2023年英国文学简史完整版笔记

英国文学简史

AConciseHistoryofBritishLiterature

Chapter1Eng1ishLiteratureofAnglo-SaxonPeriod

I.Introduction

l.Thehistoricalbackground

(1)BeforetheGermanicinvasion

(2)DuringtheGermanicinvasion

a.immigration;

b.Christianity;

c.heptarchy.

d.socialclassesstructure:hide-hundred;eoldermen(lord)

-thane—middleclass(freemen)-1owerclass(slaveorbond

men:theow);

e.socialorganization：clanortribes.

itaryOrganization；

g.Churchfunction:spirit,civi1service,education;

h.economy：coins,trade,s1avery;

i.feastsandfestiva1：Hal1oween,Easter;j.1ega1sys

tem.

2.The0verviewofthecu1ture

(1)ThemixtureofpaganandChristianspirit.

(2)Literature:a.Poetry:twotypes;se:twofigures.

II.Beowulf.

1.Agenera1introduction.

2.Thecontent.

3.Theliteraryfeatures.

(1)theuseofalliteration

(2)theuseofmetap]horsandunderstatements

(3)themixtureofpaganandChristiane1ements

III.TheOldEnglishProse

1.Whatisprose?

2.figures

(1)TheVenerableBede

(2)A1fredtheGreat

Chapter2EnglishLiteratureoftheLateMedievalAges

Lintroduction

1.TheHistorica1Background.

(1)Theyear1066：NormanConquest.

(2)Thesocialsituationssoonaftertheconquest.

A.Normannoblesandserfs;

B.restorationofthechurch.

(3)The11thcentury.

A.thecrusadeandknights.

B.dominanceofFrenchandLatin;

(4)The12thcentury.

A.thecentralizedgovernment;

B.kingsandthechurch(HenryIIandThomas);

(5)The13thcentury.

A.ThelegendofRobinHood；

B.MagnaCarta(1215);

C.thebeginningoftheParliament

D.Eng1ishandLatin:official1anguages(theend)

(6)The14thcentury.

a.theHouseofLordsandtheHouseofCommons一co

nflictbetweentheParliamentandKings;

b.theriseoftowns.

c.thechangeofChurch.

d.theroleofwomen.

e.theHundredYears'War-starting.

f.thedeve1opmentofthetrade：London.

g.theB1ackDeath.

h.thePeasants'RevoIt一1381.

i.Thetrans1ationofBib1ebyWycliffe.

(7)The15thcentury.

a.ThePeasantsRevolt(1453)

b.TheWarofRosesbetweenLancasterandYorks.

c.theprinting-press—WilliamCaxton.

d.thestartingofTudorMonarchy(1485)

2.The0verviewofLiterature.

(1)thestoriesfromtheCelticlandsofWa1esandBritt

any—greatmythsoftheMiddleAges.

(2)GeoffryeofMonmouth-HistoriaRegumBritanniae一

KingAuthur.

(3)Wace——LeRomandeBrut.

(4)Theromance.

(5)thesecondhalfofthe14thcentury:Langland,Gawin

poet,Chaucer.

II.SirGawinandGreenKnight.

1.Ageneralintroduction.

2.Theplot.

III.WilliamLangland.

1.Life

2.PiersthePlowman

IV.Chaucer

1.Life

2.LiteraryCareer:threeperiods

(1)Frenchperiod

(2)Italianperiod

(3)masterperiod

3.TheCanterburyTales

A.TheFramework;

B.TheGeneralPro1ogue;

C.TheTaieProper.

4.HisContribution.

(1)HeintroducedfromFrancetherhymedstanzaofvar

ioustypes.

(2)Heisthefirstgreatpoetwhowroteinthecurr

entEng1ishlanguage.

(3)ThespokenEnglishofthetimeconsistedofseve

raldia1ects,andChaucerdidmuchinmakingthe

dialectofLondonthestandardforthemodernEnglishspeech.

V.PopularBallads.

VI.ThomasMaloryandEnglishProse

VII.ThebeginningofEnglishDrama.

1.MiraclePlays.

