英美文学选读串讲.doc

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1、需要掌握的重点：英美文学发展史及代表作家的简要介绍和作品选读。英美两国文学各个历史时代的主要历史背景、文学文化思潮、文学流派、社会政治、经济、文化等对文学发展的影响，主要作家的文学生涯，创作思想，艺术特色及其代表作品的主题结构、人物刻画、语言风格、思想意义等。Part one English LiteratureAn Introduction to Old and Medieval English Literature1. Social Background: (paragraph one)early inhabitants: Celtsthree conquests greatly affe

2、cted English literatureRomans conquestsAnglo-Saxons: Germanic language and cultureNorman: Mediterranean civilizationSupplementary material:Anglo-Saxon is a general term that refers to the Germanic settlers who came to Britain during the 5th and 6th centuries. Anglo Saxon also refers to the language

3、spoken at the time in England, which is now called Old English, and to the culture of the era, which has long attracted popular and scholarly attention.Anglo-Saxon language is the basis of Modern EnglishThe Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William

4、, Duke of Normandy, who became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating the then king Harold II of England. By early 1071, William had secured control of most of England, although rebellions and resistance continued to approximately 108

5、8.The Norman conquest was a pivotal event in English history. It largely removed the native ruling class, replacing it with a foreign, French-speaking monarchy, aristocracy, and clerical hierarchy. This, in turn, brought about a transformation of the English language and the culture of England in a

6、new era.2. Old English Literature Extends from 450 to 1066Old English poems (paragraph two)2.1 religious group: biblical theme Example: The Dream of the RoodSupplementary material The Dream of the Rood is one of the earliest Christian poems in the corpus of Old English literature. Like most Old Engl

7、ish poetry, it is written in alliterative verse. Rood is from the Old English rod pole, specifically crucifix 十字架. Preserved in the 10th century, the poem may be considerably older, even one of the oldest works of Old English literature.2.2 secular group: national epic poemexample: Beowulf： national

8、 epic of the Anglo-Saxons（paragraph two and three）epic: An epic (from the Ancient Greek) is a lengthy narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation.3. Medieval English Literature3.1. Background: Norman Conques

9、tthree important changes in society：3.2. Medieval period: 1066 Mid-14th century3.3 three greatest poets3.3.1 John Gower: romance3.3.2 William Langland: realistic 3.3.3 Chaucer 3.3.3.1 LifeGeoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343 25 October 1400), known as the Father of English literature, is widely considered the

10、greatest English poet of the Middle Ages. Among his many works, which include The Book of the Duchess, the House of Fame, the Legend of Good Women and Troilus and Criseyde, he is best loved today for The Canterbury Tales. Chaucer is a crucial figure in developing the legitimacy of the vernacular方言,

11、Middle English, at a time when the dominant literary languages in England were French and Latin. 3.3.3.2 theme of his works: mans right, humanism3.3.3.3 important works3.3.3.4 contribution to English literature: Father of English literaturestanza, octosyllabic couplet, heroic couplet, first modern n

12、ovel 3.3.3.5 the Canterbury TalesThe Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer at the end of the 14th century. The tales (mostly in verse, although some are in prose) are told as part of a story-telling contest by a group of pilgrims as they travel tog

13、ether on a journey from Southwark to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral. The Canterbury Tales was Chaucers magnum opus. He uses the tales and the descriptions of the characters to paint an ironic and critical portrait of English society at the time, and particularly of the Chu

14、rch. It is sometimes argued that the greatest contribution that this work made to English literature was in popularizing the literary use of the vernacular, English, rather than French or Latin.3.3.3.6 the heroic couplet 英雄史诗式两行诗（每句有五音步十音节,互相押韵）A heroic couplet is a traditional form for English poet

15、ry, commonly used for epic and narrative poetry; it refers to poems constructed from a sequence of rhyming pairs of iambic pentameter lines. Use of the heroic couplet was first pioneered by Geoffrey Chaucer in the Legend of Good Women and the Canterbury Tales.Chaucer is also widely credited with fir

