英美文学复习笔记整理

英美文学复习笔记整理英国部分TheRenaissancePeriod1.Renaissance:between14thandmid-17thcentury.2.Renaissancemeansrebirthorrevival,isactuallyamovementstimulatedbyaseriesofhistoricalevents,suchastherediscoveryofancientRomanandGreekculture,thenewdiscoveriesingeographyandastrology,thereligiousreformationandtheeconomicexpansion.3.theRenaissance,thereforeinessenceisahistoricalperiodinwhichtheEuropeanhumanistthinkersandScholarsmadeattempttogetridofthoseoldfeudalistideasinMedievalEurope,tointroducenewideasthatexpressedthepurityoftherisingbourgeoisie,andtorecoverthepurityoftheearlychurchfromthecorruptionoftheRomanCatholicchurch.4.HumanismistheessenceoftheRenaissance(1)Capableofindividualdevelopmentinthedirectionofperfection.(2)Theyinhabitedwastheirsnottodespisebytoquestion,exploreandenjoy.(3)ByemphasizingthedignityofhumanbeingandtheImportanceofthepresentlife,theyvoicedtheirbeliefsthatmandidnotonlyhavetherighttoenjoythebeautyofthislife(4)TomasMore,ChristopherMarlowandWilliamShakespearearethebestrepresentativeoftheEnglishhumanist.5Metaphysicalpoetry:Metaphysicalischaracterizedbypassionatethoughtsuccessionofconcentratedimage,exerciseofelaborateingenuityand“wit”,JohnDonewasthefamousoftheMetaphysicalpoet.TheMetaphysicalPoetsweremenoflearningandtoshowtheirlearningwastheirendeavour.EdmundSpencerMasterpiece:TheFaerieQueene(allegory)ChristopherMarloweUniversitywitsImportantplays:Tambulaine,Dr.Faustus,TheJewofMetaEdmundIIMarlowevoicedthesupremedesireofthemanoftheRenaissanceofinfinitepowersandauthority(1)Perfectedtheblankverse.(2)CreationoftheRenaissanceherotoEnglishdrama,itembodiesMarlowe’sidealofhumandignityandcapacity.Dr.Faustus:aspiringforknowledge,theplay’sdominantmoralishumanratherthanreligious,itcelebratesthehumanpassionforknowledge,powerandhappiness,italsorevealsman’sfrustrationinrealizingthehighaspirationinahostilemoralorderandtheconfinementtotimeisthecruelestfactofman’scondition.WilliamShakespeare1.Works:154sonnets,38plays,2longpoemsComedy:MerchantofVenice.24greattragedies:Hamlet,Othello,KingLear,MacbethEachportrayssomenoblehero,whofacetheinjusticeofhumanfateiscloselyconnectedwiththefateofthewholenation,eachherohashisweaknessofnature.Hamlet,themelancholicscholar-prince,facesthedilemmabetweenactionandmind:Othello’sinnerweaknessismadeuseofbytheoutsideevilforce;theoldKingLearwhoisunwillingtototallygiveuphispowermakeshimselfsuffer,fromtreacheryandinfidelity;Macbeth’slustforpowerstirsuphisambitionandleadshimtoincessantcrime.3MerchantofVeniceInthisplay,Shakespearehascreatedtension:ambiguity,aselfconsciousandself-delightingartificethatisatonceintellectuallyexistingandemotionallyengaging.Thesophisticationderivesinpartfromtheplaybetweenhigh,outstandingromanceanddarkfacesofnegatingandhatethetraditionalthemeoftheplayistopraisethefriendshipbetweenAntonioandBassanio,toidealizePortiaasaheroineofgreatbeauty,witandloyalty,andtoexploreinsuitablegreedandbrutalityoftheJew.4Hamlet.Theplayhasthequalitiesofa“blood-and-thunder”thrillerandaphilosophicalexplorationoflifeoflifeanddeath,thetimelessappealofhismightydramaliesinitscombinationofinjustice,emotionalconflictandsearchingphilosophicmelancholy.Hamletisobligedtoinhabitashadowworld,tolivesuspendedbetweenfactandfiction,languageandaction.Hislifeisoneoftheconstantrole-playingexaminingthenatureofactingonlytodenyitspossibility.Forsuchafigure,soliloquyisanaturalmedium,anecessaryreleaseofhisanguish;andsomeofhisquestioningmonologuepossessurpassingpowerandinsight.Byrevealingthepower-seeking,thejostlingforplace,thehiddenmotives,thecourteoussuperficialitiesthatveillustandguilty,Shakespearecondemnsthehypocrisyandtreacheryandgeneralreligiouscorruptingattheroyalcount.FrancisBacon1Masterpiece:Essay;NovumOrganum.2NovumOrganum:mostimpressivedisplayofBeacon’sintellect.Theargumentisfortheuseofinductivenessofreasoninscientificstudy.3Beaconsuggeststheinductivereasoning,i.e,proceedingfromtheparticulartothegeneral,inplaceoftheAristotelianmethod,thedeductivereasoning,i.e.proceedingfromthegeneraltotheparticular.4Beacon’sessayarefamousfortheirbrevity,compactnessandpowerfulness.JohnDoneMetaphysicalpoetryThemoststrikingfeatureofDone’spoetryispreciselyitstangofreality,inthesensethatitseemstoreflectlifeinarealratherthanapoeticalworld..Donefrequentlyappliesconceits.JohnMiltonThreemajorpoeticalworks:Paradiselost,ParadiseRegained,SamsonAgonistsThefreedomofthewillisthekeytoneofMilton.screed.ParadiseLostTheepicisthemasterpieceofJohnMiltonThestoryisdrawnfromtheOldTestamentoftheBible,whichtellshowSatan,afterbeingdefeatedinhisrebelagainstGod,tempsAdamandEvetoeattheapplesfortheForbiddenTree,andcausestheFallofMan.Satan,intheimageofarebel,stilldeterminestofightbackagainstGodwhenheandhisfollowersarecastintotheHell.Thefeaturesofthecharacterincludehisboldness,unbendingambitionandhisunconquerablewill.Thepoem,asinotherwriting,isfullofbiblicalandclassicalallusion,andisinaLatinizedstylewithonesentencerunningperhapsacrossseverallines.But,themajestyofexpressionsuitswellthesublimityofthepoet’sthought.TheNeoclassicPeriod1BetweenthereturnoftheStuartstotheEn