Piers-the-Plowman

WilliamLangland威廉·兰格伦(1330?—1400?)1.TheMiddleAgeswasfullofdarkness,andtherewerenotmanygreatworks,knownasbarrenness.2.ButtherewasapopularliteraturenamedPiersthePlowman《农夫皮尔斯》whichwaswrittenbyWilliamLangland.IntroductionWilliamLangland1330?—1400?basedonhisworkspoorfamilytookminorordersneverbeapriestLondonsingmassescopylegaldocumentsdooddjobs1362;1363,beganPiersthePlowmanPiersthePlowman《农夫皮尔斯》TheVisionofWilliamconcerningPiersthePlowman《关于农夫皮尔斯的幻想》,1363over7000lines;repeatedrevised;3textsleft;writteninalliterationAlliterationistherepetitionofconsonants,especiallyatthebeginningofwordsorstressedsyllables.“TheyleaptawaytoLondon.TobeclerksoftheKing’sBenchanddespoiltheland.”Alliteration:头韵“Therewanderedahundred,inhoodsofsilk,Serjeants(lawyers)theyseemed,andservedattheBar,PleadingtheLaw,forpenniesandforthepounds.”PiersthePlowmaniswrittenintheoldalliterativeverse:eachlinecontained3alliterativewords,2ofwhichwereplacedinthefirsthalf,andthethirdinthesecondhalf.PiersthePlowmansetsforthaseriesofwonderfuldreams,showingapictureoffeudalEngland.APictureofFeudalEngland1.TheExposureoftheRulingClassesTheauthorsawinhisdreamallsortsofparasites(寄生虫).bishopsanddeacons大主教助祭，副主祭cardinal（天主教）红衣主教idlers:friars,monks,hermits托钵修士隐士religion,personifiedserjeants=lawyerstheKing“TheyleaptawaytoLondon.TobeclerksoftheKing’sBenchanddespoiltheland.”Therewanderedahundred,inhoodsofsilk,Serjeantstheyseemed,andservedattheBar.APictureofFeudalEngland2.TheStoryoftheCatsandRatsIfthecatwaskilled,anotherwouldcomeinitsplace.Letthatcatbe.Thecatisthesymboloftherulingclass.Nointentiontoupsetthefeudalsociety,onlysetitonapropercourse.APictureofFeudalEngland3.TheMarriageofLadyMeed(贿赂夫人)Threemajorcharacters:LadyMeed,theKing,ConscienceWhydidConsciencerefusetomarryLadyMeed?Giveexamples.“Woe(苦恼)betide(降临)me,ifsuchawifeIwed.”ButtheKingbids(orders)themtobereconciled(和解).APictureofFeudalEngland4.TheConditionofthePeasantsWhatisthedescriptionofthelifeofthepoorpeasants?Givesomeexamples.prisonersindungeon(地牢)babies,continuallycryforfoodnarrowroomfewpenniescomein,eatthepenniesupafarthing’sworth(毫无价值的)ofcockles(乌哈)TheSearchforTruthPiers，teachesthem:LaborcanguidethePilgrimagestotherightwaytotheTruth.towerofprison—Hypocrisy&EvilCastleofTruth—GodPilgrimages(7sins)Peasantsarethenearesttothetruthandsalvation(灵魂的拯救)APictureofFeudalEngland6.TheClassNatureofPiersPiersisarepresentativeofthemostoppressedsectionofthepeasantry.Heshowstheconservatismofhispoliticalattitude.Hehasnointentionofupsettingthefeudalsociety,justsettingitonapropercourse.APictureofFeudalEngland7.SocialSignificanceThepoemisaclassicofpopularliteraturethroughoutthe14thandthe15thcentury.ItplayedanimportantroleintheRisingof1381andthecallsofJohnBall.ArtisticFeatures1)PiersthePlowmaniswrittenintheformofadreamvision.Theauthortellshisstoryundertheguiseofhavingdreamedit.2)Thepoemisanallegory(讽喻，寓言)whichrelatestruththroughsymbolism,arealisticpictureofmedievalEngland.ArtisticFeatures3)Itisabookwrittenforthecommonpeopleanditexpressesthesocialdiscontentofthepoor.4)ItpraisestheequalityofmenbeforeGodandthedignityoflabor.ArtisticFeatures5)ThebookoffersreaderswithvividsketchesofLondonlifeofthe14thcentury,inalliteration.6)TheartisticmeritsmaybeshownbyitsportraitsoftheSevenDeadlySins:Pride,Lechery(色鬼),Envy,Wrath,Avarice(贪婪，贪心),Sloth(懒惰)andGlutton(贪食者).Groupwork:SevenDeadlySins:Pride,Lechery(色鬼),Envy,Wrath,Avarice(贪婪，贪心),Sloth(懒惰)Glutton(贪食者)Whatisan“allegory”?Allegory:ataleinverseorproseinwhichcharacters,actions,orsettingsrepresentabstractideasormoralqualities.Thus,anallegoryisastorywithtwomeanings,aliteralmeaningandasymbolicmeaning.Whatis“symbol”?Symbol:anyobject,person,place,oractionthathasameaninginitselfandthatalsostandsforsomethinglargerthanitself,suchasaquality,anattitude,abelief,oravalue.Whatis“symbol”?Aroseisoftenasymbolofloveandbeauty;askullisoftenasymbolofdeath;springandwinteroftensymbolizeyouthandoldage.Inpoetry,poetsoftenworkthroughemotionallypowerfulsymbolsthatsuggestmeaningandmood.ExercisesChoosethebestanswer.1._____defeatedtheEnglishtroopsatHastings.A.Angles,SaxonsandJutesB.GermanicpeoplesC.DanishVikingsD.Normans?DChoosethebestanswer.2.TheAnglo-Saxonperiodendedin____.A.1017B.1042C.1016D.1066?DChoosethebestanswer.3.___calledtheMiddleAgehasbeencalledtheDarkAge.A.theAnglo-SaxonperiodB.theAnglo-NormanperiodC.theAnglo-LatinperiodD.theAnglo-Romanperiod?BChoosethebestanswer.4.____presentsustheverybestpictureofthesociallifeofthe14thcentury.A.PiersthePlowmanB.TheCanterburyTalesC.“Beowulf”D.TheHistoryoftheKingsofBritain?AChoosethebestanswer.5.____isknownasagreatwriterwhovoicesthesocialdiscontentofthepoorandpreachestheequalityofmenandthedignityoflabor.A.RogerBaconB.GeoffreyChaucerC.JohnWycliffeD.WilliamLangland?DChoosethebestanswer.6.Theliteraryworksof_____werewritteninEnglish,Norman-FrenchandLatin.A.Anglo-SaxonperiodB.RomanperiodC.Anglo-NormanperiodD.NormanConquest？CChoosethebestanswer.7._______pushedEnglandintofeudalsociety.A.JuliusCaesarB.ClaudiusC.KingA