英国文学简答题(6页).doc

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1、-英国文学简答题-第 6 页1 Features of Scotts historical novels 1. Scott has on outstanding gift of vivifying the past his novels, which combine historical fact with romantic imagination, give a picturesque representation of various historical personage and events. He was especially versed in portraying Scotti

2、sh history and Scottish characters, but he also was a successful writer on the history of other countries. 2. In his novels, historical events are closely interwoven with the fares of individual life. Besides, the nominal heroes of Scotts novels, usually young men of noble birth are thrown into clos

3、e companionship with ordinary. People and go through a serious of hardships and adventures. This arrangement is convenient to the novelist in depicting characters from various social strata and their fates in historical events. But not a few of these novels are pale figures. 3. When Scott describes

4、historical events, he is concerned not only with the lives and deeds of kings, Statesmen and other historical figures, but is always mindful of the fates of the ordinary people. Hence the numerous pen-portraits of the people from various social positions, which constitute an important characteristic

5、 in Scotts novels. 4. Scott is a romantic. But, besides romantic imagination, he also relies upon careful studies and investigations into the details of historical life. 5. Scotts historical novels paved the way for the development of the realistic novel of the 19th century. In fact, Scotts literary

6、 career marks the transition from romantic to realism in English literature of the 19th century. 2Talk about Samuel Johnsons Dictionary in your own words 1. Some of the definitions in the dictionary are often, quoted to illustrate. Johnsons personality prejudice. 2.But the dictionary as a whole was

7、a great work of scholarship. Johnsons purpose was to make a dictionary by means of which the pronunciation of our language may be fixed, and its attainment facilitated; by which its purity may be preserved, its use ascertained and its duration lengthened. 3.Though the dictionary has been displaced b

8、y latter ones, it worked an epoch in the study of the English language. 4.His Dictionary also worked the end of English writers reliance on the patronage of noblemen for support.3The features of the works of romanticist 1.The general feature of the works of the romanticists is dissatisfaction with t

9、he bourgeois society, which finals expression in a revolt against or an escape from the prosaic life. Their writing is filled with strong willed heroes. Formidable, events, tragic, situations, powerful, Conflicting Passions, and exotic pictures. 2.Sometimes they resort to symbolic methods. 3.The rom

10、anticists paid great attention to the spiritual and emotional life of man, Nature often personified, also plays important role in their works. 4.Poetry of course is the best medium to express all these sentiments. In fact, all the romanticists mentioned above were poets. The Romantic Period was one

11、of poetical revival.4Whats Byronic hero? Byronic hero who are men with fiery passions and unbending will and express the poets own ideal of freedom. These heroes rise against tyranny and injustice, but they are merely love fighters striving for personal freedom and some individualistic ends5Promethe

12、us Unbound 1.Shelleys masterpiece is Prometheus Unbound a lyrical drama in if acts. 2.According to Greek myth, Prometheus stole fire from heaven and taught men how to use it. The figure of Prometheus has been symbolic of those noble-hearted revolutionaries who devote themselves to the just cause of

13、the people and suffer, great pains at the hands of tyrants. 3.The plot of Shelleys drama is borrowed from Prometheus Bound a play of the Greek tragedian Aeschylus 4.But Shelly give the myth his own interpretation 5.In this poem Prometheus represents mankind itself. And Zeus, a symbol of all reaction

14、ary institutions. To Shelly, the image of Prometheus unites four no use qualities: mans shaping intellect, his heroic endurance the definition against tyranny and the love of mankind mother Earth gives him strength to endure all suffering and sends the spirits of heroes and martyrs to cheer him. His

15、 bride Asia the spirit of love and goodness awaits him in the distance Prometheus is released by Herlus the hero of great strength. 6.Prometheus bound becomes Prometheus Unbound. This symbolizes the victory for mains struggle against tyranny and oppression. 6Why did Chaucer become the founder of Eng

16、lish poetry? 1 Chaucers learning was wide in scope 2he obtained good knowledge of Latin, French 3then his dilomatic missions to Italy enables him to study the poems of dunte, Petrarch and Boccaccio, famous Italian writers of the renaissance period, which were later to have profound influence upon hi

