《英国文学选读》教案

1、精选优质文档-倾情为你奉上精选优质文档-倾情为你奉上专心-专注-专业专心-专注-专业精选优质文档-倾情为你奉上专心-专注-专业英国文学选读教学大纲Goals and PurposesTo let the students see the significance of literature;To let the students have the general impression of British literatureMain ContentsMain plot /General clue of English literatureKeys and ObstaclesTo get to

2、 know the general clue of the British history and British literary historyTo get to know some key terms and well-known works and the writersTeaching Methods and StrategiesOpen questions and answers in classClass discussion and analysisMain BodyI. General IntroductionWarming-up questions:How much do

3、you know about English literature?Why do we learn literature?A good way to improve the language-learning itself; a good way to broaden the sphere of knowledge; to provoke deep-thinking and to provide different ways to look at life and the world; to enhance ones understanding of history, politics, cu

4、lture and the miniature of the society; to enrich ones life and improve ones quality; to improve ones insight into human characterWords used to describe literature: artistic, beautiful, emotional,expressive, imitating, imaginative, informative,instructive, pleasing,passionate, reflective,valuableMai

5、n plot /General clue of English literature:English literature began with the Anglo-Saxon settlement in England. The study of English literature usually begins with the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf. The Anglo-Saxons first brought to England the Germanic language and culture. After the Norman Conques

6、t in 1066, the Normans bought to England a fresh wave of Mediterranean civilization, which includes Greek culture, Roman law, and the Christian religion. It is the cultural influences of these two conquests that provide the source for the rise and growth of English literature. The English at that ti

7、me was called Old English, which is quite hard to recognize today.Geoffrey Chaucer, father of English literature, is a great representative of the Mediaeval Age. Hes the first person to use English to write stories.By the time of Queen Elizabeth Is reign (1558-1603), English was basically as it is t

8、oday. In the works of Shakespeare and later in the King James version of the Bible, English reached its peak of purity and beauty. In all the centuries since, the English language has undergone gradual changes. Shakespeare lives in this age but he belongs to all ages. He is the greatest playwright a

9、nd poet. His masterful plays have dominated English-speaking stages ever since they were written. They have been translated into every major language. Among all his 38 plays, the well-known four greatest tragedies are: Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth.The 17th century witnesses the Great Revo

10、lution in England. In this period, John Milton finished writing his masterpieces Paradise Lost, Paradise regained, and Samson Agonistes after he became blind.The 18th century English literature is marked by a rather large shift from the mood and tone of the 17th century. In this period, Jonathan Swi

11、ft was one of the greatest figures. His Gullivers Travels not only satirized the political circle but also entertained many children with his fantastic stories. Daniel Defoe, father of English novels, was also worth mentioning. Robinson Crusoe is the most famous tale of shipwreck and solitary surviv

12、al in all literature. Roughly the first third of the 19th century makes up English literatures romantic period. Writers of romantic literature are more concerned with imagination and emotion than with the power of reason, which marked the 18th century. Wordsworth and Coleridge published their Lyrica

13、l Ballads in 1798, which was called romantic poetrys Declaration of Independence. Together with Robert Southey, they were called “Lake Poets” since all of them lived in the Lake District and admired nature very much. Byron, Keats and Shelly are all well-known figures in this period. Jane Austen was

14、the only famous woman novelist, with her graceful novels, like Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and Emma.The romantic period shades gradually into the Victorian age, which takes its name from Queen Victoria. She came to the throne in 1837 and reigned until 1901. Historical and philosophic

15、al writing continued to flourish along with poetry and fiction. At the same time, satire and protest against evils in society became strong elements. Among the famous novelists of the time were the critical realists like Charles Dickens, William Makepeace Thackeray, and Bronte sisters. In Charles Di

16、ckens novels, he combines a rare comic gift and a power to reduce the readers to tears. Thomas Hardy lived well into the 20th century, but did his major work as a novelist in the 19th century, as a poet he belongs to the 20th.20th century is the most difficult to summarize. It has witnessed wars and

17、 revolutions. And the postwar economic dislocation and spiritual disillusion produced a profound impact upon the British people, who came to see the prevalent wretchedness in capitalism. Britain suffered heavy losses in the war: thousands of people were killed; the economy was ruined; and almost all

18、 its former colonies were lost. The sun-never-set Empire finally collapsed. 20th century has marked the end of the British Empire. With the development of science and technology, various ideas and theories have been printed or passed on, through newspapers, radio and TV. Karl Marx and Friedrich Enge

