman occupation (55BC-410) (around from Han to Jin) Julius Caesar w d. Anglo-Saxon Times (449-1100) (from Jin to North Song) King Arthur, heptarchyw e. The invasion of Vikings and the Danish Rule (1013-1042)w f. The Norman conquest (1066-1485)B. The history of Christianityw a. In 597, Pope Gregory the Great sent his emissary Augustine to convert the Jutes in Kent.w b. In Northumbria, monks from Ireland were active, setting up monasteries and preaching Christianity.w c. Christianity enabled them to learn book knowledge as the early education.w d. They traveled long distances to Rome on pilgrimages for broadening their spiritual powers.C. The class polarizationw The class polarization of Anglo-Saxons had appeared during Heptarchy.w The village system replaced the clan system. w There had been the King, lords, knights, freemen, semi-freemen, slaves whom peasants became.2. Beowulf: An English epicw Time: around A.D.700 (Tang Dynasty)w Narration: Violenceconquermore violence/ revengeconquernew violenceconquer with sacrifice w Theme: the evil should be punished and the righteous will be rewarded. w Trait: Christian culture & Germanic culture. Pagan heroism and fatalism are mingled with Christian qualities.w Comments: Human beings struggle hard to survive in a hostile environment, for they had to face various difficulties regarded as unconquerable supernatural forces.II. The transitional periodw The Seafarer and The Wanderer are 2 lyrics.w The Seafarer is a monologue, describing an old sailor between the attraction of the sea and its perils.w The Wanderer is a monologue, telling a mans joyful days of comradeship and his sorrow over the harshness after the death of his friend.III. Three major poets in 14th century Englandw The Norman Conquest (1066-1485) (from North Song to Early Ming)w a. In 1066, William the Conqueror defeated the Anglo-Saxons.w b. Land was the basis of the feudal system. w c. England was ruled by 2 royal families: the Normans (1066-1154) & the Plantagenets (1154-1485)w d. Chivalry was the important code of behavior for the knights.w e. Medieval romances became a popular form of literature. (adventures for love, faith, excitement)w f. Black Death made peoples life harsher.Three major poets in 14th century Englandw Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1340-1400)w William Langland &The Vision of Piers Plowman (c. 1362) w The Gawain-poet &Sir Gawain and Green Knight (1325-1400) Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1340-1400)w Chaucers poetry belongs to both the Medieval Ages and the Renaissance. w A middle class of merchants and craftsmen began to gain power. c. Chaucers worksw The Book of the Duchess (1369) is an elegy in memory of Blanche, the Duchess of Lancaster. w Troilus and Criseyde (c. 1385) is the tragedy of the love story between Troilus, a prince of Troy, and Criseyde, a capture. w The Canterbury Tales (c. 1387-1400) is a collection of stories told by pilgrims on their way to Canterbury. w Comments: The structural link is meticulously planned. The poem presents 24 tales.w Significance: He was accepted by lower and upper class people. w Theme: His works reveal a broader understanding of human weakness and human virtue.2. The Vision of Piers Plowman(c.1362)w Theme: Salvation is the 3 stages of the journey to heavenDo-Well, Do-Better, Do-Best. Honest work and devotion to religion is the way to lead one to heaven.w Comments: It shows the unhappy side of life in feudal England: social injustices, the churchs corruption, the power struggle in the court, sufferings of the poor peasants.w Moral: Bribery and corruption cant be reconciled with conscience and virtue.w Style: The poem is allegorical and satirical. Its language is plain and direct.3. The Gawain-poetSir Gawain and Green Knight (1325-1400) w a. It is about the Celtic legend of King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table.w b. The story is a chivalrous romance based on an ancient legend of a Green Knight who challenges the courage of King Arthurs Knights. Chapter2：The Glory of Poetry: From Sidney to PopeI. Overview 1. The Tudors before Queen Elizabeth The War of the Roses (1455-1485):wars between the Duke of York and Lancaster. Henry Tudor, descendant of Duke of Lancaster ended and the House