英国文学史学生笔记

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Partone:EarlyandMedievalEnglishLiterature

HistoricalBackground

Whendoesearlyandmedievalperiodreferto?

“Early”heremeansEnglishliteratureinprimitiveandslaverysociety.

“Medieval”meansEnglishliteratureinfeudalEnglandbeforetheRenaissance.

2.Whatmaineventshappenedduringthisperiod?

RomanconquestEnglishconquestNormanconquest

LiteratureAchievementsinoldEnglishperiod

1.twogroupsofEnglishpoetryinAnglo-Saxonperiod.Thefirstgroupwasthepagan（异教徒）poetryrepresentedbyBeowulf,thesecondwasthereligiouspoetryrepresentedbytheworksofCaedmonandCynewulf.

2.Inthe8thcentury,Anglo-Saxonproseappeared.ThefamousprosewritersofthatperiodwereVenerableBedeandAlfredtheGreat.

VenerableBede:isthefirstscholarandchronicler（年代史编者）inEngland.Themostimportantworks:TheEcclesiasticalHistoryoftheEnglishPeople.

AlfredtheGreat:startedtheAnglo-SaxonChronicle.

Beowulf

Definitionofepic（史诗）:anextendednarrativepoem（叙事诗）inelevatedordignifiedlanguage,celebratingthefeatsofalegendaryortraditionalhero.

StoryofBeowulf:P3-4

Questions:1.setting:2.characters:3.plot

III.Someimportantpoints

“Beowulf”isafolklegendbroughttoEnglandbyAnglo-Saxonsfromtheircontinentalhomes.Howeveritalsoreflectedthefeaturesofthetribalsociety（部落社会）inBritain.

OriginallyBeowulf,thegreatepic,wasinoralformanditmustbeacollectivecreation.

Beowulfintheepicisalegendaryfigure.InformalhistoryyoucannotfindamannamedBeowulf.

IV.Artisticfeaturesof“Beowulf’’

1.Usingalliteration

Definitionofalliteration:Wordsbeginningwiththesameconsonantsalliteratewitheachotherwithineachline.Eachlineofversemaycontainanindefinitenumberofwordsorsyllablesbutgenerallyhasfourstresses,withapausebetweenthesecondandthethirdstresses.

2.·Usingmetaphorandunderstatement

Definitionofunderstatement:expressingsomethinginacontrolledway

UnderstatementisatypicalwayforEnglishmentoexpresstheirideas.

LiteraryFeaturesoftheAnglo-SaxonPeriod

1)secular(非宗教的)poetry,nonreligiouspoemsbutwithChristiancoloring;

2)createdcollectivelyandorally;

3)basedonhistory,legendoreventsofthetime;

4)forentertainment;

5)unknownwriters,writtendownbythemonksinthe10thcentury

LiteratureachievementinMiddleEnglishPeriod

1.Romance:(fornoble)

2.Ballads（民歌）:(folkliterature)(oral)(forEnglishpeople)

3.Poetry:

1)WilliamLangland(popularliterature)

2)Chaucer(thefounderofEnglishliterature)

Romance:

ItisthemostprevailingkindofliteratureinEnglandonfeudalperiod.Itisalongcomposition,inverseorinprose.Itdescribesthelifeandadventuresofanoblehero.ThecentralthemeisloyaltytoKingandLord.ThecodeofmannersandmoralsofaknightisChivalry（骑士精神）.ThemostimportantromanceisKingArthurandhisknightsoftheRoundTable.

2.Ballads:

ItisthemostimportantformofEnglishfolkliterature.

Itisastorytoldinsong,usuallyin4-linestanzaswiththesecondandfourthlinerhymed.

Itisaliteratureofcommonpeople,(mainlytheliteratureofthepeasants)fromthemoneisabletounderstandtheoutlookoftheEnglishcommonpeopleinfeudalsociety.

ItflourishedinEnglandinthe15thcentury.

ThemostimportantballadsinEnglandareRobinHood.

3.Poetry

WilliamLangland:

a.life:

b.content:

1.attackonthecorruptionoftherichandthewickednessofclergy

2.thepoliticalsituationofthetime

3.searchfortruth

4.attackonthesevenDeadlySins（七宗罪）:

(pride,lechery(色欲），envy,wrath,avarice,glutton,sloth)

c.Socialsignificance:

1.aclassicofpopularliterature

2.kindledthetoilingpeople’ssenseofhumandignityandequalitybeforeGod

3.arousingrevolutionarysentiment

d.artisticfeatures:

1.Itiswrittenintheformofadreamvision.

