英国文学史middleages.doc

v Middle Agesv (5th century-1485) v Outline of literary achievementsv Beowulfv Geoffrey Chaucer The Canterbury Talesv Historical Background in Middle Ages(beginning to 1485) Beginning of Britain:1. From the recorded history, Celtic first occupied England.2. from 55-54BCto 410AD, Rome invaded BritainLanguage: still Celtic 3. 449-1100, Anglo-Saxon invaded Britain(Anglo-Saxon period) Language: Old English4 1066-1485, the Norman Conquest（ended Anglo-Saxon period and started medieval period) v Literary Achievement in Anglo-Saxon PeriodBeowulf: an epic ofAnglo-Saxon2007-11-16 美国 v Beowulf1 a heroic Scandinavian epic legend told in old English (epic: a long narrative poem telling of a heros deeds)2 time : around AD700 3 author: unknown4 length: altogether over 3000 alliterative long linesv Alliteration a figure of speech in which consonants, especially at the beginning of words are repeated. It is a very old device in English verse and is common in poem ,occasionally in prose. Alliteration became rare after the end of 15th century.v Eg: P5 Beowulf e.g. He claps the crag with crooked hands. Word pictures: v Literary Achievement in Anglo-Saxon Period5 content: Beowulf s heroic deeds in Danish societyPlot overview and characters: Grendel- a giant monster of human shape who kills peopleGrendels motheralso a monster who revenged after her son was killed by BeowulfBeowulfDanish king, a dragonAnalysis of major character: (Beowulf) faithful to his people, forgetting himself in face of death, a courageous warrior, wise ruler, a brave fighter, the product of a primitive, tribal society on the continent, v Literary Achievement in Anglo-Saxon Period6 religion: full of paganism (belongingtoareligionwhichworshipsmanygods,especiallyonewhichexistedbeforethemainworldreligions)多神教, heroism and fatalism and blended with Christian color7 theme: more than a fairy story of heroes combating monsters but a recollection of the values, beliefs and longings of the Anglo-Saxon people before they came to England. (Beowulf is the incarnation of the brave and pagan Anglo-Saxons)8 influence: It ranks itself among the classics of Odyssey by Homer(Greece) and the Aeneid by Virgil (ancient Rome).v Literary Achievement in Middle AgesThe Canterbury Tales v The Canterbury Talesv Geoffrey Chaucer: “Father of poetry”, also the first important poet in British history. His varied experience made him familiar with persons high and low in all walks of life. v The Canterbury Tales 1. time: 1387-14002. structure: carefully structured, a general prologue (a framework) plus 24 tales and the separate prologue of each tale and links that accompany some of the tales.3. Tales(P15)First one: The Knights Taleseveral famous tales: the Millers tale, The Wife of Bath, the Franklin, the Pardoner, the Nuns Priest and the Parson v The Canterbury Tales4. content: It is a collection of stories told by a group of pilgrims on their way to Canterbury, where the famous Saint Thomas Becket was assassinated. The narrator begins the prologue by describing the fine April day and each of the Pilgrims. v v The Canterbury Tales5. Theme (Influenced by the early Italian Renaissance) v mans right to pursue earthly happiness and opposed asceticismv mans energy, intellect, and love of lifev to expose and satirize the social evils, esp. the religious abuses.v reflects the reality of poets day(14th century. v The Canterbury Tales6. Characterization- vivid portrayal of individualized characters of the society and of all professions and social strata except the highest and the lowest-shows respect for the two landed gentry, the plowman and the parson parson-satirized all the religious people except the parson;-shows a growing sense of self-importance of the trades and towns people -reflecting the changing social status, esp. in towns and cities.v The Canterbury Tales7. Stylev influenced by Boccaccios Decameronv the effective London dialect (lively and vivid Middle-Age English)v satiric and humorousv heroic coupletv well-structured v The Canterbury Tales -The General Prologue v Whan that Aprill with his shoures sootev The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,v And bathed every veyne in swich licourv Of which vertu engendred is the flour;v When in April the sweet showers fallv And pierce the drought of March to the root, and allv The veins are bathed in liquor of such powerv As brings about the engendering of the flower,v When also Zephyrus with his sweet breathv Exhales an air in every grove and heathv The Canterbury Tales -The General Prologuev Then people long to go on pilgrimagesv And palmers long to seek the stranger strandsv Of far-off saints, hallowed in sundry lands,v And specially, from every shires endv Of England, down to Canterbury they wendv To seek the holy blissful martyr, quickv To give his help to them when they were sick,v The Canterbury Tales -The General Prologuev It happened in that season that one dayv In Southwark , at The Tabard, as I layv Ready to go on pilgrimages and startv For Canterbury, most devout at heart,v At night there came into that hostelryv Some nine and twenty in a companyv Of sundry folk happening then to fallv The Canterbury Tales -The General Prologuev In fellowship, and they were pilgrims allv That towards Canterbury meant to ride,v The rooms and stables of the inn were wide;v They made us easy, all was of the best,v And, briefly, when the sun had gone to rest,v Id spoken to them all upon the tripv And was soon one wit