The Renaissance英國文學(xué)文藝復(fù)興時(shí)期總結(jié)

1、The RenaissanceThis is a greatest and most advanced revolution in the human history. This is the age the giants are needed and produced. -F. Engles<1> Brief introduction§ Renaissance in European history, refers to the period between 14th century to 17th century. It started in Italy and en

2、ded in England and Spain. § “Renaissance” means “revival”, the revival of interest in Ancient Greek and Roman culture and getting rid of conservatism in feudalist Europe and introducing new ideas that express the interests of the rising bourgeoisie.§ Renaissance sprang first in Italy (Flor

3、ence and Venice) with the flowering of paintings, sculpture and architecture, and gradually spread all over Europe;§ Renaissance originally indicated a revival of classical arts and science (ancient Greek and Roman culture) after the dark ages of medieval obscurantism. During the period of Rena

4、issance:1. the Roman Catholic Church was shaken, 2. old sciences revived and new sciences emerged, 3. national languages and cultures took shape, 4. art and literature flourishedBrief introduction§ There arose an interest in the manuscripts surviving from ancient Greece and Rome. Classical lear

5、ning and philosophy were enthusiastically studied. § The intellectual wisdom of ancient Greece and Rome encouraged a rebirth of human spirit，a realization of human potential for development and creation§ Never before in human history were men and women so eager to create and discover somet

6、hing newIn Italy a group of artists，scientists，politicians，and writers created the most brilliant page of culture and science in Renaissance EuropeExamples: Copernicus (哥白尼) asserted that the earth was not the center of the universe； The passionate Petrarch produced sonnets that influenced Shakespea

7、re and many others； Boccaccio(卜伽邱) wrote tales of eternal charm: The Decameron； Marco Polo (馬可波羅) made journeys into the remote kingdom of China； Michelangelo（米開朗琪羅），Leonardo da Vinci (達(dá)芬奇)，Raphael (拉斐爾)，and Titian (提香) created paintings and sculptures that are invaluable treasures of the world<2

8、>Essence and features§ Essence: It is the reflection of the rise of bourgeoisie in the sphere of cultural life.（另版本）：Renaissance, in essence, is a historical period in which the European humanist thinkers and scholars made attempts to: to get rid of conservatism in Feudalist Europe; to intro

9、duce new ideas that expressed the interests of the rising bourgeoisie, to lift the restrictions in all areas placed by the Roman church authorities. Briefly it is the reflection of the rise of bourgeoisie in the sphere of cultural life.§ Features: there are two striking features A thirsting cur

10、iosity for the classical literature. The keen interest in the activities of humanity. <3>Renaissance and Humanism¡ Renaissance: the term originally indicated a revival of classical arts and science after the dark ages of medieval obscurantism. Indeed, a great number of the works of classi

11、cal authors were translated into English during the 16th century. ¡ Humanism： The progressive thinkers of the humanists held their chief interest not in ecclesiastical knowledge, but in man, his environment and doings and bravely fought for the emancipation of man from the tyranny of the church

12、 and religious dogmas.Humanism is the key-note of the Renaissance. It reflected the new outlook of the rising bourgeois class;<4>HumanismHumanism is the essence of the Renaissance. It sprang from the endeavor to restore a reverence for the Greek and Roman civilization based on the conception t

13、hat man is the measure of all things. Contrary to the subordination of individuals to the feudal rules and the sacrifice of earthly life for a future life in the medieval society, Renaissance humanists found in the classics a justification to exalt human nature and came to see that human beings were

14、 glorious creatures capable of individual development for perfection.By emphasizing the dignity of human beings and the importance of the present life, they voiced their beliefs that man did not only have the right to enjoy life, but had the ability to perfect himself and to perform wonders. <5&g

15、t;Features of humanism in Renaissance Emphasizing the power, value and dignity of the human being and holding that human beings are glorious creatures The core of Renaissance thought is the greatness of man/giants . This is best summarized in the lines of Shakespeares Hamlet What a piece of work is