17、s writing. 4besides, he was an ardent admirer of Latin outhors, having studded many of the philosophical works prevailing in the Middle Ages 5 he also has knowledge of astronomy, Chaucer acquired an abundant knowledge of the world, which is essential for a writer, so no man of his day could have bee

18、n better equipped, socially and intellectually, to be the founder of English poetry 7 Comment on Chaucers literary career 1 it is interesting to find that his literary career can also be divided into three periods, corresponding with the stages of his life 2 the first period consist of works transla

19、ted from French, as The Romaunt of the Rose 3 the second consist of works adapted from the Italian, as Troilus and Criseyde 4the third includes The Canterbury Tales, which is purely English. 5in the French period, the author is trying his hand on meter, on language, on subject 6 In the Italian perio

20、d, the poets own creativeness shows itself through borrowed themes 7 in the third period, the poet is no longer the mere interpreter of other poets 8he has his own choice if subject, his own grasp of character and his own diction and plot 8How did Chaucer link the tales together? 1 various in kind a

21、s these stones are the poet succeeded in linking them together through two ways. 2the personality of the host affords a clear string of connection from the first to the last tale, he gives a unity to the whole work, inviting, critizing, admiring, denouncing, but always keeping himself in evidence. 3

22、 then there is an intimate connection between the tales and the prologue, both of which complement each other. It is of greast importance to read the corresponding portion of full dramatic, narrative and pictorial effect of work 9 Talk about Chaucers achievement in English literature 1 Chaucers cont

23、ribution to English poetry lies chiefly in the fact that he introduced from France the rhymed stanza of various types. especially the rhymed couplet of 5 accents in iambic meter to English poetry , instead of the old Anglo-Saxon alliterative verse 2 he is the first great poet who wrote in the Englis

24、h language. His production of so much excellent poetry was an important factor in establishing English as the literary language of the country, the spoken English of the time , consisted of several dialects, and Chaucer did much in making the dialect of London the standard for the modern English spe

25、ech. 10 Analyze the image of henry V in your own words 1 henry V is the symbol of Shakespeares ideal kingship he represents the up surging patriotism of the time , in depicting henry V as a prince and as a man Shakespeare looks deep into the personality of his hero and shows a profound understanding

26、 of politics and social life of the time 2 henry V describes prince Hal as a budding statesman, At the outset, he is shown to be a prodigal son. Keeping company with sir John Falstaff, and other disreputable person and enjoying a low, riotous with them 3 though leading a riotous life , Henry is cool

27、headed and has a strong will, He keeps half an eye on the chance of political success, when he is called by his father to lead the army, he enlists Falstaff as a companion in arms 4 after the battle, prince henry resume his old ways of life again 5 on his fathers advice, henry V makes war with Franc

28、e in order to prevent his nobles from making trouble. But before the war, he sees to it that everything goes well at home, he crushes a conspiracy of some noble lords to assassinate him and 11 Why is Shakespeare one of the founders of realism in world literature? 1Shakespeare is one of the founders

29、of realism in world literature, he insists on principle of realism. Shakespeare faithfully characters in his plays, the major social contradictions of his time 2thus, his historical plays describe the decaying of the old feudal nobility and rising of the new Tudor monarchy which represented teeth in

30、terests of English merchants and well-to-do citizens 3his comedies paint, in bright colors, the life and love of the young men and women just freed from the features of feudalism 4meanwhile, his great tragedies, in the main, depict the life and-death struggle between the humanists and the dark power

31、 of the time 12 Shakespeare has been universally acknowledged to be the summit of the English renaissance, and one of the great .why? 1shakespeare is one of the founders of realism in world literature and he insists on the principle of realism 2 though his character are often clothed in old, foreign

32、 dresses, their thoughts and feelings belong to Shakespeares own time, and so his drama becomes a monument of the English renaissance , Shakespeare wrote about his own people and for his own time. 3shakespeares long experience with the stage and his intimate knowledge of dramatic art thus acquired m

33、ake him a master hand for playwriting, under his hand drama becomes very elastic, in order to reproduce the various aspects of real life, Shakespeare often combines the majestic with the funny, the poetic with the prosaic, and the tragic with the comic, his character also bear this manifold quality

