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Lecture1TheOldEnglishPeriodandtheMiddleEnglishPeriodEnglishLiteratureTeachingObjectivesandRequirements1.HelpthestudentsknowaboutthehistoryandcharacteristicsofliteratureintheOldEnglishPeriodandMiddleEnglishPeriod.2.HelpthestudentsknowaboutBeowulfanditssignificance.3.HelpthestudentsknowclearlyaboutGeoffreyChaucerandhisworkTheCanterburyTales.1TheHistoryofEnglandintheOldEnglishPeriodThebeginningofsettlementinBritaintookplaceinabout700B.C.ThesettlerswereCeltic-speakingtribescalledBritons(orCelts),fromwhomtheislandgetitsname—Britain(thelandofBritons).In55B.C.,BritainwasinvadedbytheRomangeneralJuliusCaesar.TheCeltsweresubjugatedtotheroleofRomefornearly400years.In410,theRomansabandonedtheisland,whichmarkstheendof“RomanConquest”(55B.C.—410A.D.)AfterthewithdrawaloftheRomantroops,EnglandwassooninvadedbythreeGermanic(Teutonic)tribes:theAngles,theSaxonsandtheJutes.Bythe7thcenturysomesmallkingdomswerecombinedintoaUnitedKingdomcalledEngland(thelandofAngles).ItspeoplewerecalledtheEnglish.ThethreedialectsspokenbythemnaturallygrewintoasinglelanguagecalledAnglo-Saxon,orOldEnglish,aderivativeofLowGerman.In597,St.AugustineandhismonkslandedinKent.ThenEnglandwasChristianizedpartbypartinthefollowingcentury.TheconversionofTheAnglo-SaxonstoChristianitychangedtheirintellectualoutlook.Christianityofferedsomevaluesthatweremoreconsistentandsolidthantheirpaganbeliefs.ItalsoenabledthemtolearnbookknowledgeinmonasteriesorschoolsfromtheScripturesandtheclassicalwritingsofVirgil(agreatromanpoet)andtheancientGreeks.From787,theEnglishbegantobetroubledbybandsofDanishVikings.ThegreatheroofthetimewasKingAlfredtheGreat(849-901)oftheKingdomofWessexinthesouth.ItistohimthatweowemuchofthepreservationofOldAnglo-SaxonLiterature.EquallyimportantisthefactthathestartedAnglo-SaxonChronicle,ahistoricalregisterofnationaleventsfromdimpasttohisownage.TheAnglo-Saxonswereconqueredin1066bytheNormsfromFrance.ThisistheendoftheAnglo-Saxonperiod(440-1066).Thefollowingisaformulaforthenation:OriginalAngles+Saxons+Danes+Normans=EnglishBritonsJutes2TheOldEnglishLiteratureTheBritons(Celts)hadnowrittenlanguage,sotheirmythsandlegendswerenotrecordedformanycenturies.EnglishliteratureactuallybeganwiththeAnglo-SaxonsettlementinEngland.TheoldEnglishperiodwasbasicallybarreninliterarycreations.Whathasbeenleftthroughtheravagesoftimeismostlyfragments,includingbothpaganandreligiouspoems.Fornearlytwocenturiesintotheperiod,paganpoetryandpaganspiritremaineddominantonthepoeticscene.Itwasessentiallyabodyofheroicpoetry.ThetwoimportantproseworksoftheperiodareTheEcclesiasticalHistoryofEnglandbyBedeandAnglo-SaxonChroniclefoundedbyKingAlfredtheGreat.TheonlyorganicwholepoemtocomeoutoftheAnglo-SaxonperiodisBeowulf.BeowulfThewholeepicisdividedintotwopartswithaninterpolation.TherearethreeepisodesrelatedinthecareerofBeowulf:(1)Thefightwiththemonster,Grendel(2)ThefightwithGrendel’smother,astillmorefrightfulshe-monster(3)ThemortalcombatwiththeFireDragon.(afterbeingthekingoftheGeatsfor50years).Itisa3182-linealliterativeverse,consideredthemonumentalworkinEnglishpoetryoftheAnglo-Saxonperiod,orthenationalepicoftheEnglishpeople.ItisofGermanicheritage,andcontainsevidentlypre-Christianelements.Thewholesongisessentiallypaganinspiritandmatter.Itispervadedwithpaganism.InthenoblefigureofBeowulf,paganheroismandfatalismaremingledwithChristianqualities.Thenon-ChristianstoryofmonstersandmightyseabeastsisblendedwithsomeseriousthoughtsonthepowerofawiseGod.Inthepoem,thepoetexpressesahopethattheevilshouldbepunished,andtherighteouswillberewarded.Thepoemismorethanafairystoryofheroescombatingmonsters.Itrecapturesthevalues,beliefsandlongingoftheAnglo-SaxonpeoplebeforetheycametoEngland.ThoughitisinferiortoIliadinartisticmerit,itisneverthelessadignifiednoblepoem,technicallyunexcelledinoldEnglishpoetry.ItaffordsusinvaluableinsightintotheheroicwaysoflifeoftheTeutonicpeoples,aswellasintothebestqualitiesofthenewerculturetheywerebuildinginEngland.Itclearlymirrorstheirideals—valor,theloveofglory,honour,andduty,theloyaltyoftheretainerandthegenerosityofthelord.Italsoreflectsthetypicaltoneoftheirliterature,withitsemphasisonthedarkeremotions,itsgrimscenery,anditsvigorousportrayaloftheseaandofbattle.ThepoemunfoldsapictureofanearlyDanishsociety,ofitspubliclife,itscustoms,ritualsandculturalactivities.Itschiefsignificanceliesintheportrayalofagreatnationalhero,whoisnotsimplyacourageouswarrior,butawiseruler,andabravefighter.Heisselfless,eagertohelpothersindistress,faithfultohispeople,andisreadytosacrificehisownlifefortheirwelfare.Threeimportantfeaturesmustbenotedwhilestudyingthepoem:Themoststrikingfeatureistheuseofalliteration,whichistherepetitionofaspeechsoundinasequenceofnearbywords,andisusuallyappliedonlytoconsonantsandonlywhentherecurrentsoundbeginsawordorastressedsyllablewithinaword.ThisischaracteristicofallOldEnglishverse.Thesecondfeatureistheuseofmetaphorsandunderstatements.ThethirdfeatureofthepoemisthemixtureofpaganandChristianelements:theobservingofomens,theattributionofpowertoWyrd(i.e.fate),cremation,blood-revenge,andthepraiseofworld