16、man; how noble in reason; how infinite in faculty, in form and moving how express and admirable; in action how like and angel; in apprehension how like a god! The beauty of the world, the paragon of animals. 人是一件多么了不起的杰作！多么高貴的理性！多么偉大的力量！多么優(yōu)美的儀表！多么文雅的舉動(dòng)！在行為上多么像一個(gè)天使！在智慧上多么想一個(gè)天神！宇宙的精華！萬物的靈長！§ 1. E

17、mphasizing secular happiness and individualism against the medieval ideas of asceticism;§ 2.shifting mans interest from Christianity to humanity, from religion to philosophy, from beauty and greatness of God to the beauty of human body in all its joys and pains.§ 3. Applying Aristotles the

18、ory, Humanist literature mainly use realistic style and take literature as the mirror or miniature of the society. <6>Influence and English RenaissanceInfluences: 1.These Italians, and many others, helped to make Italy the center of the Renaissance movement in Europe. 2.The movement changed th

19、e medieval Western Europe into a modern one 3.The intellectual wisdom of ancient Greece and Rome encouraged a rebirth of human spirit，a realization of human potential for development and creationEnglish Renaissance:Oxford Reformers: the Oxford reformers, scholars and humanists introduced classical l

20、iterature to England. Education was revitalized and literature became more popular. This was Englands Golden Age in literature. There appeared many English literary giants such as Shakespeare, Spenser, Johnson, Sidney, Marlowe, Bacon and Donne.English RenaissanceContentsl I.TheSixteenthCentury Engla

21、ndl II. Renaissance in Englandl III. The main artistic stylesl IV. William Shakespearel V. Francis BaconI. The Sixteenth Century England1. Enclosure Movement2. The establishment of absolute monarchy3. Religious reformation4. International situation5. Cultural preparatil The background of the humanis

22、m in Europel The introduction of printing led to an enlarged reading public and a commercial market for literature;l The great economic and political changes led to the rise of democracy;l The spirit of nationalism;l The growing of "new science” etc. Characteristics of the Elizabethan Age 1. An

23、 age of comparative religious tolerance; 2. An age of comparative social contentment; 3. An age of dreams, of adventures, of unbounded enthusiasm; 4. An age of intellectual liberty, of growing intelligence and comfort among all classes and of unbounded patriotism. II. Renaissance in England§ Th

24、e time: mainly from the reign of Henry VIII, Edward, Mary and then to Queen Elizabeth and Jacobean Eraa. Beginning: the last years of the 15-th century-first half of the 16-th centuryb. Flourishing: the Elizabethan Age (1558-1603) c. Declining: the period of James I (1603-1625) early 17-th century T

25、he flowering of English literatureThe second half of the 16th century, “a nest of singing birds”The early period: imitation and assimilation, translated works, poetry and poetic drama were the most outstanding literary forms.§ Sonnet: an exact form of poetry in 14 lines of iambic pentameter int

26、ricately rhymed.§ Blank verse: iambic pentameter unrhymedThe latter period: ¡ Drama the real mainstream of the English Renaissance “university wits”: Lyly, Peele, Marlowe, Greene, Lodge and Nash who entered the dramatic circle between the years 1587-93. they were all of humble birth and st

27、ruggled for a livelihood by writing. Through hard work, they revised old plays and wrote new ones. They made rapid progress in dramatic techniques because they has close contact with the actors and audiences. They were looked down upon by the gentlemen and suspected by the government. It was their i

28、ndustrious works that furnished the Elizabethan stage. Christopher Marlowe William ShakespeareIII. The main artistic stylesThe artistic styles as lyric poetry, narrative poetry, drama are maturized; new styles which characterized the modern literature such as sonnets, short stories and novels were p

29、roduced.¡ translation: Ovids Metamorphoses, Homers Iliad, Montaignes Essays§ travel books: Mores Utopia§ poetry: Edmund Spenser § drama: “University Wits”, Marlowe, Shakespeare§ essay: Francis Bacon Thomas More and his Utopia¡ Forerunner of utopian socialism§ An im