16、st extensive use of iambic pentameter.A frequently-cited example:O could I flow like thee, and make thy streamMy great example, as it is my theme!Though deep yet clear, though gentle yet not dull;Strong without rage, without oerflowing full.3.4 popular folk literature 3.4.1 Feature: lack of original

17、ity; medieval Christian doctrine with personal salvation3.4.2 Romance: the main literature form of Middle AgeLiteral term: As a literary genre of high culture (高雅文化), romance or chivalric romance（中世纪骑士故事） is a style of heroic prose and verse narrative that was popular in the aristocratic circles of

18、High Medieval and Early Modern Europe. They were fantastic stories about marvel-filled adventures, often of a knight errant（周游） portrayed as having heroic qualities, who goes on a quest. Originally, romance literature was written in Old French, Anglo-Norman, later, in English and German. Form: narra

19、tive verse or proseTheme: knightly adventures or heroic deeds; romantic loveStructure and language Chapter 1 The Renaissance Period1. Synopsis1.1 Renaissance Time span: extends from 14th century to mid-17th centuryOrigin：ItalyField： painting，sculpture and literatureSocial Background:Bourgeoisie is r

20、ising; get rid of feudalist ideas; recover the purity of clear church,Renaissance in essence: humanism1.2 Renaissance in England1.2.1 Before Renaissance came to England: domestic unrest Example: the War of RosesThe Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic civil wars for the throne of England foug

21、ht between supporters of two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet: the houses of Lancaster and York (the red and the white rose, respectively). They were fought in several sporadic(零星的) episodes between 1455 and 1485 The final victory went to a relatively remote Lancastrian claimant, Hen

22、ry Tudor, who defeated the last Yorkist king Richard III and married Edward IVs daughter Elizabeth of York to unite the two houses. The House of Tudor subsequently ruled England and Wales for 117 years.The name Wars of the Roses refers to the badges associated with the two royal houses, the White Ro

23、se of York and the Red Rose of Lancaster. It is not thought to have been used during the time of the wars. Rather, it came into common use in the nineteenth century after the publication of Anne of Geierstein by Sir Walter Scott.1.2.2 The beginning of Renaissance in EnglandThe reign of Henry VIIIHen

24、ry VIII (28 June 1491 28 January 1547) was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. Henry was the second monarch of the House of Tudor, succeeding his father, HenryVII.Besides his six marriages, Henry VIII is known for his role in the separation of the Church of England from the Catholic

25、Church. Henrys struggles with Rome led to the separation of the Church of England from papal authority and establishing himself as the Supreme Head of the Church of England. Yet he remained a believer in core Catholic theological teachings, even after his excommunication from the Catholic Church. Hi

26、s desire to provide England with a male heirwhich stemmed partly from personal vanity and partly because he believed a daughter would be unable to consolidate the Tudor Dynasty and the fragile peace that existed following the Wars of the Rosesled to the two things that Henry is remembered for: his w

27、ives, and the English Reformation that made England a mostly Protestant nation. In later life he became morbidly(病态的) obese and his health suffered; his public image is frequently depicted as one of a lustful, egotistical, harsh and insecure king.1.3 The Essence of RenaissancehumanismEnglish humanis

28、t: Thomas More, Christopher Marlow and William Shakespeare1.4 Religious Reformation1.4.1 Martin Luther 1.4.2 Religious reformation in EnglandThe English Reformation started in the reign of Henry VIII. The English Reformation was to have far reaching consequences in Tudor England. Henry VIII decided

29、to rid himself of his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, after she had failed to produce a male heir to the throne. He had already decided who his next wife would be - Anne Boleyn. By 1527, Catherine was considered too old to have anymore children. However, a divorce was not a simple issue. Henry VIII

