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1、,History of British Literature For Undergraduate Students,British literature,a precious diamond,in the world literature,Westminster Abbey,The Poets Corner,William Shakespeare,Romeo and Juliet,Gullivers Travels,Auld Lang Syne,Should auld acquanintance be forgot， And never brought to mind? Should auld
2、 acquaintance be forgot， And days of auld lang syne? And heres a hand, my trusty friend And gies a hand o thine; Well take a cup o kindness yet. For auld lang syne. For auld lang syne my dear, For auld lang syne, Well take a cup o kindness yet For auld lang syne.,Preparation for the Class,Arrangemen
3、t of reform Subjective preparation Relative knowledge Method of study,Introduction to the whole course,Anglo-Saxon period(5th-11th) Middle-Age Period (12th-15th) Renaissance Period (16th-early 17th ) Revolution and Restoration period (17th) Neo-Classical Period (18th) Romantic period (early 19th) Vi
4、ctorian period (from mid 19th) Turn (19th-20th) Modern period (20th),Anglo-Saxon Period,Historical background,literature,historical background: the making of Britain A.Briton (Celtic tribes) B. the Roman Conquest-Roman Briton B.C.55-54 Julius Caesar A.D.43 Claudius C. mid-5th Anglo-Saxons (Angles, S
5、axons, Jutes) Anglo-Saxon period seven kingdoms: north: Mercia and Northumberland (7th, 8th) south: Wessex (9th, 10th),Angles, Saxons, Jutes,D. Danish invasion late 8th, Danes late 9th, Alfred the Great 11th, Canute 25 years E. Norman Conquest 1066 William: Duke of Normandy - William I the end of An
6、glo-Saxon period beginning of feudal society,English Houses,. House of Normandy William I 1066-1087 William II 10871100 Henry I 11001135 Stephen 1135-1154 House of Plantagenet Henry II 11541189 Richard I 11891199 John 11991216 Henry III 12161272 Edward I 12721307 Edward II 1307-1327 Edward III 1327-
7、1377 Richard II 1377-1399,. House of Lancaster Henry IV 13991413 Henry V 1413-1422 Henry VI 1422-1461 ( The War of the Roses 1455-1485) House of York Edward IV 1461-1483 Edward V 1483 Richard III 1483-1485 House of Tudor Henry VII 1485-1509 Henry VIII 1509-1547 Edward VI 1547-1553 Mary I 1553-1558 E
8、lizabeth I 1558-1603,House of Stuart James I 1603-1625 Charles I 1625-1649 ( The Commonwealth Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector 1653-1658 Richard Cromwell 1658-1659 ) Charles II 1660-1685 James II 1685-1688 William III metaphor; understatement,1. Beowulf national epic the longest and most monumental w
9、ork of A-S poems the oldest surviving epic in British literature. oral form (6th),written down(7th or 8th) set in Denmark and Sweden,Beowulf 1. 3183 lines 2. contents: 3 adventures Monster-Grendel Grendels mother fiery dragon,2. theme: primitive peoples struggle against hostile forces of the natural
10、 world under a wise and mighty leader 3. Features: part-historical and part legendary heathen tribal society, feudal elements, Christian coloring A-S or old English; alliteration ;metaphor,Literary term Epic: a long narrative poem telling about the deeds of a great hero and reflecting the values of
11、the society from which it originated. Many epics were drawn from an oral tradition and were transmitted by song and recitation before they were written down.,Literary term Alliteration: head rhyme; words beginning with the same consonants alliterate with each other within each line, or a word beginn
12、ing with a vowel alliterates with another word beginning with the same or another vowel.,B. Christian: Most of A-S poetry is religious or Christian two Christian poets Caedmon Cynewulf,1. Caedmon: the earliest known English poet (his story is charmingly told by the Venerable Bede). the first “Hymn”
13、“Caedmonian poems” (anonymous authors): paraphrase of Bible “Genesis B”.,2. Cynewulf: mythical figure The finest poem: “The Dream of the Rood”, the first known example of the dream vision, a genre later popular in Middle English literature. “Christ”: best known, didactic poem,3. Other Old English po
14、ems include various riddles, charms, saints lives, gnomic poetry, and other Christian verse,C. A-S prose: earliest in Latin(p617) Bede Alfred the Great Aelfric,1. Bede “The Ecclesiastical History of the English People” published in Latin, translated into Anglo-Saxon by king Alfred in 891. Roman inva
15、sion to A.D.731, relates history from religious point of view and full of strange stories and miracles. “Father of English History”,King Alfred the Great,2. King Alfred the Great (Wessex) Life story: traveling experience to cultural center of Europe, in 871 became the king of Wessex, fight against t
16、he Danes, strengthen his nation and gather many scholars, do translation together, died in 901. Alfreds contributions to English Literature numerous translation from Latin rather free way in translation the role he played in the launching of “Anglo-Saxon Chronicle”,“Anglo-Saxon Chronicle” “Old Engli