30、aginative travel narrative written in the form of conversation between More and Hythloday, a returned voyager describing an ideal state governed by reason.§ The subject is the search for the best possible form of government: Utopia-a community of property-a pure, pre-Marx form of communism. Poe

31、try: Edmund Spenser and his works¡ The Shepherds Calendar 牧人日歷: 12 pastoral poems and eclogues, one for each month, put into the mouths of speakers distinguishing themselves as shepherds, really representing Spenser and his friends.§ Amoretti愛情小詩: a series of 88 sonnets in honor of his lov

32、er Elizabeth. All except one was written in the Spenserian sonnet.§ Epithlamion 婚后曲: marriage hymns to celebrate his marriage with Elizabeth.¡ The Faerie Queene仙后:§ The blending of religious and historical allegory with chivalric romance: a long poem planned 12 books. 12 knights for t

33、he qualities of the chivalric virtues- the six completed books are holiness, temperance, chastity, friendship, justice and courtesy. Fairy QueenQueen Elizabeth, the knights as a whole - England, the evil figuresenemies.Themes of the poem : l nationalism( celebration of Queen Elizabeth)l humanism (st

34、rong opposition to Roman Catholicism),l Puritanism (moral teaching)Spenserian stanza: it is a nine-line stanza with the first 8 lines iambic pentameter and the ninth, iambic hexameter 六步格的詩rhyming abab,bcbc,c which is the typical verse in The Faerie Queene.For its rare beauty, this verse form was mu

35、ch used by many later poets, esp. imitated by the romantic poets of the 19th century.Spensers position in English Literature:¡ the publication of “The Shepherds Calendar” marks the budding of Renaissance flower in the northern island of England. ¡ The language he used was modern English wh

36、ich has distinguished itself from the Middle English of Chaucer's day.¡ Spenserian stanza: a model of poetic art among the Renaissance English poets.¡ “the poets poet”, the first master to make the Modern English the natural music of his poetic effusion and held his position as a model

37、 of poetic art. His influence can be traced in the works of Milton, Shelley and Keats.Christopher MarloweLife: short but riotousn Major works: Ø Tamburlaine the Great:帖木耳 A drama in a blank verse About the rise and fall of Tamburlaine the Mongol conqueror on the 14th century central Asia. A tra

38、gedy about a man who thinks he can but actually can not control his own fate. By depicting a great hero with high ambition and sheer brutal force, the author voiced the supreme desire of the man of the Renaissance for infinite power and authority.Ø The Jew of Malta:馬耳他的猶太人 A study of the lust f

39、or wealth, which centers around Barabas the Jew, an old money lender, whose only philosophy is the art of gaining advantage. Suggestive of Shylock in Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice. A tragic result: typically greedy of riches and gold, which is another feature shared by those in Renaissance Eng

40、land.Ø The History of Doctor Faustus 浮士德博士 Refer to compare with Goethes Faust The Faust myth in 16th century Germany: the myth of men seeking great earthly power from demons at the cost of their immortal soul. The conventional view: Dr. Faustus is a morality play that vindicates humility, fait

41、h and obedience to the law of God. The new view: Dr. Faustus celebrates the human passion for knowledge, power and happiness, and also reveals mans frustration in realizing the high aspiration in a hostile moral order.n Social significance and literary achievement¡ 1.showing the spirit of the r

42、ising bourgeoisie. Its eager curiosity for knowledge, power and gold.¡ The praise of individuality freed from the restraints of medieval dogmas and the conviction of the boundless possibility of human efforts in conquering the universe.¡ The heroes are mainly individualists. Their individu

43、alistic ambition often brings ruin to the world and to themselves.Shakespeare¡ soul of the Age!¡ The applause! Delight! The wonder of our stage!¡ Triumph, my Britain, thou hast one to show¡ To whom all scenes of Europe homage owe.¡ He was not of an age, but for all time! Wil

44、liam Shakespeare¡ 1. Brief Introduction¡ 2. Shakespeares drama Four periods of his literary career Categories of his drama¡ 3. the artistic features of his plays¡ 4. Shakespeares place and contribution¡ 5. Shakespeares sonnetsWhat to be at least known about Shakespeare¡