19、ls put forward the theory of scientific socialism; Darwins theory of evolution caused many people to lose their religious faith; the social Darwinism, under the cover of “survival of the fittest”, strongly advocated colonialism and jingoism; Freuds analytical psychology drastically altered peoples c

20、onception of human nature; Friedrich Nietzsche went further against rationalism by advocating the doctrines of power and superman and by completely rejecting the Christian morality. All in all, modernism rose out of skepticism and disillusion of capitalism. New ideas in writing were mixed with the o

21、ld, to follow the changing times. The major themes of the modernist literature are the distorted, alienated and ill relationships between man and nature, man and society, man and man, and man and himself. All kinds of literary trends of modernism appeared: symbolism, expressionism, surrealism, futur

22、ism, Dadaism, imagism, and stream of consciousness, Theater of the Absurd, black humor. Many outstanding men of letters emerged, James Joyce, DHLawrence, Virginia Woolf, E.M.Forster, T.S.Eliot, to name a few.RequirementFollowing every unit, there are some questions. These questions may stimulate you

23、r thinking and thus help you write. I believe and I ask you to believe that there are in fact no “right answers”, only more or less persuasive ones, to most questions about literatureas about life.Everybody is expected to write a book review on some famous works, like Jane Austens Pride and Prejudic

24、e, Charles Dickens A Tale of Two Cities, Thomas Hardys Tess of DUrbevilles, Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre, Emily Brontes Wuthering Heights, William Goldings Lord of the Flies, Kingsley Amis Lucky Jim, John Fowles The French Lieutenants woman, E.M.Forsters A Passage to India.Everybody has a chance to g

25、ive an oral duty report. In the first turn, you can talk about anything that is related to literature: Your general view on literature; literatures influence on you; your view on the literary circle or even Chinese literature; any knowledgeable persons youve ever met. In the second turn, you can int

26、roduce a British novel to the class and give brief comment on the book.Read Shakespeares masterpiece The Merchant of Venice. Then we will discuss this play from different angles. (Portiaa feminist; Shylocka wronged Jew; Antonioselfish or unselfish; usurerscruel capitalists)Dont play truant. Your cla

27、ss performance is a key element to decide whether you can pass this course or not.Unit 1 Geoffrey ChaucerGoals and PurposesTo let the students get to know Geoffrey ChaucerTo let the students understand the main idea of The Canterbury TalesMain ContentsThe background of the authors timeThe main idea

28、and the significance of The Canterbury TalesKeys and ObstaclesTo get to know the general idea of The Canterbury Tales To get to know some literary termsTeaching Methods and StrategiesOpen questions and answers in classClass discussion and analysisMain Body1. about the authorGeoffrey Chaucer, the “fa

29、ther of English poetry” and one of the greatest narrative poets of England, was born in London in or about the year 1340. He is said to have studied at Oxford and Cambridge. The poet died on the 25th of October in 1400, and was buried in Westminster Abbey.Chaucers language, now called Middle English

30、, is vivid and exact. Though drawing influence from French, Italian and Latin models, he is the first great poet who wrote in the English language. His production of so much excellent poetry was an important factor in establishing English as the literary language of the country. The spoken English o

31、f the time consisted of several dialects, and Chaucer did much in making the dialect of London the standard for the modern English speech. 乔叟出生于伦敦一家富裕的中产阶级家庭，父亲是酒商兼皮革商。乔叟可能上过牛津大学或剑桥大学。1357年进入宫廷，任英王爱德华三世的儿媳阿尔斯特伯爵夫人身边的少年侍从。1359年，随爱德华三世出征法国，被法军俘虏，后被爱德华赎回。1366年，乔叟和菲莉帕结婚。菲莉帕的妹妹后来嫁给爱德华的次子兰开斯特公爵，乔叟因而受到兰开斯特

32、公爵的保护。同时，乔叟也是爱德华三世的侍从骑士。 1369年， 兰开斯特公爵贡特约翰的元配夫人布兰希逝世，乔叟写了悼亡诗公爵夫人的书（13691370）来安慰他的保护人。1370至1378年之间，乔叟经常出国访问欧洲大陆，执行外交谈判任务。他曾两度访问意大利(13721373;1378)，这对他的文学创作起了极为重要的作用。他发现了但丁、薄伽丘和彼特拉克的作品，这些作品深刻地影响了他的创作，使他从接受法国文学传统转向接受意大利文学传统。从1374年开始，乔叟担任了一些公职。他先被任命为伦敦港口羊毛、皮革关税总管（13741386），后来被英王理查二世任命为皇室修建大臣（13891391），主管

