英国文学史及选读复习资料

Lecture1 Recommended Novels for Reading British 18th century Gulliver s Travels Jonathan Swift social satire fantasy Part I II and IV interesting language difficulty Robinson Crusoe Daniel Defoe an account of the process of the building of the British Empire in the 18th century diary like detailed description and narration language difficulty 19th century Great Expectations Charles Dickens about moral corruption and loss of innocence and honesty in growing up the Cinderella pattern in structure language Dif a bit too long Jane Eyre Charlotte Bronte a poor plain governess struggling for self dignity and personal happiness language dif Wuthering Heights Emily Bronte one of the best novels in the world a presentation of the most primitive natural powerful touching as well as the most destructive love human beings are capable of language dif Silas Marner George Eliot a religious fable about religion of humanity language dif small Tess of D Urbervilles Thomas Hardy tragic fate of a pure young peasant woman at the time of capitalist invasion into the country in the 19th century England language dif 20th century Sons and Lovers D H Lawrence Oedipus Complex the study of man woman relations language dif Mrs Dalloway Virginia Woolf about the spiritual journey of Mrs Dalloway typical stream of consciousness fiction language dif not long The Fifth Child Doris Lessing about distortion or horror of human nature a human born monster Language dif small Contents Chapter One Old English Literature Chapter Two Middle English Literature Chapter Three Geoffrey Chaucer Chapter Four The Renaissance Chapter Five The Revolution and Restoration Chapter Six Enlightenment in England Chapter Seven The Romantic Period Chapter Eight The Victorian Age Chapter Nine Twentieth Century Literature Development of Literature Three stages of English language development i Old English Anglo Saxon OE As the language up to 1066 is usu called ii Middle English about 1100 1500 iii Modern English about 1500 present Part One Old and Medieval English Literature Historical background 3 conquests invasions Romans 4th to the 6th cen politics of self government transportation system cities Latin language and Christianity little remained English Anglo Saxon Conquest Angles Saxons Jutes A Germanic tribes from the Mediterranean coast Scandinavia Denmark and Germany B the Pagans heathens 异教徒 C enslaved the Celts and drove others to Wales Scotland and Ireland D began feudalism new social strata serfs 农奴 freemen 自由民 farmers 农民 thanes 乡士 earls 爵爷 kings 王爷 E a medley of different races ethnic groups of multiple influences and cultural and political orders Norman Conquest in 1066 by William Duke of Normandy from Northern France A further established feudalism and ended the slave system in 14th cen B powerful Popedom 教皇制 established 1 3 of land political right wide moral degeneration of the clericals penances or pardons 赦罪令 C highly centralized royal power but conceded in the 13th cen with establishment of parliament 1215 the Magna Carta King John D communication with the outside world diplomatic relations development of trade and increasing strength for tradesmen and skilled professionals E influence from outside world in ideology F coexistence of 3 languages Latin the clerical and learned French noblemen and royal court A S native English Celtic dialect vernacular for the common Not until the 13th century did English enter the world of official discourse 官方用语 1258 Henry III issued a proclamation 布告 in 3 languages 14th cen parliament and court allowed English The Dark Age blind belief of Roman Catholicism and after life and stagnant philosophical and artistic development Literature secular the Old English until A S period and Middle English after 1066 tales passed on orally by gleemen or minstrels 吟唱诗人 until Homer s Iliad and Odyssey Old English Period Beowulf an Epic A the most important existent work the national epic of Anglo Saxons B written in 7 8 cen C partly historical and partly legendary D not about England but their homeland in Denmark E epic form a long verse narrative on the exploits of a national hero Beowulf F the primitive people s heroic struggle against hostile forces of the natural world under a wise leader G pagan elements Christian coloring fate God Lord H alliteration and Germanic language Middle English Literature A Romance 罗曼史 Roman French matters for subjects Trojan War Charlemagne Roland and the knights chivalric English romance King Arthur and his round table knights Sir Gawain and the Greenknight 1360 1370 Le Morte d Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory B Religious writings and translations from Hebrew to Latin Langland s Piers the Plowman C Poetic form alliterative poetry 头韵诗 metrical poetry 韵律诗 Lecture 2 Geoffrey Chaucer 1340 1400 Father of English poetry literature 3 periods of creation French Romaunt of the Rose translation Italian after Dante Divine Comedy Petrarch and Boccaccio Decameron The House of Fame The Legend of Good Women Troylus and Criseyde British 1386 1400 The Canterbury Tales Contributions A the first to present a comprehensive and realistic picture of the English society of his time and created a whole gallery of vivid characters from all walks of life in his masterpiece The Canterbury Tales B introduced from France the rhymed stanzas of various types to replace the Old English alliterative verse C the first to use the rhymed couplet of iambic pentameter heroic couplet Canterbury Tales The story 29 pilgrims and the poet on the way to Canterbury stopped at an inn At the proposal of the host of the Tabard Inn each was to tell 4 stories on the way to and back from Cant Host be the guide and judge the best teller gets a free supper at the cost of all the rest upon their return to the inn Should have been 120 stories but only 24 completed and preserved 2 incomplete 2 unfinished Theme influenced by the early Italian Renaissance he affirms man s right to pursue earthly happiness and opposes asceticism 