17、sh Chronicle” A.D.1 to A.D.1154 contents: folk literature, natural phenomenon, comments on kings (point of view of common people), passages describing the terrible political oppression and economic exploitation of common people,3. Aelfric chiefly religious in content, mainly some homilies. translate
18、 in Anglo-Saxon the first seven books of the Bible and wrote a treatise “Concerning the Old and New Testament”a popular introduction to the contents of the Bible in old English.,Bible: holy book which forms the basis of the Christian faith the Old Testament: God and the Laws of God (Hebrew) the New
19、Testament: doctrines of Jesus Christ OHebrew NGreek first English version: John Wycliffe most influential version: King James Version,Features of A-S literature 1. old English literature 2. verse literature in oral form 3. The authors are mostly unknown 4. poems in alliteration 5. prose in Latin,Mor
20、e materials on-line, http:/www.wsu.edu:8080/hanly/oe/503.html http:/dmoz.org/Arts/Literature/World_Literature/British/Anglo-Saxon,homework,1. Review the knowledge you have learned about Anglo-Saxon literature. 2. Retell the story of “Beowulf” Pre-view homework 1.Background information of the Middle
21、Ages 2. Literary forms in this period 3. Romance and ballad,12th-15th,Historical background,literature,background the Norman conquest accelerated the development of feudalism. on land: the ruling class possessed large tracts of land on society: distinct class division, miseries of peasants on langua
22、ge: scholar wrote in French and Latin; enriched English. .,2.Conflicts between the serfs or peasants and their feudal lords the Hundred Years War with France (drafting of soldiers and extra taxes) the Black Death shortage of laborers the church oppressed common people(1/3 land) the rising of 1381Joh
23、n Ball, had shaken the feudal system to the root and abolished serfdom.,3.rapid development in commerce and trade the burghers class began to play an important role in politics distinction between the rich and the poor became marked. the corruption of officials was rife 4.The early flowering of Rena
24、issance started to influence the English writers.,Middle-age literature,mid 11th c mid 14th c: romance second half of 14th c: John Wycliffe John Gower William Langland Geoffrey Chaucer 15th c: ballad,11th-14th Anglo-Latin literature 1.Geoffery of Monmouth “The History of the Kings of Britain”: King
25、Arthur and his Round Table Knights; Lear; Cymbeline;. 2. Roger Bacon: the father of experimental scientist Anglo- Norman (French) literature: romances Social satires in verse,Literary term Romance: A long composition, sometimes in verse, sometimes in prose, describing the life and adventures of a no
26、ble man. The central character is the Knight, who has a noble birth, is skillful in the use of weapon and devotes to the church or King. The rules governing the manners and morals of a knight are known as chivalry.,Themes of romance: the matter of Britain king Arthur and his knights of the Round Tab
27、le (Arthurian romances) the matter of France Charlemagne and his knights the matter of Rome from the Trojan War to Alexander the Great,King Arthur: historical figure of Celts; mythological figure in Welsh literature; legendary hero in Geoffery of Monmouth: “History of the Kings of Britain” Layamon:
28、“Brut” Sir Tomas Malory: “Le Morte DArthur”, The most outstanding single romance on the Arthurian legend “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” (four sections) a. The fight between Sir Gawain and the Green Knight at King Arthurs Christmas feast. b. Gawains adventures on the way to find the Green Knight o
29、f the Green Chapel c. three days of Gawains stay at the castle. d. the finding the Green Knight and Gawains returning to king Arthur.,theme: loyalty to the king and lord class nature: composed for the nobles, the audience was usually of the Court or the castle, had nothing to do with the common peop
30、le. style: alliterative (most romances were metrical),second half of 14th c John Wycliffe John Gower William Langland Geoffrey Chaucer,John Wycliffe 1. Life story: study on theology, in 1372 got degree of Doctor of Theology at Oxford, drawn into the struggle between Edward and the Pope in Rome, firs
31、t opposed the Pope and the church and advocated the absolute authority of the Bible, after the rising of 1381 deprived of all scholastic duties and left Oxford, in 1384 died of paralysis.,2. His works “Of the Truth of the Holy Scriptures”: absolute authority of the Bible “Of Divine Dominion” then a
32、lady named Holy explains the meaning of all he sees and tells him to search for truth. Further characters (Conscience, Falsehood, Reason ) enter the action;,Conscience finally persuades many of the people to turn away from the Seven Deadly Sins and go in search of St. Truth, but they need a guide. P