of Tudor began. Feudalism was on the decline. Henry VIII rebelled against Pope in Rome and declared head of the English Church. The Protestant movement developed rapidly.2. The Renaissance “Rebirth”, the reintroduction of the full cultural heritage of Greece and Rome into Western Europe. It changed the medieval Western Europe into a modern one. It started in Italy during the 14th century. The intellectual wisdom encouraged a rebirth of human spirit, human potential of development and creation. The essence of the Renaissance spirit: “Man is the measure of all things” and he could control his own destiny.3. The Reign of Queen Elizabeth She managed to keep a balance between Protestantism and Catholicism. She established a strong central government and defeated the king of Spain. She encouraged court entertainment, so English literature thrived. II.Major poets of the Elizabethan Age 1. Sir Philip Sidney(1554-86) Sidneys works Arcadia(1580), a prose romance filled with lyrics. Astrophel and Stella (1591) The sonnet sequence became popular in England. Defense of Poetry(1579) is a prose essay that describes the nature of poetry and defends it against Puritan objections. Astrophel and Stella (1591) It is a love romance. Stella (Penelope Rich) was unhappily married to Lord Rich. The complex feeling of a lover: hope & despair, tenderness & bitterness, conceit & modesty. Its language is clear and direct.2. Edmund Spenser (1552-99)Edmund Spensers poems The Shepheardes Calendar(1579) contains 12 eclogues牧歌 in a variety of meters. Amoretti(1594) is the sonnet sequence to his wife. The Faerie Queen is dedicated to the Queen.The Faerie Queen Gloriana, the queen of Fairyland represents glory and Queen Elizabeth. The six completed books relate the adventures of the knights who represent the various good qualities of holiness, temperance, chastity, friendship, justice, and courtesy. It is remarkable for its vivid style and rich content, combining Greek, Latin, Italian, and English traditions.3. Shakespeare and Marlowe as poetsHero and Leander is a tale of 2 tragic lovers.Hero is a nun and lives on the northern shore; Leander falls in loves with her and lives on the southern. He loses his life for meeting her; she dies to grieve him.Shakespeares Sonnets Sonnets represent the finest poetic craftsmanship of Elizabethan poetry.Shakespeares Sonnets He praises a young mans beauty and virtue and exposes their triangular relationship with “the Dark Lady”. Various themes: human nature, moral conflicts, the immortality of art, friendship, sorrows. One sonnet has 14 lines with 3 quatrains and 1 couplet. It has rhyme scheme of “abab cdcd efef gg”.4. John Donne (1572-1631)His poems “The Flea” “An Anatomy of the World” (1611) Devotions upon Emergent Occasions (1624) Go and catching a falling star(theme :a faithful woman could not be found) Holy SonnetsThe comments of John Donnes poems His poems are considered obscene and vulgar. He also wrote poems of serious philosophical thinking. His love poetry is cynical and sensuous. His ideas challenge the mainstream thoughts of his time. He is regarded a man full of doubts, fears, and spiritual uncertainties. III. Metaphysical poets (玄学派)1. Donne and others John Donne George Herbert (1593-1633) & The Temple Richard Crashaw (c. 1613-49) & Steps to the Temple Henry Vaughan (1621-95) & Silex Scintillans 2. “Metaphysical poems” The poetry emphasized intellect or wit as against feeling and emotion. It rejected the romantic exaggeration of Elizabethan love poetry. The poets used new and shocking expressions for their sophisticated ideas. Their language was rough. The poetry had a psychological depth. IV John Milton (1608-74)2. Miltons works “LAllegro” (quick and light-hearted) & “Il Penseroso” (slow and thoughtful) (c.1631) “Lycidas” (1637) is an elegy in memory of his classmate, Edward King. Comus (1634) lures travelers and changes them into half-monsters. “Areopagitica” (1644) is a prose for the freedom of the press. 