English literature of the Renaissance

SirThomasMalory’sLeMorteD’Arthur1)ABriefIntroductiontoMaloryMalorywasanEnglishcountrygentlemanandsoldier,amemberofparliamentforWarwickshirein1445,andlaterfoughtonthesideofLancastriansintheWaroftheRoses.In1450hewaschargedwithseveralcrimesandsentencedtoimprisonment.Inprison,hetranslatedLeMorteD’ArthurfromFrenchwherehespentagreatdealpartofthelast20yearsofhislife.ThomasMaloryistheonlyimportantprosewriterinthe15thcentury2)LeMorteD’ArthurLeMorteD’Arthur,TheDeathofKingArthur,isacollectionofstoriesaboutKingArthur,translatedfromFrenchbySirThomasMalory.KingArthurisaromantichero,whoseoriginalmaybetracedtoanancientCelticchieftainArthurofWaleswholedvictoriousbattlesagainsttheSaxons.Arthurisakingofwondersandmarvels(充满神奇).Aseriesoflegendsabouthimwerefabricated(虚构，编造)bymedievalpoetsandwriters,especiallybyFrenchromancers.ThelegendsofKingArthurarethefoundationofMalory’sbook.ButMaloryselectedthemostinterestingparts,suchas1)theadventuresoftheKnightsoftheRoundTableatArthur’scourt,2)thequestoftheHolyGrail,3)theillicitloveaffairofSirLauncelotandQueenGuinevere,4)thedeathofArthur,and5)thedissolution(解除，解散)offellowshipoftheKnightsoftheRoundTable(圆桌武士).MalorytreatedtheArthurianlegendsinthespiritofmedievalknighthoodandchilvalry.Maloryconverted(changed)thelongandinvolvedsentences(complicatedsentences)oftheFrenchromancesintosimple,idiomaticEnglishprose,andtoldtheArthurianstoriesinsuchavividmannerthatheaddedtoEnglishliteraturea15th-centurymasterpiecewhichhasamusedgenerationsofreadersandinfluencedEnglishpoetsandwritersoflatercenturies.Chapter2:EnglishLiteratureoftheRenaissanceTheRenaissanceThisisagreatestandmostadvancedrevolutioninthehumanhistory.Thisistheagethegiantsareneededandproduced.——F.EnglesWhatwastheRenaissance?Period:followingtheMiddleAges(1450-1550)“Rebirth”ofclassicalGreeceandRomeBeganinItalyMovedtonorthernEuropeMiddleages’andRenaissance’sObjectivesDuringtheMiddleAgesFindGodProvepre-conceivedideasDuringtheRenaissanceFindmanPromotelearningTheRenaissancegavebirthtothemodernera,inthatitwasinthiserathathumanbeingsfirstbegantothinkofthemselvesasindividuals.IntheearlyMiddleAges,peoplehadbeenhappytoseethemselvessimplyaspartsofagreaterwhole–forexample,asmembersofagreatfamily,tradeguild,nation,orChurch.ThiscommunalconsciousnessoftheMiddleAgesgraduallygavewaytotheindividualconsciousnessoftheRenaissance.–McGrath,Alister,IntheBeginning,AnchorBooks(2001),p.38.RenaissanceLiterature(1485-1660)“Renaissance”means“Rebirth”--RebirthofinterestintheGreekandLatinclassicsEmphasisonhumanisticeducationforstatesmanshipFocusontheindividualandaconcernwiththefullestpossiblecultivationofhumanpotentialthroughpropereducation;focusonindividualconsciousnessandtheInteriormindConcernwiththerefinementofthelanguageandthedevelopmentofanational,vernacularliteratureHumanismPursuitofindividualismRecognitionthathumansarecreativeAppreciationofartasaproductofmanBasiccultureneededforallLifecouldbeenjoyableLoveoftheclassicalpastHumanismHumanismistheessenceoftheRenaissance.Renaissancehumanistsfoundintheclassicsajustificationtoexalthumannatureandcametoseethathumanbeingsweregloriouscreaturescapableofindividualdevelopmentinthedirectionofperfection,andthattheworldtheyinhabitedwastheirsnottodespisebuttoquestion,explore,andenjoy.Thus,byemphasizingthedignityofhumanbeingsandtheimportanceofthepresentlife,theyvoicedtheirbeliefsthatmandidnotonlyhavetherighttoenjoythebeautyofthislife,buthadtheabilitytoperfecthimselfandtoperformwonders.ThomasMooreThefirstoftheEnglishhumanistswasSirThomasMoore(1478-1535).ThomasMore'sUtopiaUtopia,More’smasterpiece,writtenintheformofaconversationbetweenMoreandareturnedvoyager,Hythloday;dividedinto2books:The1st—alongdiscussiononthesocialconditionsofEngland,the2nddescribesindetailanidealcommunistsociety,Utopia.Thename“Utopia”comesfrom2Greekwordsmeaning“noplace”andwasadoptedbyMoreasthenameofhisidealcommonwealth.Ithasbeensinceusedtodesignatetheidealstate.EdmundSpenserThe“Poet’sPoet”Life:Cambridge–Sidney’sfriend–Ireland–WestminsterAbbeyWorks:TheShepherd’sCalendarTheFaerieQueeneAmoretti[æmə‘reti]爱情小唱TheFaerieQueeneTheplanofthewholepoemisthis:thefaeriequeeneholdsafeastof12days,andoneachdayastrangerindistressappears,claiminghelpagainstadragonorgiantoftyrant.Aknightisassignedtoeachguest,andthe12booksweretodescirbethe12adventures.Further,eachknightrepresentsavirtue,asHoliness,Temperance,Chastity,Friendship,JusticeandCourtesy;andhiswrfarerepresentsthestrifeagainstacontraryvice,asPrideorDespair.Thedominatingthoughtsofthepoemarenationalism,humanismandpuritanismSpenserianStanzaUniversitywitsJohnLyly(1554?-1606)theoldestofthe“universitywits”,wasbornofascholar’sfamily.Attheageof24,hepublishedhisfirstworkoffiction,Euphues,ortheAnataomyofWit.EuphuisticstyleoreuphuismisthepeculiarstyleofEuphues.Itsprinciplecharacteristicsaretheexcessiveuseofantithesis,whichispursuedregardlessofsense,andemphasizedbyalliterationandotherdevices;andofallusionstohistoricalandmythologicalpersonages.Blankverse(无韵诗/素体诗）Alsocalledunryhmedpoetrytypicallyiniambicpentameter.Blan