劉炳善《英國文學(xué)簡史》完整版筆記

1、劉炳善英國文學(xué)簡史完整版 筆記（免費）英國文學(xué)簡史完全版A Con cise History of British LiteratureChapter 1 En glish Literature of An glo-Sax on PeriodI. I ntroducti onI. The historical backgro und(1) Before the Germanic invasion(2) During the Germanic invasiona. immigrati on;b. Christia ni ty;c. heptarchy.d. social classes stru

2、cture: hide-hundred; eoldermen(lord )-thane -middle class (freemen)- lower class (slave or bondmen: theow );e. social organization: clan or tribes.f. military Orga ni zati on;g. Church function: spirit, civil service, education;h. economy: coins, trade, slavery;i. feasts and festival: Hallowee n, Ea

3、ster; j. legal system.2. The Overview of the culture(1) The mixture of pagan and Christian spirit.(2) Literature: a. Poetry: two types; b. prose: two figures.II. Beowulf.1. A gen eral in troducti on.2. The content.3. The literary features.(1) the use of alliterati on(2) the use of metaphors and un d

4、erstateme nts(3) the mixture of pagan and Christian elementsIII. The Old En glish Prose1. What is prose?2. figures(1) The Venerable Bede(2) Alfred the GreatChapter 2 En glish Literature of the Late Medieval Ages l.ln troducti on1. The Historical Backgro und.(1) The year 1066: Norman Con quest.(2) Th

5、e social situations soon after the conquest.A. Norma n n obles and serfs;B. restorati on of the church.(3) The 11th ce ntury.A. the crusade and kni ghts.B. dominance of Fre nch and Lat in;(4) The 12th ce ntury.A. the cen tralized gover nment;B. kings and the church (Henry II and Thomas );(5) The 13t

6、h ce ntury.A. The lege nd of Robin Hood;B. Magna Carta (1215);C. the begi nning of the Parliame ntD. English and Latin: official languages(the end)(6) The 14th cen tury.a. the House of Lords and the House of Com mons con flict betwee n theParliame nt and Kin gs;b. the rise of tow ns.c. the cha nge o

7、f Church.d. the role of wome n.e. the Hun dred Years' War starti ng.f. the developme nt of the trade: London.g. the Black Death.h. the Peasants' Revolt 1381.i. The tran slati on of Bible by Wycliffe.(7) The 15th ce ntury.a. The Peasa nts Revolt (1453)b. The War of Roses betwee n Lan caster a

8、nd Y orks.c. the printin g-press William Caxt on.d. the starti ng of Tudor Mo narchy (1485)2. The Overview of Literature.(1) the stories from the Celtic lands of Wales and Brittany great myths of the Middle Ages.(2 ) Geoffrye of Monm outh Historia Regum Brita nniae Ki ng Authur.(3) Wace Le Roman de

9、Brut.(4) The roma nee.(5) the seeond half of the 14th eentury: Langland, Gawin poet, Chaucer.II. Sir Gawin and Green Knight.1. A gen eral in trodueti on.2. The plot.III. William Langland.1. Life2. Piers the Plowma nIV. Chaucer1. Life2. Literary Career: three periods(1) French period(2) Italian perio

10、d(3) master period3. The Can terbury TalesA. The Framework;B. The Gen eral Prologue;C. The Tale Proper.4. His Con tributio n.(1) He in troduced from France the rhymed sta nza of various types.(2) He is the first great poet who wrote in the current English Ianguage.(3) The spoken English of the time

11、consisted of several dialects, and Chaucer did much in making the dialect of London the sta ndard for the moder n En glish speech.V. Popular Ballads.VI. Thomas Malory and En glish ProseVII. The begi nning of En glish Drama.1. Miracle Plays.Miracle play or mystery play is a form of medieval drama tha

12、t came from dramatizati on of the liturgy of the Roma n Catholic Church. It developed from the 10th to the 16th century, reaching its height in the 15th century. The simple lyric character of the early texts was enl arged by the additi on of dialogue and dramatic action. Eventually the performance w

13、as moved to the churchyard and the marketplace.2. Morality Plays.A morality play is a play enforcing a moral truth or less on by means of the speech and acti on of characters which are pers on ified abstracti onsfigures represe nting vices and virtues, qualities of the huma n mi nd, or abstract con

