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EnglishLiteratureChapterOneEnglishLiteratureintheMiddleAge(5th-15th)Mainpoints:I.BackgroundinformationoftheAnglo-Saxonperiod.II.LiterarycharacteristicsoftheAnglo-Saxonperiod.III.BackgroundinformationoftheAnglo-Normanperiod.IV.LiterarycharacteristicsoftheAnglo-Normanperiod.V.ImportantliteraryworksandmenoflettersoftheAnglo-Normanperiod.VI.GeoffreyChaucerI.BackgroundinformationoftheAnglo-SaxonperiodTheperiodcanberoughlydividedintotwostages:theAnglo-SaxonperiodandtheAnglo-Normanperiod.1.Themakingofthenation.1.1TheinhabitantsofthenationThenativeCelts凯尔特人(theyinhabitinwhatisnowIreland,WalesandScotland)-------theRomanConquest(thisconquestwasledbyJuliusCaesarin55B.C.,whichlasted4centuries,butitmadelittleinfluenceonthenation’sliterature)-------theAnglo-SaxonConquestinabout449bythreeTeutonictribes条顿部落---theAnglos,theSaxons,theJutes.TheAnglo-SaxonswereChristianizedinthe7thcentury,whichinfluencedtheliteratureintwoaspects:oneisthegreatnumberofChristianpoetrywhichformsanimportantpartofEnglishliteratureofthisperiod;theotherisChristiancolorinpaganworks,forthemonksrecordedtheoralliteraturewiththeirChristianideas.(Theideasusuallydonotgowiththecontentofthewholebeing.)1.2ThelanguageInthe7th,thethreetribesmixedintoawholepeoplecalledEnglishandthelanguagespokenbythemisgenerallycalledAnglo-Saxon,thatistheOldEnglish.II.LiterarycharacteristicsoftheAnglo-Saxonperiod.Themainliteraryformoftheperiodispoetryandtherearetwogroups:paganpoetryandreligiouspoetry,andoftenChristianone.ThemostimportantworksleftisBeowulf《贝奥武甫》or《贝尔武夫》TheintroductiontoBeowulfItistheearliestcompleteepicinEnglishliteratureanditisregardedasthenationalepicoftheEnglishpeople.-----Definitionofepicornationalepic史诗:itisapoeticaccountofthedeedsofoneormoregreatheroes,orofanation’spasthistory.-----3182lines,twopartswithaninterpolationbetweenthetwo.-----Thethemeofthepoem:Beowulfisoneofthenation’sheroesoftheEnglishpeople.Withthedescriptionsofhisheroicdeeds,thesongreflectseventstakingplaceontheScandinavianpeninsulaatthebeginningofthe7thcentury.-----Thesignificanceofthepoem:Thestoryrepresents1)thefightoftheancientpeopleagainstbeastsandnaturalforces(e.g.flood,volcano);2)itreflectsthefeaturesoftribalsocietyofancienttime;3)Beowulf’sdeedspresentstheidealvirtuesofancientAnglo-Saxons.(courage,prowess,devotiontohispeople)-----Characteristicsofthepoem:analliterativeverse头韵体诗歌;paganinspiritandmatter,yetwithvisibleChristianmarks.III.BackgroundinformationoftheAnglo-Normanperiod.3.1TheNormanConquestThebeginningoftheAnglo-NormanperiodismarkedbytheNormanConquestin1066.TheinfluencesoftheconquestontheEnglishsocietyare:1)thenationturnedfromthetribalsocietytothefeudalsociety;2)theconquestbroughtforthenationFrenchcivilizationandtheFrenchlanguage.3.2ThelanguageAtfirst,FrenchwasthelanguageoftheupperclassortheoppressorandOldEnglishwasthelanguageoftheoppressed.ThenOldEnglishwascombinedwithFrenchtoformanewlanguage----MiddleEnglishIV.LiterarycharacteristicsoftheAnglo-NormanperiodThemainliteraryformsoftheperiodarepoetryandprose.(romanceintheformofprose)Literarycharacteristics------中古英诗呈现法国诗风与英格兰本土传统交融的情景。诗歌韵体上，一方面受法国诗歌的影响，出现以音韵为特征的诗歌e.g.Chaucer’sCanterburytales，一方面保留古英语的头韵体诗歌e.g.SirGawainandtheGreenKnight------poeticforms:A.romance传奇whichwasbroughtfromFrancetoEngland,wasaboutthebright,romantictalesofloveandadventuresoftheknights.(P18)B.Ballad民谣:(definition)BalladisakindofEnglishfolkliterature.Itisastorytoldinsongs,usuallyin4-linestanzas,withthe2ndandthe4thlinesrhymed.ItportraysthecharactersfromthelowerclassandgivesanoutlookofthelifeofthecommonpeopleinfeudalEngland.(P51)e.g.the“RobinHood”groupV.ImportantliteraryworksandmenoflettersoftheAnglo-Normanperiod.------SirGawainandtheGreenKnight,themostimportantamongtheKingArthur’scircle.(P18)Itisabouttheadventuresandromanticloveofaknight,SirGawain.Andtheknightrepresentstheidealvirtuesadvocatedinthefeudalsociety---courage,devotiontohiskingandalsohisbelovedlady;thisromancealsogivesavividaccountofthecourtlifeatthattime;------Piers,thePlowmanbyWilliamLangland朗格兰Itisareligiousallegory.------GeoffreyChaucer乔叟VI.GeoffreyChaucerHeisregardedas“fatherofEnglishpoetry”,andoneofthegreatestnarrativepoetsinEngland.(P41)AsawriterlivinginthetransitionalperiodwhenEnglandturnedfromfeudalsocietytocapitalism,hisworksrevealsfaithfullythelifeandthethoughtsofhistime.(heeulogizestheidealsofchivalrousEnglandontheonehand,andontheotherhand,hesanghighlyoftheRenaissancespirits)6.1AbouttheauthorA.Chaucerwasborninabout1340inafamilyofarichmerchantandservedaspagetoacountess,whichprovidedwithhimachanceofgettinginclosetieswiththecourtandnobility.B.In1359heaccompaniedtheEnglisharmytoFranceandin1367hewassentonseveralembassiestoFrance.ThisexperiencehelpedhimgetinacquaintanceswithFrenchrenaissance.(imitatemewformsofpoetrywriting,translateFrenchworks)C.In1367hewassentonseveralembassiestoFlanders,FranceandItaly,hethengotinacquaintanceswithItalianrenaissance.(Dante但丁,Boccaccio卜伽丘,Petrarch彼得拉克)D.Thepoetdiedin1400andwasburiedinWestminsterAbbey,thusfoundingthe“Poets’Corner”.6.2Chaucer’smainworks(P42)masterpi