英国文学及作品选读复习笔记整理

PartonePre-ClassicismTheMiddleAges(449--1485)GeneralColorsofEnglishLiterature：1.Elegantandstandardinlanguage;2.Melancholyandironicalinstyleorintone;3.Conventionalandconservativeinthematicconcernandinliterarythoughts.MainLiteraryAchievements1.TheAnglo-SaxonPeriodBeowulf--England’snationalepicItwellrevealsthefeaturesofAnglo—SaxonEnglish,suchas1)wideuseofalliteration,2)metaphorsandunderstatements,3)mixtureofpaganandChristianelements.Alliteration：Twoormorewordsinaphraseorlinehavethesameinitialsound.2.TheAnglo-NormanPeriod1）TheRomancesSirGawainandtheGreenKnight2）EnglishBallads(PopularBallads)“ThecharacterofRobinHoodismany—sided.Strong,braveandclever,heisatthesametimetender-heartedandaffectionate…Butthedominantkeyinhischaracterishishatredforthecrueloppressorsandhisloveforthepooranddowntrodden.”(LiuBingshan,20)3)TheMedievalDrama3.GeoffreyChaucer(1340—1400)Chaucer’smaincontributionstoEnglishliterature(language)canbefoundfromlanguageaspect.1)ItisChaucerwhoformallyfinishedtheblendofthreelanguages,Anglo-SaxonEnglish,Norman’sFrenchandLatintoshapetheearlyformofmodernEnglish.ItishewhofirstusedLondonDialectEnglishinformalwriting,anditisduetohiswritingthatmodernEnglishbecametheonlynationallanguageacceptedbyallEnglishpeople.2)BasedonhisapplicationofLondonDialectEnglishinhiswritings,Englishbecameabridgebetweenliteratureandthegreatpublic.3)Firstuseof“heroiccouplet”(therhymedcoupletof5accentsiniambicmeter/therhymedcoupletofiambicpentameter)4)HedevotedamasterpieceTheCanterburyTalestoEnglishliterature,whichremainsaclassicwithsufficientheritageinbothlanguageandartisticachievements.4.TheCanterburyTales(GeneralPrologue)1)Itssocialsignificance:TheCanterburyTalesismorethanamerecollectionoftrue-to-lifepictures.Takingthestandoftherisingbourgeoisie,Chauceraffirmsmenandwomen’srighttopursuetheirhappinessonearthandopposesthedogmaofasceticismpreachedbythechurch.Asaforerunnerofhumanism,hepraisedman’senergy,intellect,quickwitandloveoflife.Histalesexposeandsatirizetheevilsofthetimeandattackthecorruptionofthechurch.(LiuBingshan,28)2）samplereading•Theysuggestastateofstrength,vigor,vitality,lifeandimplythereturnoflife.•StudyonImages:•Incategory,wecanclassifytheimagesinthispartintofourgroups1．Showers,liquidareconcernedwithwaterorrainthatbecomesthesourceoflifeandvitality;2.Root,bud,flowers,woodandfieldarethesignsoflivingthingswhichsuggestthereturnoflife;3.Zephyrs,sun,birdsarethelivingthingswhicheitherbringsaboutorengenderslifeorthereallifeform;4.Palmers,pilgrimsandpeoplearethewakenpeoplewhoarehopefulandpious,longingforbetterfutureanddedicatingtothemartyredsaint.3）FeaturesofChaucer’sWriting:a:Simpleandexpressivelanguage;b:Optimistictone;c:Thematicconcern–therisingandadvancingsociety.ParttwoTheEnglishRenaissance(1485-1660)Renaissance:rebirthoflearningI:BackgroundInformation1.Historically,wehavetopayattentiontothefollowingeventsinthisperiod:1)HenryⅦcametopowerin1485；2)HenryⅧ’sbreakwiththeRomeCatholicsin1533(ProtestantReformation);3)VictoryoverSpainbydefeatingSpanishArmadain1588.2.Economically,wehavetorememberthesefacts:1)TheEnclosureMovement(“SheepDevouredMen”);2)Theexpansionoftheterritory.3.Culturally,wehavetobeawareofthefollowingfacts:1)JamesⅠauthorizedthepublicationoftheBible2)ThePuritanRevolution3)TheRenaissance:a)Historicalsignificanceb)“Threeworships”c)Maintraitsa)HistoricalSignificance:Itsignifiedthebeginningofthedisruptionoffeudalsystemandbecameamovementagainstfeudalismandhierarchyastimewenton.Itwasthegreatestprogressiverevolutionthatmankindhassofarexperienced,atimewhichcalledforgiantsandproducedgiants–giantsinpowerofthought,passion,character,inuniversalityandlearning.---Engelsb)“ThreeWorships”:Classicalworks;Humanism;ScienceandknowledgeTheloveofclassicswasbutanexpressionofthegeneraldissatisfactionatCatholicandfeudalideas....AnotherfeatureoftheRenaissanceisthekeeninterestintheactivitiesofhumanity.PeopleceasedtolookuponthemselvesaslivingonlyforGodandafutureworld.Thinkers,artistsandpoetsarose,whogaveexpression,sometimesinanoldguise,though,tothenewfeelingofadmirationforhumanbeautyandhumanachievement,afeelinginasharpcontrastwiththeology.Humanismisthekey-noteoftheRenaissancewhichreflectedthenewoutlookoftherisingbourgeoisclass.(LiuBingshan:34)Whatapieceofworkisaman!Hownobleinreason!Howinfiniteinfaculty!Informandmovinghowexpressandadmirable!Inactionhowlikeanangel!Inapprehensionhowlikeagod!Thebeautyoftheworld!Theparaganofanimals!人是一件多么卓越的精品:多么高贵的理性!多么伟大的力量!多么优越的仪表!多么文雅的举动!在行为上多么象一个天使!在智慧上多么象一个天神!宇宙的精华!万物的灵长!(《哈姆雷特》）II:MainLiteraryAchievementsoftheTime1.MainFigures:ThomasMore(1478-1535)EdmundSpenser(1552-1599)ChristopherMarlowe(1564-1593)BenJonson(1562-1637)WilliamShakespeare(1564-1616)FrancisBacon(1561-1626)JohnDonne(1573-1631)JohnMilton(1608-1674)JohnBunyan…2.SomeLiteraryTerms1)UniversityWits:ItisappliedtoagroupofwriterswhoflourishedinLondoninthelasttwentyyearsorsoofthe16thcentury.ThemostnotablewereMarlowe,Nashe,GreeneandLylywhoallgraduatedfromeitherOxfordorCambridge,andwhofavoredusingeuphuismandextravaganceinwriting.2)ComediesofHumors:Itisapplied