英语专业英国文学选读复习纲要

英语专业英国文学选读复习纲要Book1TheAnglo-SaxonPeriod(449-1066)Events&TermsCeltsRomanConquestAnglo-SaxonsMythCeltsEarliestsettlers500B.Cand100B.C.ComingfromcentralEuropeTribalsocietyClanasunitCelticwarriorsenjoyingfightingLackofunityRomanConquest55BC-407ADRomangeneralJuliusCaesarRomanemperorClaudiusBritannia:BritishIslesasaprovinceofRomanempireRomangovernorsChristianityTheAnglo-Saxons(449-1066)Angles,Saxons,Jutes,tribesfromtheplacesnownorthernGermanyandsouthernScandinaviaCreationoftheEnglishnationOldEnglishorAnglo-SaxonAnglo-Saxonmyth:TheLordoftheRings;TheSongofBeowulfMyth(ology)■Thestory,handeddownfromoldentimes,especiallyconceptsorbeliefsabouttheearlyhistoryofaraceoranationusuallywithsupernaturalepisodes.QuestionsforAnglo-SaxonPeriodWhatdoyouthinkisthemostimportantthemeofBeowulf?TheAnglo-NormanPeriod(1066-1350)Events&TermsNormanConquestKingArthurRomanceNarrativePoetryNormanConquest(1066)EndoftheAnglo-SaxonPeriodStartofMedievalPeriodNorman-Frenchculture:RomanceKingArthurLegendaryBritishheroleadingthedefenseofBritainagainsttheSaxoninvadersintheearly6thcenturyRomanceAstyleofheroicproseorversenarrative;Fantasticstoriesaboutadventuresofaknight,whogoesonaquest;AristocraticcirclesofmedievalandearlymodernEurope;Outoffashionbythe17thcentury.NarrativepoetryNarrativepoetryreferstothepoemsthathaveastoryplot.Itincludesepics,ballads,idylls,andlays/lyricpoems.QuestionforAnglo-NormanPeriodWhatisthemorallessonabouttheArthurianromanceGawain?GeoffreyChaucer(1340?-1400)TheCatholicChurch:Onthewanepartlybecauseofitsabuseofpoweranditscorruption;JohnWycliff:attackingthecorruptionandrottennessoftheChurch;demandingforaChurchreform.GeoffreyChaucer:FatherofEnglishpoetry;ForerunnerofEnglishRenaissance;InfluencedbyItalianRenaissance;Beliefinhuman’srightofearthlyhappiness;praisingman’senergy,adroitness,intellect,quickwitandtheloveforlife;WritinginMiddleEnglish.MajorTermsPopularBallads:Balladsareanonymousnarrativesongsthathavebeenreservedbyoraltransmission.“Popular”isusedtoindicatethatballadswerewidespreadamongthepopulaceofEnglandandScotland.RobinHood:RobinHoodisapartlyhistoricalandpartlylegendarycharacter.Questions:1)WhatviewsofChaucer’sareexpressedinhispoem?2)MakeacommentontheNun,thePrioress.TheRenaissance(14th-17thCenturies)RenaissanceTheremovaloftheoldfeudalistideasinmedievalEurope;TheintroductionofnewideasthatexpressedtheinterestsoftherisingbourgeoisieandtherecoveryofthepurityoftheearlychurchfromthecorruptionoftheRomanCatholicChurch;Therevivalofclassical(GreekandRoman)artsandsciences;Humanismastheessenceoftherenaissance.TheAbsolutemonarchyMonarchicalformofgovernment;Ultimategoverningauthority;Wieldingpoliticalpoweroverthesovereignstateanditssubjectpeoples.SonnetAformofapoemthatoriginatedinEurope;AShakespearean/Englishsonnetconsistsof14lines,eachlinecontainingtensyllablesandwritteniniambicpentameter,inwhichapatternofanunstressedsyllablefollowedbyastressedsyllable,repeatedfivetimes;TherhymeschemeinaShakespeareansonnet:a-b-a-b,c-d-c-d,e-f-e-f,g-g.Hamlet,theCharacterEnigmatic,philosophical,contemplative;Melancholy,discontentedwiththestateofaffairsinDenmarkandinhisownfamily;contemplatinghisowndeath;beingafraidofspiritualaftermathofdeath;Indecisive,inactive,passive;Compulsivetalker.Shylock,theCharacterAntagonist,villain,cruel,stingy/miserly;VictimofChristians’discrimination.Bacon’s“OfStudies”Function,importance,andtipsconcerningstudies;Importanceofknowledgeandreasonforhumandevelopment;Parallelsasmajorrhetoricaldevise.QuestionsforPartIV:1.WhatisthesignificanceofRenaissance?2.WhydoesHamlethesitateinseekingrevenge?3.WhatdoyouthinkofShylock’srevenge?4.WhatareexpressedofBacon’sviewsin“OfStudies”?ThePeriodofRevolutionandRestoration(The17thCentury)CommonwealthIn1649(CharlesIbeheaded)CommonwealthundertheleadershipofOliverCromwell(1599–1658)Commonwealth:politicalcommunityfoundedforthecommongood,historically,synonymouswith“republic”.Restoration(1660)AfterthedeathofCromwell;BourgeoisieinvitingthesonofCharlesItobethekingofEngland;Monarchyrestored.GloriousRevolution(1688)OverthrowofKingJamesIIofEngland(JamesVIIofScotlandandJamesIIofIreland)byaunionofEnglishParliamentarianswithWilliamofOrange,aDutch;EnglishthroneasWilliamIIIofEnglandjointlywithhiswifeMaryIIofEngland.JohnMilton(1608-1674):MiltonbelievedPowercorruptshumanbeings,andrulersshouldhavetoprovetheirrighttoleadotherpeople.Miltonwasanactivistfightingforhumanrights.Miltonbelievedinastrictsocialandpoliticalhierarchy;heobjectedtothehierarchythatexistedinhisday.MiltonwasaPuritan.Puritanscalledfortheabolishmentofbishops.MiltondespisedthecorruptionhesawintheCatholicChurch.JohnBunyan(1628-1688):ReceivedintoBaptistChurch(浸礼会)in1653;Strongsensitivitytosin,self-imposed,self-enforced,severe,self-critical.ThePilgrim’sProgress(1678)Religiousallegory;Searchforsalvation;Christian,thecentralcharacter,searchforreligioustruthandsalvationinCelestialCity;Definitegoalinlife,toreachtheCelestialCity,littletimeorenergyforothermatters.QuestionsforPartV