45、 Life: birthplace, birth date, death date, important time in his life and careerl His major works: 37 plays(10histories, 10 comedies, 10 tragedies), 2 long narrative poems, 154 sonnets. Plays to be read: great comedies & 4 great tragediesl Writing features in each of four periodsI. Brief Introdu

46、ction¡ A dramatist “not of an age, but of all time” by Ben Jonhson, not of England, but of the world.l Not only a master of English language but also a genius of character portrayal and plot constructionl A “poet of reality” for his idea that literature should reflect nature and reality.l 37 pl

47、ays, 154 sonnets and 2 long poems.II. Shakespeares dramak Four Periods of Shakespeares Literary careerFour major phrases represent respectively his early, mature, flourishing and late periods.1. Period of early experiment and apprenticeship (1590-1594)Background:¡ A. it was in the middle of the

48、 highly thriving Elizabethan Age.¡ B. The thoughts of humanism and the ideas of mans emancipation, freedom of love was rapidly spread.¡ C. Shakespeare was a young man full of astonishing versatility and wonderful talent and the great interest in the political questions of his time.Features

49、:¡ A. the writer made experiments in a number of dramatic forms: the historical plays, comedy, the revenge tragedy and the romantic tragedy.¡ B. this period is distinctively marked by youthfulness and exuberance of imagination, by extravagance of witty language or speech, and by the final

50、and frequent use of blank verse. In his hand, blank verse developed into a happy vehicle to express all kinds of thoughts and emotions (thus shaking off the rigidity of rimed and mechanic lines) . 2. Period of maturity (1595-1600)Features:¡ A. a period of “great comedies” and mature historical

51、plays and sonnets.¡ B. a sweet and joyful time when the writer portrays successfully a magnificent panorama of the manifold pursuit of people in real life.¡ C. a great shift in characterization. A notable gallery of heroines in the comedies and vivid characters in historical plays is prese

52、nted: Portia, Posalynd, Voila, Beatrice, Sir John Falstaff.3. Period of gloom and depression (1601-1607)Background:¡ A. the aggravation of the social situation: the rising of peasants, the corruption, the tension between bourgeoisie and the feudal lands.¡ B. the change of mood in the playw

53、right: gloomy and indignantFeatures:¡ A. a period of “great tragedies” and “dark comedies”¡ B. the writer gave a scathing exposition of the somber pictures and scenes of murder, lust, treachery, ingratitude and crime.¡ C. a higher level of crafts is reached: more intricate plotting, i

54、ntense inner conflict, meticulous depiction of human mind.4. Period of calm and reconciliation (1608-1612)Background:¡ A. the fall and collapse of absolute monarch¡ B. the retirement of the playwright back into the tranquil countrysideFeatures:¡ A. some serenity and optimism, instead

55、of the beginning lightness and the middle somber violence reigned.¡ B. romantic dramas and comedies were the main form.¡ C. moral teaching and supernatural forces were relied on to restore the rightful honor and position. These plays all show a falling off from his previous works.k Categor

56、ies of his dramaAccording to dramatic type, his plays are divided into these classes: comedies histories tragedies romances？ComediesComedy is a light form of drama aiming primarily to amuse and ending happily. It often deals with people in their human state, restrained and ridiculous by their limita

57、tions, faults, bodily functions.Four Great Comdies¡ The Merchant of Venice¡ A Midsummer Nights Dream¡ As you Like it¡ Twelfth NightComedies of the First PeriodThe keynote of his comedies:l to portray people just freed from the feudal fetters, sing of youth, love and ideas of happ

58、iness. l The heroes and heroines fight against destiny and mould their fate according to their own free will. Thus become the sons and daughters of Renaissance.l The victory of humanist ideal is inevitable. The general spirit of these plays is optimistic.The Merchant of Venice The double plot: one is about the Bassanios winning of a bride by undergoing a test; the other is about the demanding of a pound of human flesh by Shylock. The traditional theme is to praise the friendship between Antonio and Bassanio, to idealize Portia as a heroine of great bea