禁欲说 praises man s energy intellect and love of life exposes and satirizes the social evils esp the religious abuses structure General prologue occasion characters followed by stories a separate prologue between two stories characterization vivid portrayal of individualized 个性化 characters of the society and of all professions and social strata except the highest and the lowest 1 shows respect for the two landed gentry the plowman and the parson 2 satirizes all the religious people except the parson who are guilty of sins Pride Wrath Envy Lust Gluttony Avarice and Sloth 3 shows a growing sense of self importance of the trades towns people reflecting the changing social status esp in towns and cities Style lively vivid Middle Age English satire humour Heroic Couplet of unequal merits the 3 famous tales A the Wife of Bath s tale of an Arthurian knight B the Oxford clerk s of a patient young lady C the Franklin 小地主 s about a wife s full submission to her husband IV Text study Comment This is a satirical picture of a vain pretentious nun Though supposedly in a religious capacity she had many worldly weaknesses and was in no way a true Christian let alone a devout clergy person The portrait is pervaded by ironical depictions and the tone is light hearted and humorous Readers can only smile in amusement In heroic couplet Text study Chaucer s The Canterbury Tales The Prioress Pre reading You are going to read Chaucer s description of a prioress a nun who is the head of a religious order or a religious house e g an abbey Before reading Chaucer s description we could try to create a picture of a nun from our knowledge or imagination 1 Imagine the facial expression of a nun what words would you use to describe it 2 A nun especially a prioress is usually remarkable for the following characteristics tick the words expressions of your choice a solemnity charm kindness b serious pleasant easy going sombre manners c full of sense sensibility 3 If she carries a motto which do you think is more likely to be her choice a All that glisters is not gold b Glory belongs to the King c God helps those who help themselves d Love conquers all Discussion 1 What is image of the nun 2 Is she favorably and admirably or satirically portrayed How 3 What figures of speech are used Language and Style 1 Select a detail which contains humour or irony What makes it comic or ironic 2 What do you notice about the rhyme at the end of the lines Key information for Memory 3 conquests Beowulf A S national epic Old English literature native subject alliteration Sir Gawain and the Greenknight anonymous William Langland s Piers the Plowman religious Chaucer s Canterbury Tales romance heroic couplet alliteration epic metric poem Assignment Reference questions for Renaissance 1 What is Renaissance How and why did it come about 2 What is the development of drama What were the original forms and content and practice of drama 3 Why did drama flourish in Elizabethan age Who are the major playwrights of the time 4 Who is Marlowe What contributions did he make to English drama 5 Who is Shakespeare What famous and great plays history comedy tragedy What features 6 What did Jonson write about Representative work 7 Prepare the excerpt from Hamlet p 31 32 What is it mainly about What humanist idea can you find in the soliloquy 8 What was the most important translation of the time Lecture 3 4 Renaissance English Literature Historical background Hundred Years War with France from 1337 to 1453 War of Roses from 1455 to 1485 between the House of Lancaster and the House of York Henry VII founded the Tudor dynasty the enclosure movement the commercial expansion and the war with Spain 16th century a period of the breaking up of feudal relations and the establishing of the foundations of capitalism England an absolute monarchy Religious Reformation end the rule of the Catholic Church king as both the head of Church and the head of state Protestantism the official national religion Henry 8 a Tudor Monarch In religion the far reaching movement of Reformation began in England during Henry VIII s reign He declared the break with the Roman Catholic Church and confiscated the property of the Church Protestantism began to gain ground among the English people King James Bible In 1611 appeared in England It was the work of many learned scholars headed by Bishop Lancelot Andrews an eloquent orator with an exquisite ear for the cadences of language King James Bible became the monument of English language and literature Genesis or the Creation God made Adam and Eve and let them live in Garden of Eden God warned Adam and Eve not to eat the forbidden fruit on the Tree of Knowledge Adam and Eve were all naked They lived a happy life They had no feelings of shame Satan in the disguise of a serpent sneaked into Garden of Eden He succeeded in inducing Eve to eat the Forbidden Fruit Eve gave Adam some fruit and Adam accepted it gladly They realized that they were nude so they put on fig leaves to cover their body God got very angry They had violated God s will so they were punished Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden of Eden They had to gain their bread by the sweat of their brow Adam and Eve s descendents must work hard for redemption otherwise they would never be allowed to go back to heaven Revelations ORIGINAL SIN With Adam and Eve s fall we sin all That s why we must work hard to make a living God s will is everything Those who violate God s will must be punished no matter what the underlying reason is The Tower of Babel Long long ago all the world spoke the same language and used the same words Tired of hard work people decided to build a city and a high tower with its top in the heavens God feared that the people would challenge his authority He said to his followers Let us go down there and confuse their speech so that they will not understand what they say to one another God made people speak different languages People had to give up the plan of building the tower