14、cepti ons in gen eral.3. I nterlude.The in terlude, which grew out of the morality, was inten ded, as its n ame implies, to be used more as filler than as the main part of an entertainment. As its best it was short, witty, simple in plot, suited for the divers ion of guests at a banq uet, or for the

15、 relaxatio n of the audie nee betwee n the divisi ons of a serious play. It was esse ntially an in doors performa nee, and gen erally of an aristocratic n ature.Chapter 3 English Literature in the Renaissanee I.A Historical Backgro undII. The Overview of the Literature(1485-1660)Printing press reade

16、rship growth of middle class trade-education for laypeople-centralization of power-intellectual life-exploration-new impetus and directi on of literature.Humanism-study of the literature of classical antiquity and reformed educati on.Literary style-modeled on the ancients.The effect of humanism-the

17、dissemination of the cultivated, clear, and sen sible attitude of its classically educated adhere nts.1. poetryThe first tendency by Sidney and Spen ser:orn ate, florid, highly figuredstyle.The second tendency by Donne: metaphysical stylecomplexity and ingenu ity.The third tendency by Johnson: react

18、ionClassically pure andrestrai ned style.The fourth tendency by Milt on: cen tral Christia n and Biblical traditi on.2. Dramaa. the n ative traditi on and classical examples.b. the drama stands highest in popular estimation:Marlowe Shakespeare -Jonson.3. Prosea. tran slati on of Bible;b. More;c. Bac

19、 on.II. En glish poetry.1. Sir Thomas Wyatt and Henry Howard (courtly makers )(1) Wyatt: in troduc ing sonn ets.(2) Howard: introducing sonnets and writing the first blank verse.2. Sir Philip Sidney poet, critic, prose writer(1) Life:a. En glish gen tlema n;b. brillia nt and fasc in at ing pers on a

20、lity;c. courtier.(2) worksa. Arcadia: pastoral roma nee;b. Astrophel and Stella ( 108) : sonnet seque nee to Pen elope Dvereux plat onic devoti on.Petrarcha ncon ceitsand origi nalfeeli ngs-movi ngtocreativeness building of a narrative story; theme-love originality-act of writ in g.c. Defense of Poe

21、sy: an apology for imag in ative literature begi nning of literary criticism.3. Edm und Spe nser(1) life: Cambridge - Sidney's friend -“Areopagus” - Ireland -Westmi nster Abbey.(2) worksa. The Shepherds Calendar: the buddingof English poetry inRen aissa nee.b. Amoretti and Epithalam ion: sonnet

22、seque neec. Faerie Quee n:l The general endA romantic and allegorical epic steps to virtue.l 12 books and 12 virtues: Holi ness, tempera nee, justice and courtesy.l Two-level function: part of the story and part of allegory (symbolicmea ning)l Many allusi ons to classical writers.L Themes: purita ni

23、 sm,n ati on alism,huma nism and Ren aissa neeNeoclassicism a Christia n huma ni st.(3) Spe nseria n Sta nza.III. English Prose1. Thomas More(1) Life:“Renaissanee man” ，scholar, statesman, theorist, prose writer, diplomat, patr on of artsa. lear ned Greek at Can terbury College, Oxford;b. studies la

24、w at Lincoln Inn;c. Lord Chan cellor;d. beheaded.(2) Utopia: the first En glish scie nce ficti on.Writte n in Lat in, two parts, the sec ond place of no where.A philosophical mariner (Raphael Hythloday ) tells his voyages in which he discovers a Ian d-Utopia.a. The part one is organized as dialogue

25、with mariner depicting his philosophy.b. The part two is a description of the island kingdom where gold and silver are worn by crim in al, religious freedom is total and no one owns anything.c. the n ature of the book: attack ing the chief political and social evils ofhis time.d. the book and the Re

26、public: an attempt to describe the Republic in a new way, but it possesses an moder n character and the resembla nee is in exter nals.e. it played a key role in the Humanist awakening of the 16th century which moved away from the Medieval otherworldliness towards Ren aissa nee secularism.f. the Utop

27、ia(3) the sig nifica nee.a. it was the first champi on of n atio nal ideas and n ati on al la nguages; it created a national prose, equally adapted to handling scientific and artistic material.b. a elega nt Lat in scholar and the father of En glish prose: he composed works in English, translated fro

28、m Latin into English biography, wrote History of Richard III.2. Fran cis Bac on: writer, philosopher and statesma n(1) life: Cambridge - humanism in Paris-knighted - Lord Chancellor-bribery - focus ing on philosophy and literature.(2 ) philosophical ideas: advancement of scienee people: serva nts an

