湖师大英美文学研究生备考.docx

湖师大英美文学研究生备考第三篇：英美文学第五篇：英美文学 SIR THOMAS MALORY (1405-1471 ) The OutlineI. SIR THOMAS MALORY II. Morte d' Arthur《亚瑟王之死》 III. Questions for Discussion . SIR THOMAS MALORY (1405-1471 ) Life: He was very rich because he inherited a considerable estate in Warwickshire (a county in west central England ) upon his father's death in 1433 and he seems to have quickly become drawn into the turmoil of local politics. In 1445, he became a Member of Parliament for his county: a rather unstable area during this time because the usually powerful Earl of Warwick, was only in his mid-teens. A lot of political affairs in Warwickshire led Sir Thomas into his numerous clashes with the law. From 1444 onwards, he was caught up in raids (袭击) on the attacks on the Duke of Buckingham and Combe Abbey 大修道院,大寺院 , as well as a number of thefts in the county of Essex. Keen to blacken his name, Sir Thomas' enemies branded (给某人加上污名) him “a rapist, church- robber, extortioner (勒索者，敲诈者) and would-be murderer". Unlucky or incompetent, Sir Thomas was certainly in prison almost continuously throughout the 1450s, though he did escape several times. His pardon came to him in October 1462, followed by military service in Northumbria. From then on he kept his head down, but may have become embroiled (使卷入) in Cook's Conspiracy (阴谋活动) of 1468, for which he was imprisoned. There, he turned to writing and earned eternal fame. Sir Thomas died on 12th March 1471, probably in Newgate Prison (London). He was buried in the nearby Friary Church of St. Francis. II. Morte d' Arthur 《亚瑟王之死》 Malory's tale begins with the mysterious birth of Arthur and ends with his equally mysterious death. The central concern is with the adventures of Arthur and his famous Knights of the Round Table. The knights fight many battles and win glory, all of which is a credit to the name of King Arthur. Near the end of the story, however, the tide of good fortune turns. Launcelot, one of Arthur's knights, falls in love with Arfhur's queen, Guinever, and the lady returns his love. One by one the other knight become discontented(使不满), selfish, or disillusioned(使醒悟;使不再抱幻想;使...的理想破灭). Thus weakened, the kingdom is attacked by force under Sir Mordred, Arthur's treacherous (背叛的;不忠的) nephew, and ultimately it goes down in defeat. Arthur is borne away (被...所驱使) on a barge (大型平底船) by three mysterious ladies of the Lake. Morte d‘Arthur was written in a time of transition. The feudal order was dying. By the time Malory began writing his story, soldiers were fighting with gunpowder, a middle class of tradesmen was arising; and the practices of chivalry were being replaced (代替,取代) by a new aristocratic code. Malory, in a desire to escape the disorder and uneasiness of his day, tried to recapture lost ideals of the romantic past as recounted (叙述,讲述) in his tale of noble kings, adventurous knights, and damsels (少女;闺女) in distress (悲痛; 苦恼; 忧伤; 贫困,穷苦; 危难; 不幸; 引起痛苦或悲痛的事物). This book is very important in English literature. Its Arthurian materials have a strong influence on literature of later centuries. III. Questions for Discussion 1.What are the features of Popular Ballads? 2. What is the story of Morte d‘Arthur ? 3. Why is Sir Thomas Malory an important writer the 15th century? 1. What are the features of Popular Ballads? See the last paragraph on Page 50 to the fifth paragraph on Page 51. of our text book. What is the story of Morte d‘Arthur ?See Page 6 –9 of our PPt. . Why is Sir Thomas Malory an important writer the 15th century? See the first paragraph on Page 52 of our text book. 4 / 4。