英国文学简答题

1 Features of Scott’s historical novels

1.Scott has on outstanding gift of vivifying the past his novels, which combine historical fact with romantic imagination, give a picturesque representation of various historical personage and events. He was especially versed in portraying Scottish history and Scottish characters, but he also was a successful writer on the history of other countries.

2.In his novels, historical events are closely interwoven with the fares of individual life. Besides, the nominal heroes of Scott’s novels, usually young men of noble birth are thrown into close companionship with ordinary. People and go through a serious of hardships and adventures. This arrangement is convenient to the novelist in depicting characters from various social strata and their fates in historical events. But not a few of these novels are pale figures.

3.When Scott describes historical events, he is concerned not only with the lives and deeds of kings, Statesmen and other historical figures, but is always mindful of the fates of the ordinary people. Hence the numerous pen-portraits of the people from various social positions, which constitute an important characteristic in Scott’s novels.

4.Scott is a romantic. But, besides romantic imagination, he also relies upon careful studies and investigations into the details of historical life.

5.Scott’s historical novels paved the way for the development of the realistic novel of the 19th century. In fact, Scott’s literary career marks the transition from romantic to realism in English literature of the 19th century.

2Talk about Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary in your own words

1.Some of the definitions in the dictionary are often, quoted to illustrate. Johnson’s personality prejudice.

2.But the dictionary as a whole was a great work of scholarship. Johnson’s purpose was to make a dictionary by means of which the pronunciation of our language may be fixed, and its attainment facilitated; by which its purity may be preserved, its use ascertained and its duration lengthened.

3.Though the dictionary has been displaced by latter ones, it worked an epoch in the study of the English language.

4.His Dictionary also worked the end of English writer’s reliance on the patronage of noblemen for support.

3The features of the works of romanticist 1.The general feature of the works of the romanticists is dissatisfaction with the bourgeois society, which finals expression in a revolt against or an escape from the prosaic life. Their writing is filled with strong willed heroes. Formidable, events, tragic, situations, powerful, Conflicting Passions, and exotic pictures.

2.Sometimes they resort to symbolic methods.

3.The romanticists paid great attention to the spiritual and emotional life of man, Nature often personified, also plays important role in their works.

4.Poetry of course is the best medium to express all these sentiments. In fact, all the romanticists mentioned above were poets. The Romantic Period was one of poetical revival.

4What’s Byronic hero? Byronic hero who are men with fiery passions and unbending will and express the poet’s own ideal of freedom. These heroes rise against tyranny and injustice, but they are merely love fighters striving for personal freedom and some individualistic ends

5Prometheus Unbound 1.Shelley’s masterpiece is Prometheus Unbound a lyrical drama in if acts. 2.According to Greek myth, Prometheus stole fire from heaven and taught men how to use it. The figure of Prometheus has been symbolic of those noble-hearted revolutionaries who devote themselves to the just cause of the people and suffer, great pains at the hands of tyrants.

3.The plot of Shelley’s drama is borrowed from Prometheus Bound a play of the Greek tragedian