The Elizabethan Age

TheElizabethanAgeI.QueenElizabethIshrewdandtactfulfriendlytotheopposingsidesofthereligiousconflictunitingthedividedcountryreligioustoleranceencouragedlearningandadventuresagreatpatronofliteraturethezenithofwealthandpowerduringherreignII.ThehistoricalbackgroundRenaissance—Chaucer’sMedievalEnglandintoShakespeare’smodernonetheintellectualenergygenius—unrestrainedimagination—wildliterarycreation—experiments,newform,uniqueampleandadequateexpressionofemotionthe3majordepartmentsofliteratureatremendousoutburstofcreativepowerIII.Threesub-periodsintheElizabethanagethefirstsub-period:beginning—theprintingofTottel’sMiscellany(1557)concluding—thepublicationofEdmundSpenser’sTheShepheardsCalendar(1579)thesecondsub-period:from1580through1599aperiodofintenseliteraryactivitythethirdsub-period:from1599to1625thetremendousliteraryoutcomesIV.TheLiteratureintheElizabethanAge1.Englishpoetry:sonnet:atypeofpoemcontaining14lines,eachof10syllablesandiniambicpentameter,in3principalrhymingpatternsA.thefirstpattern:anoctave(first8lines),rhymed“abba,abba”asestet(last6lines),typicallyrhymed“cdecde”B.thesecondpattern:3quatrainsandacouplet,rhymed“ababcdcdefefgg”C.thethirdpattern:rhymed“ababbcbccdcdee”blankverse:versewritteninrhymelessiambicpentameteroralineof10syllablesin5iambs,arhythmicunitof2syllableswithunstressedfollowedbythestressedsyllablesA.ThomasWyatt(1503-1542)a.oneofthemaincontributorstoTottel’sMiscellanyb.introducingthesonnetintoEnglandB.EarlofSurrey(1517-1547)a.anothercontributortoTottel’sMiscellanyb.bringingtheblankverseintoEnglishpoetryC.EdmundSpenser(1552-1599)firstwork:TheshepheardsCalendarmasterpiece:TheFaerieQueenea.thegreatestnon-dramaticpoetb.themostexperimentalandgiftedprosodistc.preferringthethirdsonnetpatternd.theSpenserianstanzaapopularstanzaicformfordreamyandmeditativeworksa9-linestanzaof8linesiniambicpentameterplusaniambichexameter(6-footline),rhymed“ababbcbcc”2.Englishdrama:A.historicaldevelopmenta.thedramaticperformancebyminstrelsandbardsb.religiousplaysc.moralityplaysd.interludese.therevivalofclassicdramaf.thematurityofEnglishdramaB.therobustandprofusedramaticproductionsC.ChristopherMarlowe(1564-1593)a.themostpreeminentfigureamongtheUniversityWitsb.thegreatestplaywrightbeforetheriseofShakespearec.thegreatestofthepioneersofEnglishdramad.hiscontributionstoEnglishlanguage—reformationofdramainEngland—perfectionofthelanguageandverseofdramaticworks—theprincipalvehicleofexpression:blankverseD.WilliamShakespeare(1564-1616)a.thegreatestofallEnglishauthorsb.oneofthefirstfoundersofrealismc.amasterhandatrealisticportrayalofhumancharactersandrelationsd.hisproductionsof37plays,2narrativepoemsand154sonnetsShakespeare’ssonnetsA.3grouping—over100toayoungman—some20withayoungwoman—thelast2likefreetranslationsofaGreekpoemB.featuresa.raceinform,depthinthought,andvivacityintoneb.peerlessinfreshness,poeticalbeauty,andhumaninterestc.theRenaissancepaeanofman,hisspirit,andhisvaluesd.personalShakespeare’splaysthreemajorperiodsA.thefirstperiod(1590-1600):historicalplaysandcomedies(22intotal)B.thesecondperiod(1601-1608):tragedies(11intotal)C.thethirdperiod(1069-1612):tragicomedies(4intotal)A.Thefirstperioda.theplays►9historicalplays:KingHenryVI(PartI,IIandIII)(1590-1591)《亨利六世》（上、中、下）TheLifeandDeathofKingRichardIII(1592)《查理三世》TheLifeandDeathofRichardII(1595)《查理二世》TheLifeandDeathofKingJohn(1596)《约翰王》KingHenryIV(PartIandII)(1597)《亨利四世》(上、下）TheLifeofKingHenryV(1598)《亨利五世》►10comedies:TheComedyofErrors(1592)《错误的戏剧》TheTamingoftheShrew(1593)《驯悍记》TheTwoGentlemenofVerona(1594)《维洛那二绅士》Love’sLabor’Lost(1594)《爱的徒劳》AMidsummerNight’sDream(1595)《仲夏夜之梦》TheMerchantofVenice(1596)《威尼斯商人》MuchAdoAboutNothing(1598)《无事生非》TheMerryWivesofWindsor(1598)《温莎的风流娘儿们》AsYouLikeIt(1599)《皆大欢喜》TwelfthNightorWhatYouWill(1600)《第十二夜》►3tragediesTitusAndronicus(1593)《泰特斯·安德洛尼克斯》RomeoandJuliet(1594)《罗密欧与朱丽叶》TheLifeandDeathofJuliusCaesar(1599)《裘力斯·凯撒》b.thethemeofhistoricalplays:tostresstheimportancetobuildupanefficientandcentralizedstatec.thefeatureofromanticcomedies:love→thecentralmotiveofaction→ahappyendingB.Thesecondperioda.theplays►7tragediesHamlet,PrinceofDenmark(1601)《哈姆雷特》Othello,theMooreofVenice(1604)《奥赛罗》KingLear(1605)《李尔王》TheTragedyofMacbeth(1605)《麦克白》AntonyandCleopatra(1606)《安东尼与克里奥佩特拉》TheTragedyofCoriolanus(1607)《科利奥兰纳斯》TimonofAthens(1607)《雅典的泰门》►4comediesTroilusandCressida(1602)《特罗伊罗斯与克瑞西达》All’sWellThatEndsWell(1602)《终成眷属》MeasureforMeasure(1604)《一报还一报》Pericles,PrinceofTyre(1608)《泰尔亲王佩力克里斯》b.thecharactersoftragediesthehero:anoblefigurethetragicending:deathorgreatfailure—fromweaknessofpersonalitytragichero’sactionthewholesocietytheambiguousthemeC.Thethirdperioda.theplays►3tragicomediesCymbeline,KingofBritain(1609)《辛柏林》TheWinter’sTale(1610)《冬天的故事》TheTempest(1612)《暴风雨》►1historicalplayTheLifeofKingHenryVIII(1612)《亨利八世》b.thefeatureoftragicomediesactions→sufferingordestruction→ahappyendingShakespeare’snarrativepoemsA.twonarrativepoems:VenusandAdonis(1592)TheRapeofLucrece(1592-1593)B.thefeature：GreekandRomanmythologyandsemi-historicalandsemi-le