Part I Chapter 2 The Anglo-Norman Period

ThemedievalperiodPartIRomance1.thebringingofRomancivilizationtoEngland;2.thegrowthofnationality:acentralizedgovernmentinsteadofaloosetribalsociety;3.thenewlanguageandliterature(Chaucer).I.TheliterarycharacteristicsPolitically,afeudalistsystemwasestablished;Religiously,theRome-backedcatholicchurchhadamuchstrongercontroloverthecountry;CulturallyandliterarilyGreatchangestookplaceinlanguages.(1)Frenchbecametheofficiallanguageusedbythekingandthelords;(2)Latinbecametheprincipaltongueofchurchaffairsandinuniversities;(3)OldEnglishwasspokenonlybythecommonEnglishpeople.(1)Romance,whichusesnarrativeverseorprosetosingknightlyadventuresorotherheroicdeeds，isapopularliteraryforminthemedievalperiod.Ithasdevelopedthecharacteristicmedievalmotifsofthequest,thetest,themeetingwiththeevilgiantandtheencounterwiththebeautifulbeloved.Characterizationisstandardized,sothatheroes,heroinesandwickedstewardscanbeeasilymovedfromoneromancetoanother.Whilethestructureislooseandepisodic,thelanguageissimpleandstraightforward.ameansofshowingmedievalaristocraticmenandwomeninrelationtotheiridealizedviewoftheworld.1.thematterofFrance;2.matterofGreeceandRome;3.matterofBritaintales(KingArthur).Iftheepicreflectsaheroicage,theromancereflectsachivalricone.Showcourtesytoothers.Bedressedappropriately.Don’tgobarebackedinpublicplaces.Beconsideratetowardstheaged,theinfirm,thesickandthedisabledandgiveprioritytothem.Bechivalroustothefemalebyfollowingtherule“ladyfirst”.Neverusevulgarlanguage.chivalric[ofpoetry]=chivalrous1.theauthorofSirGawainandtheGreenKnight-thebestromanceoftheperiod;2.WilliamLangland&PiersPlowman.3.GeoffreyChaucer&TheCanterburyTalesthelegendsofKingArthurandhisKnightsoftheRoundTable,whichformthesubject-matterforanumberofmedievalromances—usuallyknownasArthurianromances.ItisuncertainwhetherArthurwasahistoricalfigure.Medievalsourcessayhewasa6th-centurywarriorandchampionofChristianitywhounitedtheBritishtribesagainsttheSaxoninvaders,diedinbattleatCamlann539,andwasburiedatGlastonbury.ArthurianlegendsareoftendistinguishedfromtheromancesdealingwiththematterofFrance(i.e.legendsofCharlemagneandhisknights)orthematterofRome(classicalRomanlegendsormyths).alate14th-centuryMiddleEnglishalliterativeromance;knownasthe“beheadinggame”;involvingaherowhogoesonaquestthattestshisprowessTemptationandtesting;Huntingandseduction;Natureandchivalry;Games;Timesandseasons.PartIIChaucer&TheCanterburyTalesthegreatestEnglishpoetoftheMiddleAges;thefirstpoettohavebeenburiedinPoet'sCornerofWestminsterAbbey;acrucialfigureindevelopingthelegitimacyofthevernacular,MiddleEnglish,atatimewhenthedominantliterarylanguagesinEnglandwereFrenchandLatinbestknownforTheCanterburyTales.ForthefirsttimeinEnglishliterature,ChaucerpresentedtousacomprehensiverealisticpictureoftheEnglishsocietyofhistimeawholegalleryofvividcharactersfromallwalksoflifeHeintroducedfromFrancetherhymedstanzasofvarioustypestoEnglishpoetrytoreplacetheoldEnglishalliterativeverse.HeusedforthefirsttimeinEnglishtherhymedcoupletofiambicpentameter抑扬格五音步押韵对句---heroiccouplet英雄对偶句.PictureforGeneralprologuePilgrims•between1387and1400;•acollectionofstoriesinaframestory;•thestoryofagroupofthirtypeoplewhotravelaspilgrimstoCanterbury(England);•ThepilgrimsfromalllayersofsocietytellstoriestoeachothertokilltimewhiletheytraveltoCanterbury.•IfwetrusttheGeneralPrologue,ChaucerintendedthateachpilgrimshouldtelltwotalesonthewaytoCanterburyandtwotalesonthewayback.•Heneverfinishedhisenormousprojectandeventhecompletedtaleswerenotfinallyrevised.•Scholarsareuncertainabouttheorderofthetales.••AstheprintingpresshadyettobeinventedwhenChaucerwrotehisworks,TheCanterburyTaleshasbeenpasseddowninseveralhandwrittenmanuscripts.Asplendidmasterpieceofrealisticportrayal;ThefirstofitskindinthehistoryofEnglishliterature.Prologue+24talesChaucerdominatedtheworksofhis15th-centuryEnglishfollowersandtheso-calledScottishChaucerians.FortheRenaissance,hewastheEnglishHomer.EdmundSpenserpaidtributetohimashismaster;manyofShakespeare'splaysshowthoroughassimilationofChaucer'scomicspirit.Today,Chaucer'sreputationhasbeensecurelyestablishedasoneofthebestEnglishpoetsforhiswisdom,humor,andhumanity.Hedescribesapanoramaofhistimeandhiscountry;Asaforerunnerofhumanism,hepraisesman’senergy,adroitness,intellect,quickwitandtheloveforlife;Livinginatransitionalperiod,Chaucerisnotentirelydevoidofmedievalprejudices(religious;non-revolutionary,etc.).Acoupletisapairoflinesofmetreinpoetry.Coupletsusuallycomprisetwolinesthatrhymeandhavethesamemetre.Acoupletmaybeformal(closed)orrun-on(open).Inaformal(orclosed)couplet,eachofthetwolinesisend-stopped,implyingthatthereisagrammaticalpauseattheendofalineofverse.Inarun-on(oropen)couplet,themeaningofthefirstlinecontinuestothesecond.RhymingcoupletsareusedoftenusedinEarlyModernEnglishpoetry,asseeninChaucer'sTheCanterburyTales.Similarly,Shakespeareansonnetsoftenemployrhymingcoupletsattheendtoemphasizethetheme.AheroiccoupletisatraditionalformforEnglishpoetry,commonlyusedinepicandnarrativepoetry,an