2.Itisanallegory（寓言）whichrelatestruththroughsymbolism.Butinthemain,itisarealisticpictureofmedievalEngland.

3.Thepoemusessatire（讽刺）inhisdescriptionofsocialabusescausedbythecorruption

4.Thepoemiswritteninalliteration.

5.languagestyle:livelyspeechofthecountryside,bluntandunpolishedwords.

GeoffreyChaucer

I.HisLife

Borninawinemerchant’sfamily

Triptothecontinentondiplomaticmissions,twoofwhichtookhimtoItaly

BuriedinWestminsterAbbey,thepoets’corner

Politicalbackground:relationwithJohnofGaunt

II.LiteraryCareer:

Frenchperiod:TheBookoftheDuchess

Italianperiod:worksadaptedfromtheItalian:TroilusandCriseyde

Englishperiod:TheCanterburyTales

Hereachedmaturityandwasfreefromdominantforeigninfluence.

III.Hisworks:

TheBookoftheDutchess《公爵夫人之书》

TheHouseofFame《声誉之堂》

TheParliamentofFowls《百鸟议会》

TheCanterburyTales《坎特伯雷故事集》

TroilusandCriseyde《特罗勒斯和克莱西》

TroilusandCriseyde

ItisbasedonapoembyBoccaccio,hislongestpoem,writtenintherhymedroyal(君王体）(aseven-linestanzainiambicpentameterrhymingababbcc.)

TheCanterburyTales

Questions:

1.theorganizationofthebook(therelationshipbetweenthegeneralprologueandeachtale)

2.ThemainfeaturesofChaucer’snarration

3.TheimageofWifeofBath

Basicinformation

Form:mostofthetalesarewritteninheroiccouplet

Setting:TabardInn

Characters:typesofliterature:courtlyromance,folktale.,beastfable,storyoftravelandadventure,saint’slife,allegoricaltale,sermon,alchemicalaccount.

Language:MiddleEnglish,vivid,exact,word-pictures

Length:plannedtobe120stories.TheGeneralprologue,20completetales,4fragments,separateprologuestoeachtalewithlinks,comments,quarrels,etc.inbetween.

Arrangement:linkedthroughthehost’scommentsandprologue.twoways:thepersonalityofthehostaffordsaclearstringofconnectionfromthe1sttothelasttale.Thereisanintimateconnectionbetweenthetalesandprologue.

Typicalcharacters:almostallmedievalfiguresfromdifferentsidesoflifeexceptnobleandserfs（农奴）.

CharacterofthewifeofBath：theownerofaclothfactory,light-hearted,merry,somewhatvulgarandtalkative.alengthyaccountofherfeelingsaboutmarriage.

TheCanterburyTales’significance

reflectionofhistimes---apanoramicview（全景）ofhiscontemporarylife;reflectionofhishumanistidea----heexposedtheevilsofthechurch,thecorruptionoftheupperclass,praiseman’sintellectandlove;heaffirmsmenandwomen’srighttopursuetheirhappinessandopposethedogma（教条）ofasceticism（禁欲主义）preachedbychurch.

IV.Chaucer’scontributions:

Forerunnerofhumanism

Thefirstrealisticwriter

FatherofEnglishpoetry

MasteroftheEnglishlanguage

PartTwo:TheEnglishRenaissance

1.RenaissanceinEurope

a.Itbeganinthe14thcenturyinItaly.

b.nature:aculturalandintellectualmovement

c.content:therearoseacurrentforthestudyofGreekandLatinauthors;ageneraldissatisfactionatthecatholic（天主教）andfeudalideas.

d.twostriking（显著的）features:curiosityforclassicalliterature

interestintheactivitiesofhumanity

II.HistoricalBackground

TheestablishmentofTudorDynasty(1485-1603)

ReligiousReformation

TheestablishmentofProtestantism（新教）

Commercialexpansionabroad

ThewarwithSpain(Englishbourgeoisie资产阶级foughtforexistenceandpower)

III.RenaissanceandHumanism

Humanism

Nature:aliteraryandphilosophicalsystemofthoughtwhichattempttoplacetheaffairsofmankindatthecenterofitsconcerns.