30、 was a Roman Catholic and the head of this church was the pope based in Rome.The Roman Catholic faith believed in marriage for life. It did not recognise, let alone support, divorce. The Roman Catholic Church simply did not allow it.This put Henry VIII in a difficult position. If he went ahead and a

31、nnounced that as king of England he was allowing himself a divorce, the pope could excommunicate (逐出教会) him. Another approach Henry used was to make a special appeal to the pope so that he might get a special Papal Dispensation(豁免). This meant that the pope would agree to Henrys request for a divorc

32、e purely because Henry was king of England but that it would not affect the way the Catholic Church banned divorce for others. The pope refused to grant Henry this and by 1533 his anger was such that he ordered the Archbishop of Canterbury to grant him a divorce so that he could marry Anne Boleyn.Th

33、is event effectively leads to England breaking away from the Roman Catholic Church based in Rome. Henry placed himself as head of the church and in that sense, in his eyes, his divorce was perfectly legal. In 1533, few were brave enough to tell him otherwise!1.5 English Renaissance1.5.1 first period

34、: poems affected by Italy1.5.2 mainstream: Elizabethan drama famous dramatists: Christopher Marlowe, William Shakespeare and Ben Johnson2. Representatives2.1 Edmund SpenserMasterpiece: The Faerie Queene The Faerie Queene is an incomplete English epic poem by Edmund Spenser. The Faerie Queene is nota

35、ble for its form: it was the first work written in Spenserian stanza and is one of the longest poems in the English language. It is an allegorical work, written in praise of Queen Elizabeth I. In a completely allegorical context, the poem follows several knights in an examination of several virtues.

36、 As it was published in 1596, the epic presented the following virtues:Book I: HolinessBook II: TemperanceBook III: ChastityBook IV: FriendshipBook V: JusticeBook VI: CourtesyFive qualities of his poetry:Spenserian stanza: 2.2 Christopher MarloweUniversity wits:“大学才子派”是指16世纪80年代英国出现的一批受过大学教育的剧作家。他们多

37、数确实是大学毕业生，至少是在伦敦最优秀的学校接受过人文主义教育的青年知识分子。这一批作家致力于英国戏剧改革，把戏剧艺术提升到了一个新高度。该文学流派主要包括克里斯托夫马洛（Christopher Marlowe）、李利（John Lyly）、基德（Thomas Kyd）、格林（Robert Greene）等人。伊丽莎白时代的戏剧经过“大学才子”们的创作实践，题材不断扩大，技巧也更趋成熟，至莎士比亚而集大成。马洛（15641593）是“大学才子”中最有才华、成就最大的一个，在文学史上享有“诗剧的晨星”、“英国悲剧之父”的美誉。他是莎士比亚以前英国戏剧界最重要的人物，也是英国文艺复兴戏剧的真正创始

38、人。马洛与莎士比亚生于同一年，故乡是古老的坎特伯雷（Canterbury）城。他的父亲是一个鞋匠，马洛的出身寒微与莎士比亚十分相似，但他却在莎士比亚被迫辍学的同时幸运地进入了剑桥大学，得以系统地学习拉丁文、希腊文和神学课程，这为他早莎士比亚一步从事戏剧与诗歌创作并声名鹊起奠定了基础。就在莎士比亚恋爱、结婚、生子的那段日子里，马洛连续拿到了艺术学士和硕士两个学位。父母本希望他做一名神父，可是马洛天性狂放不羁，既无心献身神坛，也不愿走上仕途。他那份独异的才情使他毕业后步入了戏剧的殿堂。马洛是一位戏剧天才，23岁便写出了第一部作品帖木儿（Timur），立刻轰动了整个英国文坛。帖木儿是一部英雄剧，塑造