33、维修公共建筑、公园、桥梁等。乔叟还担任过肯特郡的治安官（1386），并当选为代表肯特郡的国会议员(1386)。后来乔叟还担任过管理萨默塞特郡皇家森林的森林官(1391)。乔叟于1400年10月25日在伦敦逝世，葬于威斯敏斯特教堂里的“诗人之角”。乔叟把属于中古英语的东中部方言（伦敦方言）提高成为英国的文学语言。他又善于继承和吸收法国诗人和意大利诗人的诗歌技巧，并且运用这些技巧来丰富和提高英诗的表达能力。乔叟的最早的作品之一是他翻译的法文诗玫瑰传奇（1370）。这个英译本的前1,700行诗一般公认为出自乔叟的手笔。这个作品和上面提到的公爵夫人的书都是用八音节双韵诗体写成的，都显示出法国爱情诗的影

34、响。后来，乔叟写了声誉之宫（1379或1380），也是用八音节双韵诗体写成，但是这个作品却显示出意大利诗人但丁的神曲的影响。因此可以把声誉之宫看成是乔叟从接受法国文学传统转变到意大利文学传统的过渡时期的作品。不久后，乔叟翻译了罗马哲学家博埃齐乌斯的著作哲学的安慰（约 524）,易名为博埃齐乌斯(1381或1382),是英文散文译本。约在同一时期，乔叟还写了百鸟会议(1382)，是用“君王诗体”写成的。这种诗体采用七行诗段的形式,每行为十个音节,韵脚为 ababbcc。乔叟是第一个使用这种诗体的英国诗人，但“君王诗体”的名称却来自苏格兰国王詹姆斯一世，他曾用这个诗体写出苏格兰方言爱情诗国王的书。

35、实际上这个作品受了乔叟的影响。在写成百鸟会议数年以后，乔叟写了派拉蒙和阿色提，后来改编成为骑士讲的故事。在贞节妇女的传说(1386)里，乔叟第一次使用十音节双韵诗体。这个诗体非常重要，因为乔叟的杰作坎特伯雷故事集(13871400)就是用这个诗体写成的。这个诗体后来演化成为“英雄双韵体”，在新古典主义时期垄断了英国诗坛。除上述作品外，乔叟还写了爱情故事长诗特罗伊拉斯和克莱西德(1385)。这部作品是用“君王诗体”写成的。以上的作品都属于乔叟创作的意大利时期。在这个时期内，乔叟在意大利文学的影响下,进一步发展了法国文学的骑士爱情诗歌的传统,把现实主义因素逐渐加入到这个诗歌传统里来。这主要表现在乔

36、叟的最早的杰作特罗伊拉斯和克莱西德一诗里。这部作品取材于薄伽丘的爱情故事诗菲洛斯特拉托。乔叟扩展、发挥、改动了薄伽丘的作品，把他自己的现实生活经验放进这个古老的爱情故事里面，以至于有些批评家把乔叟的特罗伊拉斯和克莱西德看成是最早的一部现实主义小说。 2. about The Canterbury TalesChaucers The Canterbury Tales is his masterpiece and one of the monumental works in English literature. The whole poem is a collection of stories

37、strung together with a simple plan. On a spring evening, the narrator, moved by the passion for wandering, drops himself at the Tabard Inn in Southwark at the south end of London Bridge. Here he meets nine and twenty other pilgrims ready for a journey of 60 miles on horseback to Canterbury. The narr

38、ator joined the company. At the suggestion of the host of the inn, they agree to beguile the journey by story-telling. Each is to tell two stories going and two returning. The best story-teller shall be treated with a fine supper at the general expense at the end. The host is to be the judge of the

39、contest. This is a good idea, and a gigantic plan, too. For it should be an immense work of 124 stories. Only 24 were written. But, incomplete aw they are, these tales cover practically all the major types of medieval literature: courtly romance, folk tale, beast fable, story of travel and adventure

40、, saints life, allegorical tale, sermon, alchemical account, and others.The Prologue provides a framework for the tales. It contains a group of vivid sketches of typical medieval figures. All classes of the English feudal society, except the royalty and the poorest peasant, are represented by these

41、30 pilgrims.坎特伯雷故事集首页1387年开始了乔叟创作的成熟期。他写了坎特伯雷故事集的总序。他一生的最后十几年大约都用在写这个故事集上面，但并未完成。尽管如此，乔叟的坎特伯雷故事集在西方中世纪和文艺复兴时期的故事集当中却是独一无二的，因为乔叟的故事集不仅是一个故事集，而且是一个艺术整体。我们可以把它看作乔叟的现实主义艺术的结晶。坎特伯雷故事集的内容如下：一群香客聚会在伦敦泰晤士河南岸一家小旅店里，他们准备到离伦敦70英里外的坎特伯雷城去朝拜殉教圣人托马斯阿贝克特的圣词。作者在总序里对每一位香客都作了生动、细致的描写。连诗人（乔叟）在内，香客们一共是31位，代表中世纪英国社会的各阶层