Origin:inItaly

Source:basedonanewreadingofGreekandRomanliterature,andanaffirmationoftheimportanceofPlatonicphilosophy（柏拉图哲学）andreinterpretationofthewritingsofAristotle（亚里士多德）.

Idea:Ittookthelifeofmaninthepresenceasamajorinterest.

HumanismwasoneofthemostimportantfactorsgivingrisetotheRenaissance.Itisanattituderatherthanaphilosophy.

ThemaintraitsoftheRenaissanceLiterature

a.Itschiefcharacteristicistheexpressionofsecular（世俗的）valueswithmaninsteadofGodasthecenteroftheuniverse.

b.Itemphasizesthedignityofman,affirmsandeulogizes（颂扬）thevalueofman.

c.Itadvocatesthefullexpressionofindividualismandthefulfillmentofone’sabilitiesagainstthedespoticruleofthefeudalism.

d.Itaffirmsthedelightofearthlyachievementaswellasmen’sdesireforhappinessandpleasure.

Poetry

TwopoetsbeforetheElizabethanAge:

ThomasWyatt;HenryHoward

a.sonnet:anexactformofpoetryin14linesofiambicpentameter（五步抑扬格）rhymed,introducedtoEnglandfromItalybySirThomasWyattandHenryHoward,EarlofSurrey.

b.Surrey:thefirstEnglishblankverse,theformofpoetrytobelatermasterlyhandledbyShakespeareandMilton.

c.thesongsandsonnetsbyWyattandSurreywasthefirstanthologyofEnglishlyricpoems.

II.TwopoetsoftheElizabethanAge

1.PhilipSidney

a.life:well-knownasapoetandcriticofpoetry.HeisSpencer’sfriend.SpencerwroteShepherd’sCalendartodedicatetohim.Hewasacourtier,ascholarandsoldier.

b.hiscollectionoflovesonnets:AstrophelandStella

c.criticism:

ApologyforPoetry:representthespiritofliterarycriticismoftheRenaissance.

2.EdmundSpencer

a.life:aminornoblefamily,goodeducation,thePoet’spoet（诗人的诗人）,buriedinWestminsterAbbey.

b.works:

1)TheShepherds’calendar

2)Amoretti：asequenceof88sonnets,containingSpencer’slovepoemstohisfuturewife,ElizabethBoyle.

Question:whataremostfamoussonnetsequences（十四行诗）oftheElizabethanAge?

3)Masterpiece:FaerieQueen

Plannedin12booksbutonly6finished.

Content:Intheepiceachheroorheroinerepresentsavirtue.Inthecourseoftheirtrials,theycometofullyembodythatvirtue.ThevirtuesareHoliness（圣洁）,Temperance（节欲）,Chastity（贞洁）,Friendship（友善）,Justice,andCourtesy（恩惠）.

Form:allegory

Language:hassweetmelodyanditslinesareverymusical

Verseform:“SpenserianStanza”

SpenserianStanza:Firsteightlinesareiambicpentameterandninthhastwomoresyllables,rhymingababbcbcc.

Theme:1)nationalism2)humanism3)Puritanism

Influence:usedbyallthelaterpoets,especiallyimitatedbytheromanticpoetsofthe19thcentury.(Byron,Shelley,Keats)

Everythinginthestoryhastwolevels—aspartofthestoryandaspartoftheallegory,orsymbolicmeaning.ThiscanbeseeninBookI,whichsummarizesthewholepoem.AsaRomanticadventure,thisisthestoryoftheRedcrosseKnightandLadyUnasearchingforUna’sparents,whoaretrappedbyadragon.Theknightkillsthedragonandsowinstherighttobethelady’shusband.Asaspiritualallegory,thisisthestoryofasoul’sencounterwiththesevendeadlysins,itsseparationfromandreunionwiththeonefaith,anditsfinalsalvationbydivinegrace.

c.school-belong:likeLylyandSidney,Spencerwasacourtpoet.

d.position:asamodelofpoeticalartamongtheRenaissanceEnglishpoets,the1sttomakeEnglishthenaturalmusicinpoetry.

Prose

I.Bible

TranslationofBible:thefirstcompleteEnglishBiblewastranslatedbyJohnWycliffe(1324-1384),themorningstaroftheReformation,andhisfollowers.(fromLatintoEnglish)

TheAuthorizedVersionofBible:translatedundertheauspice（赞助）ofJamesIin1611andsoitwascalledtheKingJamesBible.Thisversionissimpleanddignifiedinlanguage.(modernEnglishhasbeenfixedandconfirmed.)

