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Lecture2TheElizabethanAge(I)EnglishLiteratureTeachingObjectivesandRequirements1HelpthestudentsknowsomeinformationaboutthePre-Elizabethanperiod,especiallytheRenaissance.2HelpthestudentsknowsomeinformationaboutthegeniusesinliteratureintheElizabethanAge,especiallyFrancisBacon,thegeniusinprose.AnaturalcorollaryofthepopulardisaffectionwiththegrowingcorruptpracticesoftheCatholicChurchandthelongpent-upangeranddesireonthepartofthemoreenlightenedreligiousmindsforreformandimprovementFirststartedinGermanybyMartinLuther(1483-1546),anAugustanfriar1ThePre-Elizabethanperiod(1400-1557)1.1TheReformation(ProtestantReformation)TheReformationmadeagreathistoriccontributionintheintellectualhistoryofhumankind:itsetthehumanmindfreefromthefettersofthetenetsanddogmasoftheCatholicChurchandopenedhumaneyestothenewandpromisingvistasofthenewage.Themodernagewaszoomedintosight.(ChanYaoxin:25-26)14thandmid-17thcenturiesItalyrebirthorrevivalreawakeningofinterestinlearning,intheindividualandintheworldofnature1.2Renaissance1.2.1DefinitionofRenaissancetherevivalofinterestinlearning—thecultureofGreeceandRometherebirthofinterestintheindividual—anewappreciationofbeauty,adesireforself-expressionandthecreationofarttherenewalofcuriosityaboutthenature—todiscovernewlandsandnewscientifictruthsessence—humanismReligiousReformationandBourgeoisRevolution.1.2.2HumanismBroadly,exaltthehumanelementorstresstheimportanceofhumaninterestsInamorespecificsense,promotehumanculturemosteffectively,dealwiththelife,thought,language,andliteratureofancientGreeceandRomeManshouldmouldtheworldaccordingtohisowndesires,andattainhappinessbyremovingallexternalchecksbytheexercisesofthehumanintellect1.2.3MaintraitsoftheRenaissanceliteratureItemphasizesthedignityofman,affirmsandeulogizesthevalueofman.Itadvocatesthefullexpressionofindividualismandthefulfillmentofone’sabilities,againstthedespoticruleoffeudalism.Itaffirmsthedelightofearthlyachievement,aswellasman’sdesireforhappinessandpleasure.GeniusesinpoetryGeniusinproseEdmundSpenserSirPhilipSidneya“poet’spoet”SpenseriansonnetsTheFaerieQueene“thecompleteman”DefenseofPoetryFrancisBacon2TheElizabethanAge(1558-1625)ThemostimportantprosewriteroftheElizabethanAgeThefirstEnglishessayistThefounderofEnglishmaterialisticphilosophyAgreatscientist,thinker,philosopherandessayistThreecategoriesofhisworks:Thephilosophicalworks—thebestoneofwhichistheAdvancementofLearning.Literaryworks—EssaysProfessionalworks—thelargestandmostimportantofhisprofessionalworksarethetreatiseentitledMaximsoftheLawandReadingoftheStatuteofUses.Amonghisworks,hisessayshavebeengreatlywidelyread.HisessayshavebeenquotedastextbooksasmuchasShakespeare’splays.Someofhisessaysdealwithphilosophy,religion,politicalinstitutionsandgovernment.Someofhisessaysdealwithprofoundethicalinterest.Hisessaysareessentiallyhisdeliberationsonmanandlife.(ChangYaoxin:65-66)Thisessaycanbedividedintothreeparts:Thefirstpartisfrom“Studiesservefordelight”to“wonbyobservation”.Heretheauthorpointsoutwhatstudiesmean(thedefinitionofstudies)Studiescanbeused:a.Fordelight,forornamentandabilityb.Perfectingthenature…Aftergivingoutthedefinitionofstudies,theauthorbelievesthatstudiesshouldalsocombinewithobservation.OfStudiesThesecondpartisfrom“Readnottocontradictandconfute”to“hehadneedhavemuchcunningtoseemtoknowthathedothnot”.Inthisparttheauthortellshisreaderhowtostudy.Intheauthor’smindsomebookshould:a.tobetastedb.tobeswallowedc.tobechewedanddigestedd.someshouldbereadonlyinpartse.Someshouldbereadonlyforentertainmentwithoutpayingtoomuchattention.f.Someshouldbereadbydeputy.Thethirdpartisfrom“Histories…”tothelastsentence.Inthisparttheauthoradvocatesthatthefunctionsofthereadingshouldbemakingthereaderafullman,readyman,andexactman,wise-witty,subtle,deepandgrave….Studiescanbealsousedasthemedicinetocuremind,andkeepthemindfromwanderingaway.OfStudiesisforceful,persuasive,compactandprecise,anditrevealstousBacon’smatureattitudetowardslearning.◆Thelanguageisveryneat,compactandweighty.◆Thesentencesareveryshortandtheauthorlikestousemorelooseandcompoundsentences,whicharecalledlooseandfreestyleinBacon’stime.◆Baconalsolikestousemorecoordinateconjunctionsthanthesubordinatedones,suchas“as,since,because”.◆What’smoreimportantisthathelikestouseparallelism,andhistopicsareveryclearandexact,fullofepigramslikeapoem.Sowecansayhisstyleisconcisenessofexpressionandsimplicityofdiction.ThestyleofBacon’sessayReflectionQuestionsandAssignments1ReadFrancisBacon’sessayOfMarriageandSingleLifeinthetextbookSelectedReadings,andthinkaboutthequestionsinthebook.2Pre-readShakespeareinthetextbookASurveyofEnglishLiteratureandHamlet(Act3,Scene1,Lines55-86)inthetextbookSelectedReadings,thinkingaboutthequestionsinthebook.