[优质文档]OldandMediEnglishLiterature

1、Old and Medieval English Literature Backgrounds: Three Conquests in England Since historical times, England has been conquered three times. It was conquered by Romans, the Anglo-Saxons, and the Normans. Cultural Influences of the Conquests vEngland was not much affected by the Roman Conquest, but sh

2、e felt the full weight of the other two conquests. vThe Anglo-Saxons brought to England the Germanic language and culture, while the Normans brought a fresh wave of Mediterranean civilization, which incldues Greek culture, Roman law, and the Christian religion. vIt is the cultural influences of thes

3、e two conquests that provided the source for the rise and growth of English literaure. The Rise and Growth of English Literature Old English literature v The period extends from about 450 to 1066, the year of Norman conquest of England. vThe Germanic tribes from the Northern Europe brought with them

4、 not only the Anglo-Saxon language, the basis of Modern English, but also specific poetic tradition, which is both bold and strong, mournful and elegiac in spirit. vGenerally Speaking, the Old English poetry can be dicided into two groups:the religious group and the secular one. vThe religious group

5、 is mainly on biblical themes：Genesis A, Genesis B, and Exodus, are poems based on the Old Testament (旧约); whereas The Dream of the Rood comes from the New Testament (新约). vOld English poets also produced the national epic poem (史诗）, Beowulf, and a number of more or less lyrical poems of shorter len

6、gth, such as The Wanderer, Deor, The Seafarer, and The Wifes Complaint, which do not contain specific Christian doctrines and thus belong to the secular group. Beowulf What is Beowulf about? Beowulf, a typical example of Old English poetry, is regarded as the national epic of Anglo-Saxons. Begning a

7、nd ending with the funeral of a great king, and composed against a background, it descriibes the exploits of a Scandinavian hero, Beowulf, in fighting against the monster Grendel, his revengeful mother, and a fire-breathing dragon. In these sequences Beowulf is shown not only as a glorioous hero but

8、 also as a protector of of the people. What are the themes in Beowulf? Thematically the poem presents a vivid picture of how the primitive prople wage heroic struggles against the hostile forces of the natural world under a wise and mighty leader. The poem is an example of mingling of nature myths a

9、nd heroic legends. Medieval Period in English Literature vWith the Norman Conquest starts the medieval period in English literature.This period covers about four centuries and can be divided into two parts. In the early part of the period, i.e. from 1066 up to the mid-14th century, it was almost a b

10、arren period in literary creation. vIn the second half of the 14th century, English literature started to flourish with the appearance of writers like Geoffery Chaucer, William Langland, John Gower, and others. vCompared with Old English literature, the Middle English literature deals with a wider r

11、ange of subjects uttered by more vocies and in a greater diversity of styles, tones and genres. a. Popular folk literature occupies an important place in this period. Its presentattion of life is not only accurate but also lively and colorful, though the originality of thought is often absent. b. Mi

12、ddle English literature strongly reflects the principles of the medieval Christian doctrin, which were primarily concerned with personal salvation. c.The third popular literary form is Romance which uses narrative verse (韵文） or prose to sing knightly advertures or other heroic deeds. Something About

13、 Romance What is characteristic of Medieval Romance(骑士文学骑士文学)? Characteristics of medieval Engllish literature: Motifs (母题): the quest, the test, the meeting with the evil giant and the encounter with the beautiful beloved; The hero: the knight who sets out on a journey to accomplish some mossions-

14、to protect the church, to attack infidelity, to rescue a madien, to meet a challenge, or to obey a knightly command; A liberal use of the improbable, sometimes even supernatural things, such as mysteries and fantasies; Standardised characterization (人物塑造）; Loose and episodic structure. Why is Romanc

15、e stressed? The importance of the Romance can be seen as a means of showing medieval aristocratic men and women in relation to their idealized view of the world Three Great Middle English poets 1.The best Romance of the period is Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The author is unknown; 2.William Lang

16、land is a more realistic writer, who dealt with the religious and social issues of his day in Piers Plowman; 3. Geoffrey Chaucer is the greatest writer of this period, who presented a comprehensive realistic picture of the English society of his time and created a whole gallery of vivid characters f

17、rom all walks of life in his masterpiece The Canterbury Tales. Geoffrey Chaucers Other literary works: The Romaunt of the Rose The Legend of Good Women The House of Fame Troilus and Criseyde The themes in his works: Individuals relation to the society; Clashes of characters temperaments Conflicts ov

18、er material interests; The comic and ironic effects obtainable from the class distinctions. Chaucers Contribution to English prosody(诗法）and literature vIn The Romaunt of the Rose,he first introduced into English the octosyllabic couplet. vIn The Legend of Good Women, he used for the first time the heroic couplet (英雄双行诗）. vChaucer employed heroic couplet with true ease and charm in The Canterbury Tales for the first time in the history of English literature. vIn Troilus and Criseyde, he gave the world what is virtually the first modern novel. vIn The Canterbury Tales, he developed