Thegreatesthumanist:ThomasMore

wasborninamiddle-classfamily.humanistleaderoftheearly16thcentury,ascholar,masterofLatin,wittytalker,musiclover,greatthinker;onceLordChancellor;beheadedonafalsechargeoftreason.

Masterpiece

Utopiain1516(inLatin)translatedintoEnglishin1551.

Form:aconversationbetweenMoreandareturnedvoyager.

Comment:

a.Heisafar-sightedthinker,livingontheeveofthebourgeoisrevolution.

b.Morewasthefirsttoseetherelationbetweenwealthandpovertyandtobringuptheidealofcommunistsociety.Hewasoneoftheforerunnerofmodernsocialistthought.

Question:

WhatisMore’sLimitation?

Bacon(themostimportantprosewriter)

SirFrancisBaconwasanEnglishwriter,philosopherandstatesmanandwaseducatedinCambridge.Whenhewasfourteen,BaconfinishedhiseducationandwenttoParis.IntheFrenchcapital,hebegantoknowhumanism.

In1584,FrancisBaconwaselectedfortheHouseofCommons（议会下院）andstartedhispoliticalcareer.BaconadvisedfortheunionofEnglandandScotlandandsuggestedwaystodealwithRomanCatholics.Forallthesehehaddone,hewasgiventhetitleofknightin1603.BythetimeofJamesI,hewasnamedasLordChancellorin1618.In1621,hewasaccusedbyParliamentandtheysaidthathehadacceptedbribes（赃款）.Forthisreasonhispoliticalcareerended.

Drama:

1.Threekindsofdrama:

a.theMiracleplay（神迹剧）:itistherootofEnglishdrama.ItisbasedonBiblestories.Miracleswerefirstperformedinthechurch.

b.theMoralityplay（道德剧）:Itpresentstheconflictofgoodandevilwithallegoricalpersonages（角色）suchasMercy,Peace,Hate,Fally,etc.)(eg:Everyman)

c.theInterlude（插曲）:ashortperformanceduringthebreak.(eg:theplayoftheweather)

2.TwoinfluencesonElizabethanDrama

1)influencefromtheclassics（经典名著）.(GreekandLatindrama)

2)influencefromthepopulardrama.

3.GammerGurton’sneedleisthefirstEnglishcomedy,describingaquarreloverthelossofaneedle.

GorboducisthefirstEnglishtragedy.

ThemoralityplayEverymanattheendof15thcenturymakesthebeginningofmodernEnglishdrama.

4.TheLondontheatreandtheaudience

5.playwrights:

a.TheUniversityWits（大学才子）:theyareLily,Peele,Marlowe,Greene,LodgeandNash,etc.ThemostinfluentialisMarlowe.TheyhadstudiedattheUniversitiesofOxfordorCambridgeandthensetupasprofessionalwriters,sellingtheirlearningandtheir“wits”totheLondonpublicofplaygoersandreadingpublicaswell.

b.Marlowe（马洛）

Works:(tragedies)

DoctorFaustus(forknowledge)

Tamburlaine(basedonaGermanLegend,ambition)

JewofMalta(greedforwealth)

Themesofhisplays:

scornoforthodoxcreeds（蔑视正统信条）

praiseofindividuality,freedfromtherestraintsofmedievaldogmasandlaw.

Positionandachievements:

Hewasthepredecessor（前辈）ofShakespeare

HewasthegreatestpioneerofEnglishdrama.

Histwoachievements:1)Hefirstmadeblankverse(unrhymediambicdrama),theprincipalinstrumentofEnglishdrama.

2)Hereplacedthestiltedheroesofdramainthepastbymenofvitalityandpassion.HecreatedtheRenaissanceheroforEnglishdrama.

b、Shakespeare

Life:

Fourperiodsinplay-writing

1stperiod:

Features:

a)It’sShakespeare’searlyexperimentalperiod.Itismarkedbyyouthfulnessandrichimagination.

b)byextravaganceoflanguage

c)bythefrequentuseofrhymedcoupletswithblankverse

d)Helookeddownupontheworldasajustone.Justicewouldeventuallywinintheend.

e)Love,faith,workanddutywerethefourelementsthatmadetheworldright.

