星君Part II Anglo-Norman period..

PartII:TheAnglo-NormanPeriod(1066—1350)1.historicalbackground•TheNormanConquest:•InOctober1066,duringtheimportantbattleofHastings,WilliamdefeatedHaroldandkilledhim.OnChristmasDay,WilliamwascrownedkingofEngland,thusbeginningtheNormanConquestofEnglandEngland1066.EventsintheNormanConquestBayeuxTapestrydepictingeventsleadingtotheBattleofHastings.1.historicalbackground•ThreechiefeffectsoftheConquest:ThebringingofRomancivilizationThegrowthofnationality–astrongcentralizedgovernment:thebeginningoffeudalisminEngland.Thenewlanguageandliterature.TheInfluencesonLanguage•AftertheNormanConquestthegeneralrelationoftheNormanandSaxonsismasterandservants.Oneofthemoststrikingmanifestationsofthesupremacyoftheconquerorswastobeseeninlanguage.TheNormanslordsspokeFrench;theirEnglishsubjectsretainedoldtongue.Romances,theprominentformofliteratureintheAnglo-Normanperiod,wereatfirstallinFrench.•Bytheendofthe14thcentury:NormansandtheEnglishintermingled,Englishoncemorebecamethedominantspeechinthecountry,however,nowsomethingdifferentfromtheoldAnglo-Saxon.TheInfluencesonLanguage•Englishvocabularyiscomposedof3sources:•A.nativewordsorAnglo-Saxonorigin:basicvocabularyincludingwordsoffamilymembers,expressingnature,oftime,mostlysingleordoublesyllables.•B.Norman-Frenchorigin:wordsofgovernment,administrative,law,wordsinvolvingreligion,militaryaffairs,dressing,cooking,diplomacy,socialcommunicationculture•C.Latinorigin:Mostareacademicwords(education,science).TheInfluencesonLanguage•TheybroughtintoEnglandbright,romantictalesoftheloveandadventure,inremarkablecontrastwiththestrengthandsombernessoftheAnglo-Saxonpoetry.•Thesubjectmattersare:•1)mattersofFrance;•2)mattersofGreeceandRome;•3)mattersofBritainTheInfluencesonLiterature1.historicalbackground•TheestablishmentoffeudalisminEngland:WilliamtheconquerorthenconfiscatedthelandsoftheEnglishlords,regardingthewholeEnglandashisown,andbestowedlargepatchesoflandtohisNormanBarons,whointurndividedtheirlandsamongtheirownknights.Thus,hepushedEnglandwellonitswaytofeudalism,andtheNormanConquestmarkedtheestablishmentoffeudalisminEngland.2.Literature—romance:•romanceorchivalricromanceisastyleofheroicproseandversenarrative.•Romanceisapopularliteraryforminthemedievalperiod.•Theywerefantasticstoriesaboutthemarvelousadventuresofachivalrous,heroicknighterrant,oftenofsuper-humanability,whooftengoesonaquest.2.Literature—romance:•Romancehasdevelopedthecharacteristicmedievalmotifsofthequestthetest,themeetingwiththeevilgiantandtheencounterwiththebeautifulbeloved.2.Literature—romance:•Thecentralcharacterofromanceswastheknight—amanofnoblebirthskilledintheuseofweapons,commonlydescribedasridingforthtoseekadventures,takingpartintournament(contest),orfightingforhislordinbattle(later,devotinghimselftoprotectinghishostess,thusloveaffairsappeared.),devotedtothechurchandking.2.Literature—romance:•TherulesgoverningthemannersandmoralsofaknightwereknownasCHIVALRY.Thethemeofloyaltytokingandlordwasrepeatedlyemphasizedinromances(asloyaltywasthecorner-stoneoffeudalmorality,withoutwhichthewholestructureoffeudalismwouldcollapse).3.SirGawainandtheGreenKnight•ThebestArthurianromance,anonymous,inalliterativeverse•Characters:KingArthur,SirGawain,theGreenKnightCulturebackground•KingArthurandhisknightsofroundtable:•KingArthurisoneofthegreatmythicfiguresofEnglishliterature.Dozensoflegendsandromanticimageshavegrownuparoundhim:theknightsoftheRoundTable,Merlinthewizard,andtheHolyGrail,tonameafew.TheMarriageofKingArthurandGuinevere.CulturebackgroundTheemblemoftheKnightsoftheRoundTablewornroundthenecksofalltheKnightswasgiventothembyKingArthuraspartoftheceremonyoftheirbeingmadeaknight.TheEmblemoftheKnights3.SirGawainandtheGreenKnight•1)Feastinthepalace•2)Journeyforthegreenchapel•3)Testinthecastle•4)Blowinthechapel3.SirGawainandtheGreenKnight•ThemeAtestofman’svirtueandtruthMotif:thetestsoffaith,courageandpurity—nobilityofheroThehumanweaknessforself-preservation—humannessRedemptionandsinPartIII:GeoffreyChaucer(1340—1400)1.LifeExperiences•borninawinemerchantfamily,pagetoElizabeth•broadandintimateacquaintancewithpersonshighandlowinallwalksoflifeandwellawareofthewholesociallifeofhistime.1.BorntoawinemerchantinLondon.2.At17,becameapageinanobleman’shousehold.3.At19,wenttoFrancewiththeEnglisharmyandwasimprisoned.4.1367,enteredtheserviceoftheking.5.1372-73,wenttoItaly,Franceondiplomaticmissions.6.1374,controllerofcustomsinLondon.7.MPforKentin1386.8.BuriedinthePoets’CornerinWestminsterAbbey,becomingthefirsttooccupywhatisnowcalledPoet'sCorner.Chaucerburiedin“Poet’sCorner”Quotes•Peoplecandieofmereimagination.Loveisblind.Weknowlittleofthethingsforwhichwepray.Firsthewrought,andafterwardhetaught.Timeandtidewaitfornoman.2.Hisliterarycareer-threeperiods•Frenchperiod(1360-1372)inFrench“Romanceoftherose”•Italianperiod(1372-1385)inLatin“theLegendofGoodWomen”and“TroylusandCriseyde”•Englishperiod(1386-1400)inEnglish“TheCanterburyTales”-freefromanyforeigninfluenceTroylusandCriseyde•Cha