Miracleplayormysteryplayisaformofmedievald

ramathatcamefromdramatizationoftheliturgyof

theRomanCatho1icChurch.Itdeve1opedfromthe

10thtothe16thcentury,reachingitsheightinthe15th

century.Thesimp1e1yriccharacteroftheearlytextswas

enlargedbytheadditionofdialogueanddramaticacti

on.Eventua1lytheperformancewasmovedtothechurchy

ardandthemarketplace.

2.MoralityPlays.

Amoralityp1ayisaplayenforcingamoraltruthor1

essonbymeansofthespeechandactionofcharacters

whicharepersonifiedabstract!ons-figuresrepresenting

vicesandvirtues,qua1itiesofthehumanmind,orabstract

conceptionsingeneral.

3.Interlude.

Theinter1ude,whichgrewoutofthemorality,wasintended,

asitsnameimplies,tobeusedmoreasfillerthanasthemain

partofanentertainment.Asitsbestitwasshort,witty,simp

leinplot,suitedforthediversionofguestsatabanquet,or

fortherelaxationoftheaudiencebetweenthedivisio

nsofaseriousplay.Itwasessentiallyanindoorsper

formance,andgeneral1yofanaristocraticnature.

Chapter3EnglishLiteratureintheRenaissanceLAHis

toricalBackground

ILTheOverviewoftheLiterature(1485-1660)

Printingpress-readership-growthofmiddleclass—tra

de-educationfor1aypeople-centralizationofpower-int

ellectua1life-exploration-newimpetusanddirectionoflitera

tore.

Humanism—studyoftheliteratureofclassica1antiqui

tyandreformededucation.

Literarystyle-modeledontheancients.

Theeffectofhumanism-thedisseminationofthe

cultivated,clear,andsensibleattitudeofitsc1assica

1lyeducatedadherents.

1.poetry

ThefirsttendencybySidneyandSpenser:ornate,florid,

highlyfiguredstyle.

ThesecondtendencybyDonne：metaphysicalstyle-comp1ex

ityandingenuity.

ThethirdtendencybyJohnson:reaction-------Classica1ly

pureandrestrainedstyle.

ThefourthtendencybyMi1ton:centralChristianand

Biblicaltradition.

2.Drama

a.thenativetraditionandclassicalexamp1es.

b.thedramastandshighestinpopularestimation：Marlowe-

Shakespeare-Jonson.

3.Prose

a.trans1ationofBible;

b.More;

c.Bacon.

II.Englishpoetry.

1.SirThomasWya11andHenryHoward(court1ymakers)

(1)Wyatt:introducingsonnets.

(2)Howard:introducingsonnetsandwritingthefirst

blankverse.

2.SirPhilipSidney-poet,critic,prosewriter

(1)Life:

a.Eng1ishgentleman;

b.bril1iantandfascinatingpersona1ity;

c.courtier.

(2)works

a.Arcadia:pastora1romance;

b.AstrophelandStella(108)：sonnetsequencetoPene

lopeDvereux—platonicdevotion.

Petrarchanconceitsandoriginalfee1ings-movingto

creativeness-bui1dingofanarrativestory;theme-love

origina1ity-actofwriting.

c.DefenseofPoesy:anapologyforimaginativeliteratu

re-beginningof1iterarycriticism.

3.EdmundSpenser

(1)life：Cambridge-Sidney'sfriend-"Areopagus”—

Ireland-WestminsterAbbey.

(2)works

a.TheShepherdsCalenda亡thebuddingofEnglish

poetryinRenaissance.

b.AmorettiandEpithalamion:sonnetsequence

c.FaerieQueen:

1Thegeneralend------Aromanticanda1legoricalepic—s

tepstovirtue.

I12booksand12virtues:Holiness,temperance,justiceandco

urtesy.

1Two-leve1function：partofthestoryandpartofalie

gory(symbolicmeaning)

1Manyallusionstoc1assica1writers.

LThemes:puritanism,nationalism,humanismandRenaissan

ceNeoc1assicism—aChristianhumanist.

(3)SpenserianStanza.

