英国文学复习资料

Hamlet

1,Hamlet is considered the first modern play partly because of the psychological depth of its main character -- Hamlet suffers from melancholy, self-doubt, and even delusions(妄想). The audience never quite knows what Hamlet is thinking, or what is real. In fact, Hamlet himself declares again and again

2,"To be or not to be"

Hamlet is musing about death, but whose death, or what kind of death, is frustratingly difficult to pin down. He is perhaps contemplating suicide, perhaps thinking about the risks he must run in order to fulfill the task of revenge. He has an audience of Ophelia, Polonius and Claudius, who are eavesdropping on him; but he most likely does not realize that they are present.

3.(1) Hamlet is a humanist, a man who is free from medieval prejudices & superstitions. He has an unbounded love for the world rather than for heaven. He cherishes a profound reverence for man & a firm belief in man’s power over destiny. Such a delight in nature & man is characteristic of the humanists of the Renaissance.(2) His intellectual genius is outstanding. He is a close observer of man & manners. His quick perception drives him to penetrate below the surface of things & question what others take for granted. So he is forever unmasking his world.(3) Hamlet is not a mere scholar, simply meditative by nature. On the contrary, Hamlet is a man of genius, highly complicated & educated, a man of profound perception & sparkling wit. He is a scholar, soldier, and statesman all combined. His image reflects the versatility of the men of the Renaissance.

4.What do you learn about Hamlet’s mental conflict and character through this soliloquy?

(1) In this soliloquy, Hamlet is detached, reflective, analytic and moral. His thoughts were philosophical rather than practical; his concerns were on the nature of things rather than any specific plans for actions;

(2) his feelings were of a deep sorrow over the injustice and vanity, “a sea of troubles” which brought pains into human life.

(3) His melancholy and procrastination are also revealed. Here he is pondering on the question of life and death. He is thinking of committing suicide.

(4) But he hesitates for he doubts whether death can give him rest and peace. Besides, he is not sure whether the world of death would be better than this one.

(5) He gives the reasons why he wants to commit suicide. Apart from his personal revenge (not be mentioned in this soliloquy), he can’t bear the social injustices and grievances.

(6) He is conscious of his own weakness of thinking too much which makes him dilatory, allowing many opportunities to slip away.

Donne

1.Death Be Not Proud

one of Donne's Holy Sonnets, an almost Startling put-down of poor death. Staunchly Christian in its bare expectation of the resurrection, Donne's poem personifies death as an adversary swollen with false pride and unworthy of being called "mighty and dreadful."

Donne gives various reasons in accusing death of being little more than a slave bossed about by fate, chance, kings and desperate men-a craven thing that keeps bad company, such as poison, war and sickness. Finally, Donne taunts death with a paradox: "death, thou shall die." The sonnet is written in the strict Petrarchan pattern. Abbaabba It reveals the poet's belief in life after death: death is eternal.

John Milton