2ndperiod:

Features:

Heworkedasamasterinplaywriting

Itwasaperiodofrapidgrowthanddevelopmentofhisartisticpower.

Hehadakeeninsightintohumannature,greatpowerofexpressionandgeniusforconstructingaplay.

Thisperiodbelongstohisbesthistoryplays.

3rdperiod:

features:

Theperiodofgloom（忧郁）anddepression

Hewasconcernedwithdepositmattersofhumanlife.

Hegrewinexperience,invisionandinsympathy

Hisbeliefandtrustinmankindhadbeenshattered（打碎）.

Heproducedhisfourgreatesttragedies.

4thperiod:

features:

aperiodofunrealisticcompromiseandfantasy

aperiodofrestoredserenityandtolerantresignation

Hesoundsagainanoteofcalmandhopeandserenewisdom.

HislatestplaysincludingTempesthavehappyendings.

Hiscomedies

Shakespearewrotehiscomediesinhisearlyperiod.Intheseplaysheportrayedtheyoungpeoplewhohadjustfreedthemselvesfromthefeudalfetters.Hesangoftheiryouth,theirloveandidealofhappiness.TheheroesandheroinesweresonsanddaughtersoftheRenaissance.TheytrustnotinGodorKingbutinthemselves.

16comediestogether.Hismaincomediesare:MerchantofVenice;AMidsummerNight’sDream;AsYouLikeIt;TwelfthNight.

Histragedies

Shakespeare’sgreattragediesareassociatedwithaperiodofgloomandsorrowinhislife.Duringthisperiod,Englandwitnessedageneralunrest,andsocialcontradictionsbecameverysharp.Whatcausedthewriter’spersonalsadnessisunknowntous.Itisgenerallyattributedtothepoliticalmisfortuneofhisfriendandpatron,EarlofEssex,whowaskilledbytheQueen.Shakespearewrote11tragedies.Hismaintragediesare:Hamlet;Othello;KingLear;Macbeth.Alltheseplaysexpressaprofounddissatisfactionwithlife.Theyshowthestruggleandconflictsbetweengoodandevils,betweenjusticeandinjustice.Intheseplays,thewriterShakespearecondemnsthedarkandevilsociety.

Historicalplays

Shakespeare’shistoricalplaysarepoliticalplays.Theprincipalideaoftheseplaysisthenecessityfornationalunityunderonesovereign（君主）.Athistime,thisideawasanti-feudalinnature;anditsummedupthegeneralopinionoftherisingbourgeoisieinShakespeare’sownday.AmongShakespeare’s10historicalplays,HenryIVandHenryVaretworemarkableplays.

Shakespeare’spoeticalworks

VenusandAdonis;Lucrecearetwolongnarrativepoems.

Thebulkof（大多数）Shakespeare'ssonnetswerewrittenbetween1593and1598.Eachlineofasonnetisiniambicpentameter,andtherhymeisababcdcdefefgg.His154sonnetsseemtofallintotwoseries:

OneseriesareaddressedtoW.H,evidentlyapatron,andtheotheraddressedto"darklady"whoplayedthepoetfalse.Fordepthofsentiment,formasteryofdiction,forperfectionoffinish,theyareamongthemostexcellentofElizabethanpoetry.

FeaturesofShakespeare’sdrama

a)progressivesignificanceofhistheme

b)successfulcharacterportrayal

c)masterhandinconstructingplays

d)theingenuityofhispoetry

e)masteryofEnglishlanguage

c、BenJonson

Introduction:

Poet,critic,poet’slaureate;successorofShakespeare.HewasthegreatestwritersofcomedyafterShakespeare.

Hisplays:

1)Hisplaysarewrittenaccordingto“humors”.Everycharacterinhiscomediespersonifiedadefinitehumor,sohischaractersarelikecaricature（讽刺画）.

2)Hisplayswerenotdeepbuthadmuchsurfaceenergy.