17 Sonnets “On His Blindness” (1655) “On the Late Massacre in Piedmont” & “On His Deceased Wife” (1658)3. Paradise Lost (1667) Its largely based on the Biblical story of God, His Son, Adam and Eve. Its setting is the whole universe. Satan enters the body of a serpent and tempts Eve to taste the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. They are all punished for their sin. Satan is read as a hero(undaunted spirit and his defiance of authority), but he commits a great sinhis excessive pride.4. Paradise Regained(1671) Its less impressive. It is concerned with human salvation through Christ. Satan tries to corrupt Jesus, but Jesus resists against all these temptations.5. Samson Agonistes (1671) Milton employed the Old Testament story of Samson to sing a song in praise of courage and sacrifice. It is written as a “closet drama” not for performance but for reading. Its viewed as a deficient drama: It had a beginning and an end without improper middle.V. The NeoclassicistsIt was influenced by French Enlightenment. The intricate, bold, extravagant literary style gradually gave way to a style which was simple, clear and regular. Contemporary and intelligible themes were preferred to ancient and difficult ones.Chapter 3 The Golden Age of English DramaI. Origins and Influencesl 1. The thriving theater: In 1576 the Elizabethan actor James Burbage built Englands 1st playhouse, called “The Theater.”l 2. Miracles plays were called mystery plays, because they showed the miracles performed by saints. l 3. Morality plays are dramatized allegories in which abstract virtues and vices appear in personified form.l 4. Interludes were general short, performed during the interval of a long play.II. The Elizabethan dramatists who influenced ShakespeareA. University witsl Robert Greene (c. 1560-1592)l John Lyly (c. 1554-1606)l Thomas Nashe (1567-1601)l Thomas Lodge (c. 1558-1625)l Thomas Kyd (1558-1594)l George Peele (1556- c. 1597)l Christopher Marlowe (1564-93) B. Christopher Marlowe (1564-93) Marlowes worksl Tamburlaine (c. 1587)帖木儿 is a drama in blank verse (free verse).(素体诗)l The Massacre at Paris (1594)l Edward II (1594)l The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus (1594)l The Jew of Malta (1592)III. William Shakespeare (1564-1616)The 1st period (1590-1595)l History plays:l Henry VI and Richard III (1593)l 4 comedies:l The Comedy of Errors (c. 1592)l The Taming of the Shrew (c. 1593)l The Two Gentlemen of Verona (c.1594)l Loves Labors Lost (c. 1594)l Tragedies: l Titus Andronicus (c. 1593)l Romeo and Juliet (c. 1595)The 2nd period (1595-1600)l History plays:l King John (c. 1595)l Richard II (c. 1595)l Henry IV (c. 1597)l Henry V (c. 1598)l Shakespeares comedies:l A Midsummer Nights Dream (c. 1595) l The Merchant of Venice (c. 1596)l The Merry Wives of Windsor (c. 1599)l Much Ado about Nothing (c. 1599)l As You Like It (c. 1599)l The 1st major tragedy: Julius Caesar (c. 1599)The 3rd period (1600-1608)l His four greatest tragedies:l Hamlet (c. 1601) His hesitation delays his revenge.l Othello (c. 1604) It demonstrates how easily a noble heart can be destroyed. l King Lear (c. 1605) Its caused by human folly.l Macbeth (c. 1606) Its caused by human ambition. More tragediesl Antony and Cleopatra (c. 1606)l Coriolanus (c. 1608)l Timon of Athens (c. 1608)4 comedies l Twelfth Night (c. 1601)l Troilus and Cressida (c. 1602)l Alls Well that Ends Well (c. 1602)l Measure for Measure (c. 1604)The 4th period (1608-1612)l His principal romantic tragicomedies:l Pericles, Prince of Tyre (c. 1608)l Cymbeline (c. 1610)l The Winters Tale (c. 1610)l The Tempest (c. 1611)IV. Other major dramatists of the period: Ben Jonson (1572-1637)Jonsons playsl Every Man in His Humor (1598) is a comedy filled with humor.l Masques: The Satyr (1603) Masque of Beauty (1608), and Masque of Queens (1609)l 2 tragedies: Sejanus (1603) and Catiline (1611)4 comediesl Volpone, or the Fox (1606) describes an old man plays a trick on those who desire to inherit his wealth.l The Alchemist (1610) is about human desire for easy money. l Epicene, or the Silent Woman (1609)l Bartholomew Fair (1614)l As a classicist: advocate the classical idea of the unity of time, place and theme三一律Chapter 4. The Beauty of ProseThe Bible of King James Version(1611)Francis Bacon (1561-1626)Bacons worksw The Advancement of Learning (1605)w Essays (1597, 1612, 1625)w The History of Henry VII (1622)w The New Atlantis (1626)w Novum Organum (The New Instrument of Learning 1620) 新工具won Bacon the title of Father of Modern Science. w His essays were successful and