III.EnglishProse

1.ThomasMore

(1)Life:"Renaissanceman”,scholar,statesman,theorist,pro

sewriter,diplomat,patronofarts

a.learnedGreekatCanterburyCollege,0xford;

b.studies1awatLincolnInn;

c.LordChance11or;

d.beheaded.

(2)Utopia:thefirstEnglishsciencefiction.

WritteninLatin,twoparts,thesecond-placeofnowhere.

Aphilosophica1mariner(RaphaelHythloday)tellshisvoyages

inwhichhediscoversa1and—Utopia.

a.Thepartoneisorganizedasdialoguewithmarinerde

pictinghisphilosophy.

b.Theparttwoisadescriptionoftheislandkingdomwhere

goldandsilverarewornbycrimina1,re1igiousfreedom

istotalandnooneownsanything.

c.thenatureofthebook:attackingthechiefpoliticaland

socialevi1sofhistime.

d.thebookandtheRepublic：anattempttodescribe

theRepublieinanewway,butitpossessesanmoderncha

racterandtheresemb1anceisinexternals.

e.itplayedakeyroleintheHumanistawakeningof

the16thcenturywhiehmovedawayfromtheMedie

valotherworldlinesstowardsRenaissancesecu1arism.

f.theUtopia

(3)thesignificance.

a.itwasthefirstchampionofnationalideasandnationallanguag

es;itcreatedanationa1prose,equallyadaptedto

handlingscientificandartisticmateria1.

b.aelegantLatinscholarandthefatherofEng1ish

prose:hecomposedworksinEnglish,trans1atedfromL

atinintoEng1ishbiography,wroteHistoryofRichardIII.

2.FrancisBacon:writer,philosopherandstatesman

(1)life：Cambridge-humanisminParis-knighted-

LordChancellor-bribery—focusingonphilosophyand

literature.

(2)phi1osophicalideas：advancementofscience—pe

ople：servantsandinterpretersofnature-method：achildbefo

renature-factsandobservations：experimenta1.

(3)“Essays"：57.

a.hewasamasterofnumerousandvariedsty1es.

b.hismethodistoweighandbalancematers,indicating

theidealcourseofactionandthepractica1one,pointi

ngouttheadvantagesanddisadvantagesofeach,but

leavingthereadertomakethefina1decisions.(a

rguments)

IV.EnglishDrama

1.Ageneralsurvey.

(1)Everymanmarksthebeginningofmoderndrama.

(2)twoinf1uences.

a.theclassics：classica1informandEng1ishincon

tent；

b.nativeorpopulardrama.

(3)theUniversityWits.

2.ChristopherMarlowe：greatestplaywrightbeforeShakespea

reandmostgiftedoftheWits.

(1)Life:firstinterestedinclassica1poetry-thenindrama.

(2)Majorworks

a.Tamburlaine；

b.TheJewofMalta；

c.TheTragica1HistoryofDoctorFaustus.

(3)Thesignificanceofhisplays.

V.WilliamShakespeare

1.Life

(1)1564,Stratford-on—Avon;

(2)GrammarSchool；

(3)QueenvisittoCastie;

(4)marriagetoAnneHathaway;

(5)London,theGlobeTheatre:smallpartandproprietor;

(6)theIstFolio,Quarto;

(7)Retired,son-Ham1et;H.1616.

2.Dramaticcareer

3.Majorplays-men-centered.

(1)RomeoandJuliet------tragicloveandfate

(2)TheMerchantofVenice.

Goodoverevi1.

Anti-Semitism.

(3)HenryIV.

Nationalunity.

Fa1staff.

(4)JuliusCaesar

Republicanismvs.dictatorship.

(5)Hamlet

Revenge

Good/evi1.

(6)Othello

Diaboliccharacter

jea1ousy

gapbetweenappearanceandreality.

(7)KingLear

Filialingratitude

(8)Macbeth

Ambitionvs.fate.

(9)AntonyandCleopatra.

Passionvs.reason

(10)TheTempest

Reconciliation;realityandi1lusion.

3.Non-dramaticpoetry

(1)VenusandAdonis;TheRapeofLucrece.