29、d in terpreters of n ature method: a child before n ature facts and observati ons: experime ntal.(3) “Essays” : 57.a. he was a master of nu merous and varied styles.b. his method is to weigh and bala nee maters, in dicati ng the ideal courseof action and the practical one, pointing out the advantage

30、s and disadvantages of each, but leaving the reader to make the final decisi ons. (argume nts)IV. En glish Drama1. A gen eral survey.(1) Everyma n marks the begi nning of moder n drama.(2) two in flue nces.a. the classics: classical in form and English in content;b. n ative or popular drama.(3) the

31、Un iversity Wits.2. Christopher Marlowe: greatest playwright before Shakespeare and most gifted of the Wits.(1) Life: first interested in classical poetry then in drama.(2) Major worksa. Tamburla ine;b. The Jew of Malta;c. The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus.(3) The sig nifica nee of his plays.V.

32、 William Shakespeare1. Life(1) 1564, Stratford-o n-Avo n;(2) Grammar School;(3) Quee n visit to Castle;(4) marriage to Anne Hathaway;(5) London, the Globe Theatre: small part and proprietor;(6) the 1st Folio, Quarto;(7) Retired, son Hamlet; H. 1616.2. Dramatic career3. Major plays-me n-ce ntered.(1)

33、 Romeo and Juliettragic love and fate(2) The Mercha nt of Ven ice.Good over evil.An ti-Semitism.(3) Henry IV .Nati onal uni ty.Falstaff.(4) Julius CaesarRepublicanism vs. dictatorship.(5) HamletRevengeGood/evil.(6) OthelloDiabolic character jealousygap betwee n appeara nee and reality.(7) King LearF

34、ilial in gratitude(8) MacbethAmbiti on vs. fate.(9) Antony and Cleopatra.Passi on vs. reas on(10) The TempestReconciliation; reality and illusion.3. Non-dramatic poetry(1) Venus and Adonis; The Rape of Lucrece.(2) Sonn ets:a. theme: fair, true, ki nd.b. two major parts: a han dsome young man of n ob

35、le birth; a lady in dark complexi on.c. the form: three quatrains and a couplet.d. the rhyme scheme: abab, cdcd, efef, gg.VI. Ben Jonson1. life: poet, dramatist, a Latin and Greek scholar, the “l(fā)iterary king(Sons of Ben)2. c on tributi on:(1) the idea of humor ”.(2) an advocate of classical drama an

36、d a forer unner of classicism in En glish literature.3. Major plays(1) Every one in His Humor humor ” ; three un ities.(2) Volp one the FoxChapter 4 English Literature of the 17th Century I.A HistoricalBackgro undII. The Overview of the Literature(1640-1688)1. The revolution period(1) The metaphysic

37、al poets;(2) The Cavalier poets.(3) Milt on:the literary and philosophical heritage of theRen aissa nee merged with Protesta nt political and moral conv icti on2. The restoration period.(1 ) The restoration of Charles II ushered in a literature characterized by reason, moderation, good taste, deft m

38、anagement, and simplicity. (school of Ben Jonson)(2 ) The ideals of impartialinvestigation and scientificexperimentation promoted by the newly founded Royal Society ofLondon for Improvi ng Natural Kno wledge(1662) were in flue ntial in the development of clear and simple prose as an instrument of ra

39、tional communication.（ 3） The great philosophical and political treatises of the time emphasize rationalism.（ 4） The restoration drama.（ 5） The Age of Dryden.III. John Milton1. Life: educated at Cambridge visiting the continent involved into the revolution persecutedwriting epics.2. Literary career.

40、（ 1） The 1st period was up to 1641, during which time he is to be seen chiefly as a son of the humanists and Elizabethans, although his Puritanism is not absent. L'Allegre and IL Pens eroso （1632） are his early masterpieces, in which we find Milton a true offspring of the Renaissance, a scholar

41、of exquisite taste and rare culture. Next came Comus, a masque. The greatest of early creations was Lycidas, a pastoral elegy on the death of a college mate, Edward King.（ 2） The second period is from 1641 to 1654, when the Puritan was in such complete ascendancy that he wrote almost no poetry. In 1