liked by the public.w The literary form as “essay” was new to English audience. w His essays cover many subjects, such as truth, beauty, friendship, marriage, family, etc. w His essays are short, powerful, and elegant. Chapter 5 The Rise of the Novel1. Overviewl The English novel matured in the 18th century.l It developed over a century slower than European novels.l English novel was influenced by European novels, esp. French, Italian, Spanish novels.l “Novel” came from the Italian word novella.l Samuel Richardsons Pamela (1740) is the 1st mature English novel.l Prose fiction before 1700 helped to nurture the English novel.2. John Bunyan (1628-88)His works and achievementsl The Pilgrims Progress (1678) was written during his 2nd imprisonment.l It depicts the pilgrimage of a human soul searching for salvation.l He travels from Destruction to the Heaven(celestial city), through a series of tests.l It is filled with realistic description, lucid prose and familiar images. II. The rise of the novel in the 18th centuryl Novel allowed writers a creative space to examine society with depth and breadth.l Writers criticized the deep gap between different classes and the unsatisfactory society.l Early English novels dramatized the rise of bourgeoisie.l Writers could make a living through the sale of their works without patronage.The social settingl The control of government passed into the hand of bourgeoisie.l The Glorious Revolution of 1688 forced James II to flee.l Commercial developments made the middle class wealthier than aristocracy.l Intermarriage between them fused them into one large group.l The Coffee House became popular for people to meet and to do business.2. Daniel Defoe (1660-1731)His works and achievementsl An Essay upon Projects (1695) includes practical schemes for social progress, such as women education.l The True-Born Englishman (1701) is a poem criticizing peoples belief in racial and national superiority.l The Shortest Way with Dissenters (1702) satirizes the Anglicans hostility toward the dissenters.l The Review (1704-1713) is a triweekly news journal.l His novels and commentsl A journalist, a trader, a soldier, a thinker, a spy l At the age of 60, starts to be a novelistl The Life and Adventure of Robinson Crusoe (1719) is based on the adventure of a seaman, Alexander Selkirk.l The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders (1722) relates the adventures of a London prostitute who finally enjoys a peaceful life. l The Life and Adventure of Robinson Crusoe (1719) l Different themes:l A story of sea adventure(simply)l An artistic projection of colonist expansion(politically)l The dignity of labor(socially different Western cultural values)l Back to nature(industrialization)l Religious devotion3. Jonathan Swift (1667-1745)His works and achievementsPoems: The Journal to Stella (1766) is his love letters and poems to Esther Johnson whose education he supervised.l Cadenus and Vanessa is a poem to depict Vanessa loves him but he keeps devotion to Esther. l Novels: Gullivers Travels (1726) Prose: The Battle of the Book (1697) is a humorous satire on the sham scholarship. l A Tale of a Tub(1704) is a satirical work of a parable about 3 sons of an old man who represent Catholicism, Anglican Church, and the dissenters.l “A Modest Proposal” (1729) proposes the ironic plan that the rich serve the flesh of the poor on their tables, turning an economic burden to general profit.Gullivers Travels (1726) l The voyage to Lilliput 小人国 The voyage to Brobdingnag 巨人国 The voyage to Laputa and other countries The voyage to Houyhnhnms 半人半马(yahoos)l He held a dark view of human nature.l It condemns the vanity and hypocrisy of upper and middle class.l It is full of political implication.l It remains a favorite childrens book throughout the world(a vivid imagination b witty and bold creation of the unusual)3. Henry Fielding(1707-54)His works and achievementsl Farce: Tom Thumb (1730) is critical of corruption in governmental institutions.l Joseph Andrews (1742) is to poke fun at the sentimental moralism of Richardsons novel.l The Life of Mr. Jonathan Wild the Great (1743) is based on a thiefs life to give ironical comments on delinquency, cruelty and hypocrisy. l Amelia (1751) is a study of justice an penal sys