(2)Sonnets：

a.theme：fair,true,kind.

b.twomajorparts:ahandsomeyoungmanofnoblebirt

h；aladyindarkcomplexion.

c.theform:threequatrainsandacouplet.

d.therhymescheme：abab,cdcd,efef,gg.

VI.BenJonson

1.1ife:poet,dramatist,aLatinandGreekscholar,the“1i

teraryking”(SonsofBen)

2.contribution：

(1)theideaof"humor”.

(2)anadvocateofc1assica1dramaandaforerunnerof

classicisminEng1ish1iterature.

3.Majorp1ays

(1)EveryoneinHisHumor一"humor”;threeunities.

(2)VolponetheFox

Chapter4EnglishLiteratureofthe17thCenturyLAHis

torica1Background

II.TheOverviewoftheLiterature(1640—1688)

1.Therevolutionperiod

(1)Themetaphysicalpoets;

(2)TheCavalierpoets.

(3)Milton:theliteraryandphilosophica1heritageof

theRenaissancemergedwithProtestantpo1iti

calandmora1conviction

2.Therestorationperiod.

(1)TherestorationofCharlesIIusheredina1it

eraturecharacterizedbyreason,moderation,goodtaste,

deftmanagement,andsimp1icity.(schoo1ofBenJ

onson)

(2)Theidea1sofimpartialinvestigationand

scientificexperimentationpromotedbythenewlyfounded

RoyalSocietyofLondonforImprovingNaturalKnowledge

(1662)wereinf1uentialinthedevelopmentofclearan

dsimpleproseasaninstrumentofrationalcommunic

ation.

(3)Thegreatphilosophicalandpo1itica1treatisesof

thetimeemphasizerationalism.

(4)Therestorationdrama.

(5)TheAgeofDryden.

III.JohnMiIton

1.Life：educatedatCambridge—visitingthecontinent—

invo1vedintotherevolution—persecuted——writin

gepics.

2.Literarycareer.

(1)TheIstperiodwasupto1641,duringwhichti

meheistobeseenchief!yasasonofthehumanistsand

E1izabethans,a1thoughhisPuritanismisnota

bsent.L'A11egreandILPenseroso(1632)arehisearly

masterpieces,inwhichwefindMi1tonatrueoffs

pringoftheRenaissance,ascho1arofexquisitet

asteandrareculture.NextcameComus,amasque.T

hegreatestofearlycreationswasLycidas,apastora1elegy

onthedeathofaco1legemate,EdwardKing.

(2)Thesecondperiodisfrom1641to1654,when

thePuritanwasinsuchcompleteascendancythathew

rotealmostnopoetry.In1641,hebeganalongperiod

ofpamphleteeringforthepuritancause.Forsome15ye

ars,thePuritaninhimaloneruledhiswriting.Hesacrif

icedhispoeticambitiontothecal1ofthe1ibertyfor

whichPuritanswerefighting.

(3)Thethirdperiodisfrom1655to1671,when

humanistandPuritanhavebeenfusedintoanexa1ted

entity.Thisperiodisthegreatestinhis1iterarylife,

epicsandsomefamoussonnets.Thethreelongpoemsar

ethefruitofthe1ongcontestwithinMi1tono

fRenaissancetraditionandhisPuritanfaith.Theyfo

rmthegreatestaccomplishmentsofanyEnglishpoet

exceptShakespeare.InMiItonalone,itwouldseem,

PuritanismcouIdnotextinguishtheloverofbeauty.In

theseworkswefindhumanismandPuritanismme

rgedinmagnificence.

3.MajorWorks

(1)ParadiseLost

a.theplot.

b.characters.

c.theme:justifythewaysofGodtoman.

(2)ParadiseRegained.

(3)SamsonAgonistes.

4.FeaturesofMilton'sworks.

(1)Mi1tonisoneoftheveryfewtrulygreatEnglish

writerswhoisalsoaprominentfigureinpolitics,andwho

isbothagreatpoetandanimportantprosewriter.The

twomostessentialthingstoberememberedabouthim

arehisPuritanismandhisrepublicanism.

(2)MiItonwrotemanydifferenttypesofpoetry.Heis

especial1yagreatmasterofblankverse.He

learnedmuchfromShakespeareandfirstusedblank

verseinnon-dramaticworks.