34、4 Shakespeare was skilled in many poetic forms .the Song the sonnet the couplet and the dramatic blank verse, in his hand, it becomes a most flexible means of expression to utter all the possible thoughts, and feelings of his 5 Shakespeare was a great master of the English language. He commanded a v

35、ocabulary larger than any other English writer , Shakespeare and the authorized version of the English Bible are the two great treasuries of the English renaissance, and one of the greatest writers the world over. 13 Talk about Shakespeares sonnets in gaur own words 1 in 1609 appeared Shakespeares s

36、onnets, never before imprinted, the collection contains 154 sonnets 2 they may be roughly divided into three groups, numbers 1-17 are variations on one theme, a handsome young man is being persuaded to many and beget offspring who will preserve his beauty in a new generation, though he himself will

37、lose it as he grows old, gradually this theme gives place to the ideal that the beloved youth will survive through the poets verse. 3 numbers 18-126 are on a variety of themes, associated with a handsome young man, the poet enjoys his friendship and is full of admiration promising to bestow immortal

38、ity on the young man by the poems he writes in his honors 4then begins a new series, principally about a married woman with dark hair and complexion , the so called “dark lady of the sonnets” 5 for all that ,all critics unite in praising these sonnets for a variety of virtues , they express strong f

39、eeling , they have a density of thought and imagery that makes them seem the quiet essence of the poetical experience, they delight by a felicity of phrase and verse movement, they also afford thee reads hints of Shakespeares personality and personal life. 14 What it the significance of Pamela in En

40、glish literature? 1 Samuel Richardsons first book Pamela tells of a virtuous servant girls resistance to the attempts for young master and her final reward of honorable matrimony with the man. 2 In this novel for the first time, Richardson gave a detail description of the English family life in the

41、18th century. There is not much action in the story. The author chiefly describes and analyses the thoughts and especially the feelings of the heroine in great detail. 3 the chief contribution of this novel to the development of the English novel lies in the penetrating psychological study of the he

42、roine employed for the first tine in the English prose fiction. 4 Pamela is written in the form of an epistolary novel. 15 Why is Pamela the first English psycho-analytical novel? Pamela was a new thing in three ways:1 firstly, it discarded the “improbable and marvelous” accomplishments of the forme

43、r heroic romances, and pictured the life and love of ordinary people 2 secondly, its described not only the sayings and doing of characters but also their secret thoughts and feelings 3 thirdly, it described not only the saying and doings of character but also their secret thoughts and feelings. It

44、was, in fact the first English psycho-analytical novel. 16 What is Parson Adams in Joseph Andrew like? 1 he is ever ready to help the weak and oppressed. But he is scoffed at and victimized by the vulgar and worldly-wise persons. 2 despite his rustic appearance, this parson is a man of extraordinary

45、 learning 3 he is the most absent-minded man in the world. His capacity for missing his way and losing himself is also wonderful 4 but, in spite of all his weaknesses, Parson Adams is a good man. He specially loves poor and humble people, because he himself is poor and upright. He always keeps his d

46、ignity. 5 it is this truthfulness and uprightness that give the character of Parson Adams a peculiar beauty 6 in fact, he is the most outstanding character in the novel 17 Tell the characteristics of Tom Jones 1 tom Jones, the fondling, is a handsome young man. He is frank and open, kind, disinteres

47、ted, and, through quick-tempered, devoid of malice. His outstanding quality is “good nature “and “goodness of heart” 2 he is never an indifferent spectator of the misery or happiness of anyone. He would not willingly inflict even the most trifling hurt on anybody 3good- hearted as he is Tom is very

48、far from being a model character; he lives by impulse, not by reason. Dominated by the emotion that chances to be uppermost passions, here the authors intention is to show that even a good man may commit mistakes and be easily led astray, but by virtue of his innate goodness, he is not corrupted and

49、 eventually overcomes his weakness. 4tom is not radically vicious, but good-natured and honest in the main, his waywardness and imprudence is the result of his unhappy early life passed among unsympathetic people. 18 What are the features of Fieldings novels? 1fieldings method of relating a story, it enables thee author to develop his narrative in