3)HismasterpiecesareVelponeandTheAlchemist

III.Hiscontribution:

a)humor

b)forerunnerofclassicism

EnglishLiteratureintheseventeenthCentury

I.SocialBackground

theEnglishRevolution（光荣革命）andtheRestoration（王朝复辟）

II.Literarycharacteristics:

1.literatureoftheRevolutionperiod

PuritanliteratureperiodisdifferentfromtheliteratureofElizabethanperiodinthefollowingaspects:

1)Elizabethanliteraturehadamarkedunityandthefeelingofpatriotism（爱国主义）anddevotiontotheQueen,butintheRevolutionPeriod，allthiswaschanged,thekingbecametheopenenemyofthepeople,andthecountrywasdividedbythestruggleforpoliticalandreligiousliberty.Soliteraturewasasdividedinspiritaswerethestrugglingparties.

2)Elizabethanliteraturewasgenerallyinspiring.Itthrobbedwithyouthandhopeandvitality（生气）．LiteratureinthePuritanAgeexpressedageandsadness.Evenitsbrightesthourswerefollowedbygloomandpessimism.

3)Elizabethanliteraturewasintenselyromantic．Theromanticspiritsprangfromtheheartofyouth．Peoplebelievedallthings,eventheimpossible．ButinliteratureofthePuritanperiod,wecannotfindanyromanticardor.

2.Themainliteraryformoftheperiodwaspoetry．Amongthepoets,Miltonwasthegreatest.Besideshim,thereweretwoothergroupsofpoets,theMetaphysicalPoets（玄学派诗人）andtheCavalierPoets（骑士派诗人）.

3.Puritanismwasthereligiousdoctrineoftherevolutionarybourgeoisieduringthisperiod.Itpreachedthrift,sobriety,hardwork,butwithverylittleextravagantenjoymentofthefruitsoflabor.Worldlypleasureswerecondemnedasharmful.Thiswaspreciselytheoutlookneededbythebourgeoisiefortheaccumulationofcapital.

ThoughthereweremanyclevermeninEnglandduringthelatterhalfoftheseventeenthcentury,therewereonlytwomindswhichpossessedtheimaginativefacultyinaveryeminentdegree.OneofthesemindsproducedtheParadiseLost，theotherThePilgrim'sProgress.

JohnBunyan(约翰·班扬)

1.life:sonofatinker.AfterreceivinghisearlyeducationattheBedfordgrammarschool,hefollowedhisfather’strade.Later,HejoinedaBaptistsocietyandbecameapreacher.Soonhebecameactivebothinpreachingandwriting.Afterrestoration,hewasarrestedandkeptinprisonforpreaching.Hewasthechiefpuritanwritertoparticipateinthestruggleagainstthecorruptfedual-aristocraticregimesofCharliesIIandJamesIIafterJohnMilton.

Works:Pilgrim’sProgress<<天路历程>>

Bunyan’smostimportantworkandoneofthemostpopularbooksintheEnglishlanguages,waswrittenintheformofanallegory.

Allegory(寓言)

Itlooselydescribesanywritinginverseorprosethathasadoublemeaning.Thisfictionalliterarynarrativeactsasanextendedmetaphorinwhichpersons,abstractideas,oreventsrepresentnotonlythemselvesontheliterallevel,butalsostandforsomethingelseonthesymboliclevel.Anallegoricalreadingusuallyinvolvesmoralorspiritualconceptsthatmaybemoresignificantthantheactual,literaleventsdescribedinanarrative.

Itisaprosenarrativesymbolicallyconcerningthehumansoul’spilgrimage（朝拜）throughtemptationanddoubttoreachsalvation.

OtherimportantallegoricalworksincludeSpencer’sFaerieQueenandSwift’sGulliver’sTravels（格利佛游记）.

Pilgrim’sProgress

Mainplots:

Theallegorytakestheformofadreambytheauthor,inwhichheseesChristian,withaburdenonhisbackandreadinginabook,fromwhichhelearnsthatthecityinwhichheandhisfamilylivewillbeburnedwithfire.OntheadviceofEvangelist,ChristianfleesformtheCityofDestruction,havingfailedtopersuadehiswifeandchildrentoaccompanyhim.

PartIdescribeshispilgrimage.Onthewayheencountersvariousallegoricalpersonages,suchasMr.worldlyWiseman,Faithful.PartIIrelatesChristian’swifesetsoutwithherchildrenonthesamepilgrimage,accompaniedbyherneighborMercy.TheyareescortedbyGreat–heart,whoovercomesGiantDespairandothermonstersandbringsthemtotheirdestination.