33、iers (Peter), a simple Plowman, appears and says that he knows the way and will show them if they help him plow his half acre. Some help, but some shirk; After this purification through labor, Piers starts his search for truth.,Fairy Land,east,west,. Analysis of the poem written in the form of a dre
34、am vision a. the first vision: social criticism at the prevalent corruption and bribery in English society at the time. b. the second vision: sympathy for the peasants, the poor and the needy: toiling peasants to be the nearest to truth and salvation., significance a realistic picture of medieval En
35、gland. indignant satirical description of social abuses caused by corruption among ruling class,Geoffrey Chaucer,Geoffrey Chaucer founder of English poetry 1. Life story: court page, in the army fighting France and was taken prisoner, ten years diplomatic errands (nine times to Europe), contact with
36、 Renaissance in Italian literature, met Petrarch, had many public employments, died in 1400 and was the first to be buried in the Poets Corner of Westminster Abbey.,Chaucer served in a great variety of occupation (courtier, office-holder, soldier, ambassador, legislator) and had broad and intimate a
37、cquaintance with persons high and low in all walks of life and knew well of the whole social life, which later had great impact in his literary career.,2. Chaucers literary career ( 3 periods) (1360-1372): influenced by French poetry “Romanunt of the Rose” translation from French, first introduced i
38、nto English verse the octosyllabic couplet “The Book of the Duchess”: original,Literary term couplet: two successive lines of poetry that rhyme (aa bb cc dd) examples: This were to be new made when thou art old, And see thy blood warm when thou feelst it cold. To give away yourself, keeps yourself s
39、till, And you must live, drawn by your own sweet skill., (13721385) influenced by Italian writers: Dante (“Divine Comedy”), Petrarch (“Rime Sparse”), Baccaccio (“Decameron”) “The House of Fame” “Troylus and Criseyde” “The Legend of Good Women”,The Legend of Good Women nine “tragedies” of “good women
40、” who suffered from or died of devotion to lovers (borrow from Boccaccio, Virgil, Ovid) used heroic couplet for the first time in English.,heroic couplet: two successive lines of rhymed poetry in iambic pentameter. It is a traditional form for English poetry, commonly used for epic and narrative poe
41、try. (first used by Chaucer in British literature) When that April with his shower swoote The drought of March hath pierced to the root and bathed every vein in such licour Of which virtue engendered is the flower,Troylus and Criseyde partly adapted and partly translated from Boccaccios poem Trojan
42、war Troylus, Criseyde, Calchas, Pandarus, Diomede, Achilles,1386-1400: maturity free from foreign influence “The Canterbury Tales” masterpiece,Canterbury Cathedral,Trinity Chapel,The Canterbury Tales 1. masterpiece: General Prologue + 24 tales (unfinished) Outline of the story: in April, Tabard Inn,
43、 30 pilgrims to St. Thomas Beckets tomb in Canterbury, beguile the journey by story-telling, two going and two returning, the best story-teller will be given a free supper, 24 were written. (General Prologue), The Prologue: framework; vivid sketches of all classes of the English feudal society throu
44、gh 30 pilgrims. tales: most notable group tales: “marriage group”: whether husband or wife should be the dominating person in marital relationship.,the wife of Baths tale of an Arthurian knight: wifes domination leads to peace and happiness the Oxford clerks tale of the patient Griselda: the wifes p
45、atience, meekness and full submission to her husband is the key to happy marriage the franklins tale of Arveragus and Dorigen: a married couples ultimate happy ending should be achieved by mutual trust and understanding,2. characterization: the wife of Bath owner of a cloth factory, light-hearted, m
46、erry, vulgar and talkativemarries five husbands and expects one or two moreable to master them and rule the housemanaged by making her husband jealous, husband is oldone treated her badly, she provoked him to beat her and pretended to be dead, got all the property into her hand reflect the rising so
47、cial status of women in Chaucers day.,3. social significance true-to-life picture of the society affirm men and womens rights to pursue happiness and opposes the dogma of asceticism praise mans energy, intellect, quick wit and love of life expose and satirize the evil of the time,4. Contributions to
48、 E.L. middle English; vivid and exact great master of language: introduced from France the rhymed stanzas of various types, esp. heroic couplet (first), first great poet who wrote in English language. did much in making the dialect of London the standard for modern English speech.,Murder in the Cathedral,English literature of 15th century background Literature: ballad drama prose,Background ( transition from medieval to the Renaissance) 1. decline of feudalism and growth of c