(3)Miltonisagreatstylist.Heisfamousforhisgrand

stylenotedforitsdignityandpo1ish,whichisth

eresu1tofhis1ife-1ongclassica1andbiblica1s

tudy.

(4)Miltonhasa1waysbeenadmiredforhissub1imi

tyofthoughtandmajestyofexpression.

IV.JohnBunyan

1.Life:

(1)puritanage;

(2)poorfami1y;

(3)par1iamentaryarmy；

(4)Baptistsociety,preacher；

(5)prison,writingthebook.

2.ThePilgrimProgress

(1)Theal1egoryindreamform.

(2)theplot.

(3)thetheme.

V.MetaphysicalPoetsandCava1ierPoets.

1.Metaphysica1Poets

Theterm“metaphysica1poetry“iscommonlyusedto

designatetheworksofthe17thcenturywriterswhow

roteundertheinfluenceofJohnDonne.Pressuredb

ytheharsh,uncomfortableandcuriousage,themetaphysica

1poetssoughttoshattermythsandreplacethemwith

newphi1osophies,newsciences,newwordsandne

wpoetry.Theytriedtobreakawayfromtheconv

entiona1fashionofElizabethanlovepoetry,andfavoure

dinpoetryforamoreco11oquia1languageandtone,a

tightnessofexpressionandthesingle-mindedworkin

goutofathemeorargument.

2.CavalierPoets

Theothergroupprevailinginthisperiodwasthatof

Cava1ierpoets.Theywereoftencourtierswhostood

onthesideoftheking,andcal1edthemseIves”son

s“ofBenJonson.TheCava1ierpoetswrotelightpoetry,po

lishedandelegant,amorousandgay,butoftensupe

rficial.Mostoftheirverseswereshortsongs,pre

ttymadrigals,lovefanciescharacterizedby1igh

tnessofheartandofmora1s.Cavalierpoemshavethe

1impidityoftheElizabethanlyricwithoutitsimaginative

f1ights.Theyare1ighterandneaterbutlessfreshthanthe

Elizabethan's.

VI.JohnDryden.

1.Life：

(1)therepresentativeofc1assicismintheRestora

tion.

(2)poet,dramatist,critic,prosewriter,satirist.

(3)changeableinattitude.

(4)Literarycareer-fourdecades.

(5)PoetLaureate

2.Hisinfluences.

(1)Heestablishedtheheroiccoupletasthefashion

forsatiric,didactic,anddescriptivepoetry.

(2)Hedevelopedadirectandconciseprosestyle.

(3)Hedevelopedtheartof1iteraryeriticisminhisessa

ysandinthenumerousprefacestohispoems.

Chapter5EnglishLiteratureofthe18thCentury

I.Introduction

1.TheHistoricalBackground.

2.Theliteraryoverview.

(1)TheEnlightenment.

(2)TheriseofEng1ishnove1s.

Whentheliteraryhistorianseekstoassigntoea

chageitsfavouriteformofliterature,hefindsno

difficultyindealingwithourowntime.AstheMi

dd1eAgesde1ightedin1ongromanticnarrativepoems,

theElizabethansindrama,theEnglishmanofthereigns

ofAnneandtheearlyGeorgesindidacticandsat

irica1verse,sothepublicofourdayisenamored

ofthenovel.A1mostal1typesofliteraryproductionc

ontinuetoappear,butwhetherwejudgefromthe1ists

ofpublishers,thestatisticsofpublic1ibrari

es,orgenera1conversation,wefindabundante

videnceoftheenormouspreponderanceofthisk

indofliteraryentertainmentinpopularfavor.

(3)Neo—classicism：areviva1intheseventeentha

ndeighteenthcenturiesofc1assicalstandardsoforder,

ba1ance,andharmonyinliteralure.JohnDrydena

ndAlexanderPopeweremajorexponentsoftheneo-clas

sica1school.

(4)Satiric1iterature.

(5)Sentimentalism

ILNeo-classicism.(ageneraldescription)

1.AlexanderPope

(l)Life：

a.Catholiefami1y;

b.illhealth;

c.taughthimselfbyreadingandtranslating;

d.friendofAddison,SteeleandSwift.