39、了一个叱咤风云却又野心勃勃的征服者形象，充分体现了文艺复兴时期的巨人精神。剧中的帖木儿和马洛本人一样，是个热情的自由思想者。在这部史诗般宏伟的悲剧中，回响着文艺复兴时期一个典型的主题：歌颂人间的生活，现世的快乐。这个剧本被认为是英国的人文主义戏剧繁荣的发端。帖木儿的巨大成功，激励着马洛立即又写出了浮士德博士的悲剧史（The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus）和马耳他岛的犹太人（The Jew of Malta）等剧。前者以浮士德博士对知识与经济的渴求与获取为题材，后者则表现了作者对人类的另一种探求金钱的批判。马洛以创作壮丽激荡的悲剧见长，他的所有作品都是在5

40、年之内完成的。马洛用自己的天才使英国戏剧在短短几年之内便一下子提高到了真正艺术品的水平，为后人留下了宝贵的精神财富。1593年，也就是马洛29岁那年，在伦敦郊区的一家酒吧里，马洛遇到了三个熟人，其中一个是秘密警察。在酒后付钱而引起的角斗中，马洛被其中的一个人刺中要害，当场殒命。就这样，英国文坛上一个年轻而有价值的生命像流星划过夜空，转瞬即逝。直到1925年，美国的雷斯里霍特逊（Leslie Hotson）教授在英国的档案库（Public Record Office）中发现了一份文件，其中记载道，马洛是被伊丽莎白女王的秘密厅杀害的，当时有一位秘密警察波莱（Robert Poley）在场。至此，马

41、洛之死才真相大白。Masterpiece: Marlowes achievements: blank versethe medium of English drama; creation of hero for English dramaindividualistic and full of ambition; theme-humanistic ideal of human dignity and capacity;2.3 William Shakespeare2.3.1 life2.3.2 dramatic careerPeriod I: apprenticeshipPeriod II: s

42、tyle and approach became highly individualizedPeriod III: greatest tragedies or so-called dark comediesPeriod IV: romantic tragicomedies2.3.3 Shakespeares poetryNarrative poems and sonnets2.3.4 Masterpieces2.3.4.1 history playHenry VIII2.3.4.2 romantic comediesThe Merchant of Venice2.3.4.3 romantic

43、tragedyRomeo and JulietThe play, set in Verona, begins with a street brawl between Montague and Capulet supporters who are sworn enemies. The Prince of Verona intervenes and declares that further breach of the peace will be punishable by death. Later, Count Paris talks to Capulet about marrying his

44、daughter, but Capulet is wary of the request because Juliet is only thirteen. Capulet asks Paris to wait another two years and invites him to attend a planned Capulet ball. Lady Capulet and Juliets nurse try to persuade Juliet to accept Pariss courtship.Meanwhile, Benvolio talks with his cousin Rome

45、o, Lord Montagues son, about Romeos recent depression. Benvolio discovers that it stems from unrequited infatuation for a girl named Rosaline, one of Capulets nieces. Persuaded by Benvolio, Romeo attends the ball at the Capulet house in hopes of meeting Rosaline. However, Romeo instead meets and fal

46、ls in love with Juliet. After the ball, in what is now called the balcony scene, Romeo sneaks into the Capulet courtyard and overhears Juliet on her balcony vowing her love to him in spite of her familys hatred of the Montagues. Romeo makes himself known to her and they agree to be married. With the

47、 help of Friar Laurence, who hopes to reconcile the two families through their childrens union, they are secretly married the next day.Juliets cousin Tybalt, incensed that Romeo had sneaked into the Capulet ball, challenges him to a duel. Romeo, now considering Tybalt his kinsman, refuses to fight.

48、Mercutio is offended by Tybalts insolence, as well as Romeos vile submission, and accepts the duel on Romeos behalf. Mercutio is fatally wounded when Romeo attempts to break up the fight. Grief-stricken and wracked with guilt, Romeo confronts and slays Tybalt.Montague argues that Romeo has justly executed Tybalt for the murder of Mercutio. The Prince, now having lost a kinsman in the warring families feud, exiles Romeo from Verona and declares that if Romeo returns, that hour is his last. Romeo secretly spends the night in Juliets ch