英国文学史笔记

英国文学史笔记

The Anglo-Saxon period (the 11th~14th

centuries)

Beowulf : the most important piece ;forming period of English literature

Beowulf is the national epic(史诗) of Anglo-Saxon period, while Beowulf is the great warrior of …Beowulf is the oldest surviving epic in British literature. A rich fabric(结构) of fact and fancy.

“I shall perform the deeds of hero or I have passed my last day in this mead hall.”

The 14th century-the age of Chaucer Geoffrey Chaucer, the writer of The Canterbury Tales. While most of his contemporaries are busy writing with French(the language of court) and Latin( the language of church), Chaucer is experimenting with the vernacular(本国的) English.

The Arthurian Legends

Geoffrey Chaucer: father of English literature and poetry, a great master of English language.

Anthology 诗选

The 15th century-the transitional period

The transitional period between the age of Chaucer and the age of Shakespeare with the popular ballad, Robin Hood Ballad, as the most representative form of literature.

Rabin Hood ballads are popular ballads dealing with the famous outlaw……

Thomas More

Thomas More – Utopia (written in 1515) This book contains (1) a realistic picture of early 16th century England: social evils are exposed and attacked (2) the first sketch of the ideal commonwealth by an English writer. Limitations of the book: Utopia

(1)His dream world did not have its sound

political, economic and social bases. (2)His indifferent attitude toward slavery

and his actual contempt for physical

labor.

(3)Contradictions in his world outlook.

The Elizabethan Age

Edmund Spenser – The Faerie Queen

English poet, born in London

Christopher Marlowe – Doctor Faustus

Playwright, greatest dramatist before Shakespeare

Dr. Faustus is a play based on the German legend of a magician aspiring for knowledge and finally meeting his tragic end as a result of selling his soul to the Devil.

Ben Jonson

William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

He is English playwright and poet, and is recognized in much of the world as the greatest dramatist.

Dramatic Works:

William Shakespeare has 37 plays to his credit. First built in 1935, then rebuilt in 1959, Ashland’s Elizabethan Theatre is one of several venues for plays in the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

Love’s Labor’s Lost 爱的徒劳

The Merchant of Venice

The Comedy of Errors 错误的喜剧

Julius Caesar 凯撒

The Two Gentlemen of Verona

Period of Romantic Comedies (1595-1600) Four great comedies:

The Merchant of Venice – Portia

As You Like It – Rosalind

Much Ado About Nothing – Beatrice Twelfth Night – Viola

The Taming of the Shrew 驯悍记

Merry Wives of Windsor

A Midsummer-Night’s Dream

Mature Period (1601-1609)

This is the period of tragedies. Four great tragedies:

Othello ; King Lear ; Hamlet ; Macbeth Shakespeare’s Contribution to Drama

(1)themes of progressive significance

(2)masterful character portrayal

(3)adroit plot construction

(4)great freedom and ease in the use of

language

The Jacobean Age

Ben Jonson (1573-1637)

The most important playwright among Shakespeare’s contemporaries

Every Man in His Humor“comedy of humors”

The Jacobean Prose:

Francis Bacon (1561-1626)

Francis Bacon was an important scientist, philosopher and essayist.