(2)threegroupsofpoems:

e.AnEssayonCriticism(manifestoofneo-

classicism);

f.TheRapeofLock;

g.Translationoftwoepics.

(3)Hiscontribution:

h.theheroiccouplet-finish,elegance,wit,pointednes

i.satire.

(4)weakness：lackofimagination.

2.AddisonandStee1e

(1)RichardStee1e:poet,playwright,essayist,publi

sherofnewspaper.

(2)JosephAddison:studiesatOxford,seeretaryof

state,createda1iteraryperiodiea14tSpectator”(w

ithSteele,1711)

(3)SpectatorClub.

(4)Thesignificanceoftheiressays.

a.Theirwritingsin"TheTatler",and"TheSpect

ator“provideanewcodeofsocialmoralityforthe

risingbourgeoisie.

b.Theygiveatruepictureofthesocial1ifeofEng1

andinthe18thcentury.

c.Intheirhands,theEnglishessaycomplete1yest

ablisheditselfasa1iterarygenre.Usingitasaformo

fcharactersketchingandstorytelling,theyushe

redinthedawnofthemodernnove1.

3.SamuelJohnson—poet,critic,essayist,1exicogr

apher,editor.

(1)Life:

a.studiesatOxford;

b.madea1ivingbywritingandtranslating;

c.thegreatchamofliterature.

(2)works:poem(TheVanityofHumanWishes,Lond

on)；criticism(TheLivesofgreatPoets);preface.

(3)Thechampionofneoclassicalideas.

III.LiteratureofSatire:JonathanSwift.

1.Life:

(1)borninIreland;

(2)studiesatTrinityCol1ege;

(3)workedasasecretary;

(4)thechiefeditorofTheExaminer；

(5)theDeanofSt.Patrick'sinDublin.

2.Works:TheBatt1eofBooks,ATaleofaTub,AModest

Proposal,Gulliver'sTravels.

3.Gu1liver'sTraveIs.

PartI.Satire一theWhigandtheTories,Angliean

ChurchandCatholicChurch.

PartILSatire-the1egalsystem；condemnationofwar.

PartIII.Satire-ridicu1ousscientificexperim

ent.

PartIV.Satire——mankind.

IV.EnglishNovelsofRealistictradition.

1.TheRiseofnoveIs.

(l)Ear1yforms:folktale-fables-myths-epic-po

etry-romances-fabliaux-novella-imaginative

natureoftheirmaterial.(imaginativenarrative)

(2)Theriseofthenove1

a.picaresquenovelinSpainandEngland(16thcentur

y):Oforrelatingtoagenreofprosefictionthat

originatedinSpainanddepictsinrealisticdetai1t

headventuresofaroguishhero,oftenwithsatiricorhumorou

seffects.

b.Sidney：Arcadia.

c.AddisonandStee1e：TheSpectator.

(p1otandcharacterizationandrealism)

(3)nove1anddrama(17thecentury)

2.Danie1Defoe-nove1ist,poet,pamph1eteer,pu

blisher,merchant,journalist.)

⑴Life：

a.businesscareer；

b.writingcareer；

erestedinpolitics.

(2)RobinsonCrusoe.

a.thestory.

b.thesignificanceofthecharacter.

c.thefeaturesofhisnovels.

d.thesty1eof1anguage.

3.HenryFielding—novelist.

(1)Life：

a.unsuccessfu1dramaticcareer;

b.1egalcareer；writingcareer.

(2)works.

(3)TomJones.

a.theplot;

b.characters:Tom,B1ifi1,Sophia;

c.significanee.

(4)thetheoryofrealism.

(5)thestyleof1anguage.

V.WritersofSentimentalism.

1.Introduction

2.SamuelRichardson—novelist,moralist(Onewhoisun

dulyconcernedwiththemoralsofothers.)

(1)Life:

a.printerbookse1ler;

b.letterwriter.

(2)Pamela,VirtueRewarded.

a.thestory

b.thesignificance

Pamelawasanewthinginthese