42、。骑士和他的儿子见习骑士代表贵族阶级和骑士精神，伴随他们的是仆人,一名自耕农。接着是一群教会人物,为首的是一位女修道院长，侍候她的人有一名尼姑和三名教士。其他的教会人物有一位和尚和一名托钵僧。其他社会阶层的代表有一位商人、一位牛津大学学生（在14世纪，大学生也属于僧侣阶层，毕业后要担任神职）、律师、自由农民一位富有的中等地主。还有一群城市中间阶层人物，如一名衣帽商，一名木匠，一名纺织匠，一名染坊工人，一名制挂毯的工人，以及一名厨师，一名船员或水手，一位医生。巴斯城的妇女“新女姓”的代表，她经营织布生意很发财。乡村牧师僧侣阶层中社会地位最低下的成员，在乔叟笔下他却是十分高贵的人物。农夫他是乡村牧

43、师的弟兄，是一个穷苦的农民。还有磨房主、粮食采购员、田产经纪人、教会法庭的差人、教会经售赎罪券者。香客中以后两种最不齿于社会。最后还有诗人乔叟本人。晚饭后，旅店主人哈里贝利建议香客们在去坎特伯雷城的来回路上各讲两个故事，他自告奋勇做向导，并担任裁判，看谁的故事讲得最好，可以白吃一餐好饭。总序到此结束。坎特伯雷故事集的其余部分包括故事和衔接段落。乔叟没有完成他的预定计划，故事集只有23个故事，其中有两个（厨师和见习骑士各自讲的故事）没有讲完。还有7 处缺衔接段落。大多数的故事，和总序一样，都是用双韵诗体写成的，只有两个故事是用散文写的（一个是诗人乔叟自己讲的梅里白的故事，另一个是乡村牧师讲的故事

44、）。还有 4个故事（律师、女修道院长、牛津大学学生，以及第二个尼姑各自讲的故事）是用七行诗段（称为“君王诗体”）写的。另外，和尚讲的故事是用八行诗段写的。这些故事可以分成四组： 传奇（包括爱情、魔术、骑士探险等故事），如骑士、巴斯城的妇女、见习骑士和自由农民各自讲的故事。 虔诚和道德教育故事：如律师、牛津大学学生、第二个尼姑、卖赎罪券者、女修道院长、乔叟自己（梅里白的故事）、医生和乡村牧师讲的故事。 喜剧或滑稽故事：如磨房主、田产经纪人、厨师、托钵僧、教会法庭差人、商人、教士的仆人、船员讲的故事。 动物寓言，如尼姑的教士和粮食采购员讲的故事。不属于上列四类的还有和尚讲的关于大人物下台的“悲剧”

45、故事以及乔叟讲的嘲讽传奇托波斯爵士。和尚和乔叟讲的故事过于冗长、乏味，被其他香客打断。从以上的分类可以看出乔叟的高度写作才能。他熟悉中世纪欧洲文学所有的类型，能够运用每一种文学类型的技巧来写出优秀的作品。下列的故事一般公认为是坎特伯雷故事集里最好的： 骑士讲的故事关于派拉蒙和阿色提爱上艾米里亚的爱情悲剧故事。 卖赎罪券者讲的故事关于死神降临贪财者身上的劝世寓言故事。 尼姑的教士讲的故事关于狡猾的狐狸和虚荣的公鸡的动物寓言故事。这是乔叟的杰作，他把一个陈旧的寓言故事转化成一出现实主义的喜剧，内容丰富多采，语言生动活泼，雅俗共赏。 商人讲的故事关于“一月”和“五月”的故事（即关于老夫少妻的家庭纠纷

46、的故事）。 自由农民讲的故事关于忠诚爱情和慷慨行为的故事。事实上，坎特伯雷故事集里的每一个故事都有它的独到之处，读者可以各取所需。除了这些有趣的、深刻的故事外，故事之间的衔接段落也值得赞扬。在这些段落里，乔叟显示出他的戏剧才能，人物性格写得鲜明、突出，对话滑稽、有趣。尤其是巴斯城妇女讲的故事的序言和卖赎罪券者讲的故事的序言，写得最为精彩。乔叟虽然是个宫廷诗人，他的生活经验却是多方面的。他熟悉14世纪英国社会各阶层的人物，也了解当时的欧洲社会。他熟悉法语和意大利语，但坚持用英语创作。他对英国社会不同阶层人物的语言，都能运用自如。他处理的题材面很广，对不同的题材采取不同的处理方法，写作技巧和手法也

