英国文学史第一讲

BritishLiteratureABriefOutlineofBritishLiteratureI.TheearlyandMedievalliterature1.TheOldEnglishPeriod(449-1066)

2.TheMiddleEnglishPeriod(1066-1485)II.TheEnglishRenaissance(1485-1660)III.The17thcentury(1603-1688)IV.The18thCentury(1688-1798)V.TheAgeofRomanticism(1798-1832)

VI.TheVictorianAge(1832-1901)VII.The20thcentury(1901-)definitionofliteratureLiteraturereferstoAllwrittenorspokencompositions(discourses)designedtotellstories,dramatizesituationsandrevealthoughtsandemotions,andalsomoreimportantly,tointerest,entertain,stimulate,broadenandennoblereaders.

Whattolearninthiscourse?

1.historicalandculturalbackground

2.lifestoryofthemasters

3.masterpiecesintroductionandfeatures

4.someimportantliterarytermsandtheirmeanings.

TheMiddleAgeslastedfromthebeginningoftheAnglo-Saxoninvasion(449)totheendoftheWarsofRoses(1485).Itcanbefurtherdividedintotwoperiods:theOldEnglishPeriod(449-1066)andtheMiddleEnglishPeriod(1066-1485)WecansayEnglishliteratureactuallybeganwiththeAnglo-SaxonsettlementinBritaininthemiddleofthe5thcentury.玫瑰战争:1455年至1485年其间，兰开斯特家族(HouseofLancaster)和约克家族(HouseofYork)的支持者为了英格兰王位而发生断续的内战，史称玫瑰战争(WarsoftheRoses)，或蔷薇战争。两个家族都是金雀花王朝皇族的分支，为英王爱德华三世的后裔。“玫瑰战争”一名源于两个皇族所选的家徽，兰开斯特的红玫瑰和约克的白玫瑰。Lectureone:

TheOldEnglishPeriodTheHistoryBackground

﹡TheMakingoftheNation1.TheearlyinhabitantsintheislandwenowcallEnglandwereBritons,atribeofCelts,whichwasprimitivepeople,livingintribalsociety.FromtheBritonstheislandgotitsnameofBritain,thelandofBritons.2.TheRomanConquest

In55B.C.,BritainwasinvadedbyJuliusCaesar(凯撒大帝)theRomanconqueror.In410A.D.,alltheRomantroopswentbacktothecontinentandneverreturned.ThusendedtheRomanoccupationinBritain,whichlastedforabout400years.

famouswords:

“Icame,Isaw,Iconquered.”

3.TheEnglishConquest

ThethreeGermanictribes-Angles,SaxonsandJutesconqueredBritainandsettleddownthereinthe5thcentury.Bythe7thcentury,sevenkingdoms,heptarchyaunitedkingdom:“England”,

“thelandofAngles”.

Angles,SaxonsandJutesusuallyknownasAnglo-SaxonsarethefirstEnglishmen.LanguagespokenbythemiscalledtheoldEnglish,whichisthefoundationofEnglishlanguageandliterature.4.TheDanishInvasionAbout787,theEnglishbegantobetroubledbybandsofDanishvikings.Atfirsttheyjustinvadedpartsofthecountryfromtimetotime.Graduallytheycametomakepermanentsettlement.ThegreatheroofthetimewasKingAlfredtheGreat(849-901),whosucceededindrivingofftheDanes.Afterhisdeath,theDanesoccupiedEnglandin1013andhelditforabout30years.

Threetribes:

Angles

intheeast;

Jutesinthesoutheast;

Saxons

inthesouth5.TheNormanConquest

Frech-speakingNormans,undertheleadershipofWilliam,DukeofNormandycamein1066.AfterdefeatingtheEnglishatHastings,WilliamwascrownedastheKingofEngland.TheNormanConquestmarkstheestablishmentoffeudalisminEngland.TheOldEnglishLiterature§Thegeneralview:

EnglishliteratureactuallybeganwiththeAnglo-SaxonsettlementinEngland.Anglo-Saxonswereheathenpeople.TheybelievedinoldmythologyofNorthernEurope.ThatiswhytheNorthernmythologyhasleftitsmarkupontheEnglishlanguage.Inthe7thcentury,Anglo-SaxonswereChristianized.

Theliteratureofthisperiodfallsnaturallyintotwodivisions:paganandreligious.Andthemainliteraryformsarepoetryandprose.§poetry:paganandreligious1.paganpoetryBeowulf:

thenationalepicoftheEnglishpeople(英国的民族史诗)3182lines,unknowncomposerDefinitionofepic:anextenednarrativepoeminelevatedordignifiedlanguage,celebratingthefeatsofoneormorelegendaryortraditionalheroes.Eg.Homer’sIliad&OdysseyPrototype:folklegendsofprimitiveNortherntribeslivinginimpenetrableforests,theyhadtofightagainstbeasts.Theywerebravebutsuperstitious.Story:fightingwiththe

monster,GrendelandhismotherfightingwiththefiredragonandhisdeathWritingFeatures:ItisnotaChristianbutapaganpoem,despitetheChristianflavorgiventoitbythemonasteryscribe.Itistheproductofalladvancedpagancivilization.Thewholepoempresentsusanall-roundpictureofthetribalsociety.Thesocialconditionsandcustomscanbeseeninit.Sothepoemhasagreatsocialsignificance.Theuseofthestrongstressandthepredominanceofconsonantsareverynotableinthispoem.Eachlineisdividedintotwohalves,andeachhalfhastwoheavystresses.Theuseofthealliterationisanothernotablefeature.Threestressesofthewholelinearemadeevenmoreemphaticbytheuseofalliteration.Alotofmetaphorsandunderstatementsareusedinthepoem.Forexample,theseaiscalled"thewhale-road"or"theswanroad";thesoldiersarecalled"shield-man";thechieftainsarecalledthe"treasurekeepers";human-bodyisreferredtoas"thebone-house";Godiscalled"wonder-wielder";monsterisreferredtoas"soul-destroyer''.AlliterationAlsoknownasinitialrhymeorheadrhyme,istherepetitionofinitialconsonantsoundsintwoormoreneighboringwordsorsyllables.Eg.Ofmenhewasthemildestandmostbeloved,

Tohiskinthekindest,keenesttopraise.

(Inalliterativeverse,certainaccentedwordsinalinebeginwiththesameconsonantsound.Therearegenerally4accentsinaline,threeofwhichshowalliteration.)metaphors&understatements:eg.king=“Ring-giver”“Nottroublesome”=verywelcomeattendant=“hearth-companions”“Neednotpraise”=righttocondemnsea=“swan’sbath”&“whale’sroad”ship=“sea-wood”

AllthesebringanimpressionofreserveandatingeofironicalhumorwhichhasbecomepermanentcharacteristicsoftheEnglish.谨慎客气讽刺幽默2.ReligiousPoetryCaedmon:thefirstknownreligiouspoetofEnglandandthefatherofEnglishsong.Cynewulf§Prose