VanityFair(名利场)Plot:P115

Analysis:

ThevanityFaircontainsallmannersofmaterialgoodstotemptmen.Thisallegoricallyreferstotherealworldwherepeoplehavebecomesodegeneratedthataltheyareconcernedaboutistobuyandselleverything.Whattheycareaboutismaterialwealth.Theyhavelostthesenseofhonor,uprightnessandconscience.Theyarespirituallylost.

a)Itiswrittenintheformofallegoryanddream.

b)ThemostfamouspartisVanityFair.(satiricalpictureofEnglishsociety)

c)thetheme:topreachreligionandexposesocialrealityinEnglandandalsoadvocateself-salvation.

d)Maincharacters:Christian;Faithful;Hopeful.

e)pilgrimage:

SloughofDespond,VanityFair,DoubtingCastle,theValleyofHumiliation,andtheValleyoftheShadowofDeath,CelestialCity.

f)allegoricalpersonages:Mr.worldlyWiseman,Faithful,Hopeful,GiantDespair,thefoulfiendandetc.

Questions:

WhatisburdenonChristian’sback?

Whatisthebook?

Answers:

Burdensreferstosinthathecarrieswithhimeverywhere.

Bookreferstothebible,fromwhichhecanbefreedfromhisburden.

Sumup

Pilgrim’sProgresswarnsthataChristianinsearchofsalvationwillmeetanydifficultiesandvariouskindsoftemptationandtrials.Onlybysteadfastnessandfaithfulnesscanwinthewaytoheaven.

Bunyan’swritingstyle

Thesimpleandunaffectedlanguageofcommonpeopleanddetailstakenfromordinarycircumstancesofordinarylifeareresponsibleforhissuccess

JohnMilton

JohnMilton

I.life:Miltonisthegreatestwriteroftheseventeenthcentury.Masteringtheancientlanguagesandliterature:Greek,Latin；“theLadyoftheChrist”“spokesmanoftheRevolution”.MiltonwassenttoChrist’scollege,Cambridge,whereheacquiredagoodknowledgeofLatin.Hewasfamousforhispersonalbeautyandstrictnessofhislifeandwasnicknamed“theLadyoftheChrist’s”.

II.Literarycareer:

a)Upto1641(Firstperiod)

HewasgreatlyinfluencedbyhumanismandthespiritofElizabethanAge.HisimportantpoemisLycidas,apastoralelegy（挽歌）onthedeathofacollegemate.

b)From1641to1654(secondperiod)

Hewrotenopoemsbutpoliticalessaysandpamphlets.

Areopafiticacalledforfreedomofpress.(prose)

“DefenceoftheEnglishpeople”

“SecondDefenceoftheEnglishpeople”

Pamphletsonmarriage

c)From1655to1671(thirdperiod)

ParadiseLost(masterpiece)

ParadiseRegained（复乐园）

SamsonAgonistes（力士参孙）

III.works:

a.ParadiseLost:epicin12books,writteninblankverse

Source:OldTestament（旧约全书）

Theme:arevoltagainst（反感）God’sauthority

thefallofmen;man’sdisobedience（违抗）andthelossofparadise;thepowersofman;cravingforknowledge（求知欲）

Image:Satan

1)therealheroofthepoem

2)HeisaveryfirmrevoltagainstGodandmakesmanrevoltagainstGod

3)Thoughdefeatedhewontherespectsofhisangles.

4)HeisthespiritquestioningtheauthorityofGod.

b.SamsonAgonistes

poeticaldrama,modeledontheGreektragedies,fromthe“BookofJudges”inOldTestament”.

CommonbetweenSamsonandMilton

IV.FeaturesofMilton’spoetry:

a.Miltonisagreatrevolutionarypoetofthe17thcentury.Hewasalsoanoutstandingpoliticalpamphleteer（檄文执笔者）oftherevolutionperiod.Hededicatedhimselftotherevolutionarycause.HemadeastronginfluenceonthelaterEnglishpoetry.EveryprogressiveEnglishpoetsinceMiltonhasdrawninspirationfromhim.

b.Miltonisagreatstylist（文体学家）

Hispoetryhasagrandstyle.Thatisbecausehemadealife-longstudyofclassicalandBiblicalliterature.Hispoetryisnotedforsublimity（崇高）ofthoughtandmajestyofexpression.

c.Miltonisagreatmasterofblankverse.

Heisthegloriouspioneertointroduceblankverseintonon-dramaticpoetry.Hehasu