42、641, he began a long period of pamphleteering for the puritan cause. For some 15 years, the Puritan in him alone ruled his writing. He sacrificed his poetic ambition to the call of the liberty for whichPuritans were fighting.（ 3） The third period is from 1655 to 1671, when humanist and Puritan have

43、been fused into an exalted entity. This period is the greatest in his literary life, epics and some famous sonnets. The three long poems are the fruit of the long contest within Milton of Renaissance tradition and his Puritan faith. They form the greatest accomplishments of any English poet except S

44、hakespeare. In Milton alone, it would seem, Puritanism could not extinguish the lover of beauty. In these works we find humanism and Puritanism merged in magnificence.3. Major Works（ 1） Paradise Losta. the plot.b. characters.c. theme: justify the ways of God to man.（ 2） Paradise Regained.（ 3） Samson

45、 Agonistes.4. Features of Milton's works.（ 1） Milton is one of the very few truly great English writers who is also a prominent figure in politics, and who is both a great poet and an important prose writer. The two most essential things to be remembered about him are his Puritanism and his repu

46、blicanism.（ 2） Milton wrote many different types of poetry. He is especially a great master of blank verse. He learned much from Shakespeare and first used blank verse in non-dramatic works.（ 3） Milton is a great stylist. He is famous for his grand style noted for its dignity and polish, which is th

47、e result of his life-long classical and biblical study.（ 4） Milton has always been admired for his sublimity of thought and majesty of expression.IV .John Bunyan1. Life:（1）puritan age;（2）poor family;（3）parliamentary army;（4）Baptist society, preacher;（5）prison, writing the book.2. The Pilgrim Progres

48、s（1）The allegory in dream form（2）the plot.（3）the theme.V. Metaphysical Poets and Cavalier Poets.1. Metaphysical PoetsThe term “ metaphysical poetry” is commonly used to designate the works of the 17th century writers who wrote under the influence of John Donne. Pressured by the harsh, uncomfortable

49、and curious age, the metaphysical poets sought to shatter myths and replace them with new philosophies, new sciences, new words and new poetry. They tried to break away from the conventional fashion of Elizabethan love poetry, and favoured in poetry for a more colloquial language and tone, a tightne

50、ss of expression and the single-minded working out of a theme or argument.2. Cavalier PoetsThe other group prevailing in this period was that of Cavalier poets. They were often courtiers who stood on the side of the king, and called themselves “ sons o”f Ben Jonson. The Cavalier poets wrote light po

51、etry, polished and elegant, amorous and gay, but often superficial. Most of their verses were short songs, pretty madrigals, love fancies characterized by lightness of heart and of morals. Cavalier poems have the limpidity of the Elizabethan lyric without its imaginative flights. They are lighter an

52、d neater but less fresh than the Elizabethan's.VI. John Dryden.1. Life:（1） the representative of classicism in the Restoration.（2）poet, dramatist, critic, prose writer, satirist.（ 3） changeable in attitude.（ 4） Literary career four decades.（ 5） Poet Laureate2. His influences.（ 1） He established

53、the heroic couplet as the fashion for satiric, didactic, and descriptive poetry.（ 2） He developed a direct and concise prose style.（ 3） He developed the art of literary criticism in his essays and in the numerous prefaces to his poems.Chapter 5 English Literature of the 18th CenturyI. Introduction1.

54、 The Historical Background.2. The literary overview.（ 1） The Enlightenment.（ 2） The rise of English novels.When the literary historian seeks to assign to each age its favourite form of literature, he finds no difficulty in dealing with our own time. As the Middle Ages delighted in long romantic narr

55、ative poems, the Elizabethans in drama, the Englishman of the reigns of Anne and the early Georges in didactic and satirical verse, so the public of our day is enamored of the novel. Almost all types of literary production continue to appear, but whether we judge from the lists of publishers, the st

56、atistics of public libraries, or general conversation, we find abundant evidence of the enormous preponderance of this kind of literary entertainment in popular favor.（ 3） Neo-classicism: a revival in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries of classical standards of order, balance, and harmony in l

57、iterature. John Dryden and Alexander Pope were major exponents of the neo-classical school.（ 4） Satiric literature.（ 5） SentimentalismII. Neo-classicism. （a general description ）1. Alexander Pope（1）Life:a. Catholic family;b. ill health;c. taught himself by reading and translating;d. friend of Addison, Steele and Swift.（ 2）three groups of poems:e. An Essay on Criticism （manifesto of neo-classicism ）;f. The Rape of Lock;g. Tra