47、是各式各样的。由于他的视野广阔，观察深刻，他写的14世纪英国社会的人物具有超国界的特点，也就是说，乔叟善于写人的普遍的、共同的特点，因此他的作品能够在世界范围内长期吸引读者。乔叟热爱生活，热爱人。他虽然也善于嘲笑和讽刺人们的缺点和错误，但他的总的人生态度是同情和宽容。乔叟是一位严肃的诗人,一方面给读者提供极大的乐趣,另一方面仍对读者进行教育，希望读者成为更理智、更善良的人。但乔叟不愿直接对读者进行说教，总是寓教导于娱乐之中。在关于忠诚爱情和慷慨行为的故事（自由农民讲的故事）里有这样一句话：“真诚是人所能够保持的最高尚的东西。”这是乔叟的道德准则，也是他的艺术标准。乔叟忠诚于真理，忠诚于现实，忠

48、诚于自然（包括人性），忠诚于艺术。乔叟的艺术是现实主义的艺术，他开创了英国文学的现实主义传统。莎士比亚和狄更斯在不同程度上都是乔叟的继承人和弟子。3. Social significance of the poem The Canterbury Tales is more than a mere collection of true-to-life pictures. Taking the stand of the rising bourgeoisie, Chaucer affirms men and womens right to pursue their happiness on eart

49、h and opposes the dogma of asceticism preached by the church. As a forerunner of humanism, he praised mans energy, intellect, quick wit and love of life. His tales expose and satirize the evils of the time, as the degeneration of the noble, the heartlessness of judge and so on. With especially formi

50、dable force Chaucer attacks the corruption of the church.Some literary termsHeroic couplet: Iambic pentameter lines rhymed in pairs. With Alexander Pope the heroic couplet became so important and fixed a formfor various purposesthat its influence dominated English verse for decades, until the romant

51、icists dispelled the tradition in their demand for a new freedom. egbut here he ceased and gazedon all around, affrighted and amazed;and still he tried to speak, and looked in dreadof frightened females gathering round his bed;then dropped exhausted and appeared at rest,till the strong foe the vital

52、 powers possessed;then with an inward, broken voice he cried,“Again they come,” and muttered as he died.It is called heroic because in England, esp. in the 18th century, it was much used for heroic (epic) poems.iamb: a poetic foot consisting of an unaccented syllable followed by an accented one. (eg

53、: alone; My heart is like a singing bird)pentameter: a line of verse containing five feet.Meter: any regular pattern of rhythm or pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables.Foot: a unit of meter.Rhyme: the repetition of sounds at the ends of words is called rhyme. When words rhyme at the end of li

54、nes of poetry it is called end rhyme. Answers for reference:1. early spring. General tone: happy, easy, lively, humorousUnit 2 William Shakespeare (1564-1616)Goals and PurposesTo let the students get to know sth about ShakespeareTo let the students understand the main idea of some of his well-known

55、works.Main ContentsThe background of the authors timeShakespeares life storyThe stories of Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of VeniceSome selections of the above 3 playsSonnet 18 of ShakespeareKeys and ObstaclesTo get to know the general idea of the above plays To understand the selectionsTeac

56、hing Methods and StrategiesOpen questions and answers in classClass discussion and analysisRole playMain Bodycultural backgroundRenaissance The 16th century in England was a period of the breaking up of feudal relations and the establishment of the foundations of capitalism. It was a time when, acco

57、rding to Thomas More, “sleep devoured men”. The Renaissance marks a transition from the medieval to the modern world. Generally, it refers to the period between the 14th and mid-17th centuries. It first started in Italy, with the flowering of painting, sculpture, architecture, and literature. From I

58、taly the movement spread to the rest of Europe. The Renaissance, which means rebirth or revival, is actually a movement stimulated by a series of historical events, such as the rediscovery of ancient Roman and Greek culture, the new discoveries in geography and astrology, the religious reformation a

59、nd the economic expansion. The Renaissance, therefore, in essence, is a historical period in which the European humanist thinkers and scholars made attempts to get rid of those old feudalist ideas in medieval Europe, to introduce new ideas that expressed the interests of the rising bourgeoisie, and

60、to recover the purity of the early church from the Roman Catholic Church.Humanism is the essence of the Renaissance. The Renaissance humanist thinkers found that human beings were glorious creatures capable of individual development in the direction of perfection, and that the world they inhabited w