because they could not understand each other They were dispersed all over the world Queen Elizabeth the summit of absolute monarchy Elizabethan age progress of bourgeois economy victory in the Spanish War commercial expansion abroad development of art and literature an unsettled time peasants uprisings Renaissance The Definition The rise of the bourgeoisie showed its influence in cultural life The result is an intellectual movement known as the Renaissance or the rebirth of literature Renaissance sprang in Italy and spread to France Germany the Low Countries and lastly to England Two features are striking of this movement One is the thirst for classical literature the other is the rise of Humanism Humanism Humanism was the keynote of the Renaissance People ceased to look upon themselves as living only for God and a future world They began to admire human beauty and human achievement Man is no longer the slave of the external world He can mould the world according to his desires and attain happiness by removing all external checks Drama Origin and Development 1 English drama 1 Origin religious ceremony church plays 2 Development Religious period mystery plays and miracle plays biblical stories and the stories of the saints they were played at churches at first Then with the increasing numbers of actors and plays the players went to the market places Miracle plays are the further development of mystery plays The Second Shepherd s Play Moral period morality plays focused on the conflict between good and evil through allegorical characters They were too abstract So Vice a lively figure approximated the modern clown was introduced such as Everyman Good Deeds Death Knowledge Everyman Interludes a short performance during the the intervals to enliven the audience after a solemn scene end of the 15th century a transition to Elizabethan drama Classical style comedy and tragedy was in the making in England Three unities unity of time place and action by Aristotle 3 Renaissance drama comedy and tragedy were established as types of drama development of theaters growth of acting culture 4 University wits John Lyly Robert Greene George peele Christopher Marlow Thomas Kyd Thomas Nashe Thomas Lodge technical innovations Free Renaissance tragedy from classical restraints Develop a comedy tradition more close to life John Lyly write for a refined aristocratic audience Thomas Kyd start the tradition of revenge tragedy 5 Christopher Marlow 1564 1593 most gifted university wit The Tragic History of Doctor Faustus Cause of the tragedy blind faith in human intellect Theme praise of individuality conviction of the possibility of human efforts in conquering the universe make blank verse the principal instrument of English drama 6 William Shakespeare All the world s a stage and all the men and women merely players 1 Dramatic career the first period apprenticeship the second period full of sunshine and laughter the third period full of storm and clouds the fourth period principal tragicomedies 2 Great comedies sing of love youth and ideal of happiness A Midsummer Night s Dream The Merchant of Venice As You Like It Twelfth Night two groups of characters Young men and women Simple and shrewd clowns and other common people respect women 3 Great tragedies social contradictions and social evils Hamlet Othello King Lear Macbeth 4 Historical plays political plays the necessity for national unity under one sovereign Henry 5 the only ideal king a symbol of English glory 5 Features of his dramatic works Shakespeare is a realist authentic panorama of his age characters are representatives of the people of his time Shakespeare is a master of English language language reveals the peculiarities of his character use about 16 000 words in his writings create a lot of new words and expressions Shakespeare is good at many poetic forms blank verse 6 Literary Terms Comedy Comedy is a light form of drama which aims primarily to amuse and which ends happily Since it strives to provoke smiles and laughter both wit and humor are utilized In general the comic effect arises from recognition of some incongruity of speech action or character revelation with intricate plot Viewed in another sense comedy may be considered to deal with people in their human state restrained and often made ridiculous by their limitations faults bodily functions and animal nature The general spirit of these comedies is optimism Tragedy a serious play or novel representing the disastrous downfall of a central character the protagonist According to Aristotle the purpose is to achieve a catharsis through incidents arousing pity and terror The tragic effect usually depends on our awareness of admirable qualities in the protagonist which are wasted terribly in the fated disaster Blank Verse unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter It is a very flexible English verse form which can attain rhetorical grandeur while echoing the natural rhythms of speech It was first used by Henry Howard Earl of Surrey and soon became a popular form for narrative and dramatic poetry Marlowe Shakespeare Milton Wordsworth Tennyson Stevens and Robert Frost are fond of this form 无韵诗 Monologue an extended speech uttered by one speaker either to others or alone Significant varieties include the dramatic monologue a kind of poem in which the speaker is imagined to be addressing a silent audience and the soliloquy in which the speaker is supposed to be overheard while alone 独白 Soliloquy a dramatic speech delivered by one character speaking aloud while under the impression of being alone The soliloquist thus reveals his or her inner thoughts and feelings to the audience either in supposed self communion or in a consciously direct address It is also known as interior monologue 内心独白 Hamlet Text Study The Story of Hamlet Hamlet is the prince of Denmark He is a great scholar and a brave soldier swordsman Denmark is at war with another country So the sentry is on duty at night The sentry saw the ghost of the Old K