Historical background & British Literature(英国文学).ppt

Historical Background and British LiteratureProf. 何木英Email: muyinghe619@Tel:13696005677Chapter One The Anglo-Saxon Period (450-1066)1. Natives lBritons, a tribe of CeltslWhere did the Celts come from? lPowerful Celts in central and north Europe from 750 BC to 12 BClmainland Celts (Gauls) and island Celts (Britons and Gaels)lGaels in Scotland and Ireland speaking Gaelicl2. Roman Conquest (55 B.C—410 A.D): Julius Caesar—social conflict: Romans conquerors vs. Britons slaves-literature: ballads (p.17)3. English Conquest (since 410-787 ) The Angles, Axons and the Jutes—England (the United Kingdom) and English people—Old English—a transition of feudalism—literature: Literature Anglo-Saxon literature: Epic (heroic poetry): Bewolflsummery:lAnglon-Saxen became the ancestor of the present english people. Anglo-Saxon Literature (5th century-11th century) lWhy English today called themselves as the descendents of Anglo-Saxons? lIn the 8th century, the Continent began to use the word Anglo-Saxon to distinguish Saxons in Britain from Saxons in the Mainland. In the 11th century, Normans invaded and began to adopt Anglo-Saxon to refer to the local EnglishThe Northumbrian School and the Wessex literature.lThe first hight: lCaedmon (lived in the 7th century) turned the stories in the Bible into verse form: Paraphrase, so he became the first Anglo-Saxon poet.lThe Venerable Bede(673-735): father of English poetry.lThe Second hight: the Wessex literature lAlfred became the king of Wessex (871), advocating Latin education, creating a style of Anglo-Saxon prose, no longer obscure.l2.2 Lit. Appreciation: Anglo-Saxon literature:l2.2.1 Epic: BewolflNotes:lEpic (heroic poetry) (Zhang Xinyou 19).Chapter Two: the Norman Period(1066-1350)(the Midieval Period)l1066 witnessed the Norman Conquestlfeudalism: the King, Barons, knoghtslChurches: 1/3 of the land, political power & religious powerNorman Conquest (1066-1642): Blake Death and the peasant’s rising of 1381 the establishment of Feudalism—literature: Romance (pp.8-9), Chaucer’s Canterbury TaleslSince 1066, French-speaking Normans under Duke William of Normandy came to England.lEnglish society entered into feudalism.lEnglish society entered into Middle Ages or Medieval Age.lMiddle English: Middle/Medieval Age (395-1500). In the western history it refers to the period from the collapse of Roman culture to humanist’s participation of civilized life and the science Renaissance. (Zhang Xinyou 85)lLatin and French: official languange, and used by the upper classes;lEnglish: used by the lower classes, and old English was weakened left no deep impression on its national life1)Roman mode of life: theatres and baths in the towns (the city of Bath)2)Appearance of Roman streets and city ancient London citySignificance of Norman ConquestBath, England’s world heritage citylFounded in Roman ConquestlFamous for its hot springslJane Austins’ second home: Bath museum lWife of BathlRoyal Crescent and the Circus built in the 18th centuryliteraturelreligious litraturelRomance (knights literature) and the influence of Frech Literature （pp. 16-17）.e.g. Sir Gawain and the Green Knightlsumery:lAlthough they ruled over the country for more than 3 centuries, they had made little influence on the culture of the Celts  Danish Invasion (787-1066)Chapter Three: Age of Chaucer(1350-1400)the Hundred Years' War between England and France for French Throne.(24-25)lnational consciousness awakening;lEnglish gradually replaced Frenchthe Peasant Uprising (1381): exploitation and oppressionlChaucer heralded the coming of a new age.Chapter Four: the 15th Century (1400-1550)lThe Hundred years' War: between england and France for the throne lThe War of the Roses (1455-1485): between two big families(one used the red rose, another the white rose as their emblem respectively)lThe discovery of america and the new sea routelThe Reformation of church broke from the church of Rome and establish the Anglican ChurchliteraturelPopular ballads (50-52): a narrative poem telling stories.e.g. Robin Hood ballads the Three RavensChapter V. The Eng. Renaissance (1550-1642) (the First Climax of Bri. Lit.)lQueen Elizabeth (1559-1603)'s successful ruling of tolerance policy brought the peace and prosperity; the defeat of the Spanish navy.lThe enclosure movement(pp.66-67)lHumanism/Renaissance Period: the 14th century to the 16th century) (Zhang Xinyou 85, 109).cf. Enlightenment Movement happened in the 17th C. ; lfocuses on human being’s reasoning ability; justifies the rationality of existence.lliterary form: rationalism, classicism( Neoclassical ) revival of the ancient art of Greece and Rome.william Shakepearegreatest humanist playwright and poetlPlays: Hamlet lPoem: Sonnets John Donne:lMetaphysical poets (Zhou Hongying 98.): mysticism in contents and fantasticality in formlConceits (Zhou Hongying 97): elaborate metaphorEdmund Spencer: lThe Shepearde's Calender (12 Parts for 12 months): human concern of the individual's earthly life.lThe Ferie Queene: unfinished allegorical romance.Chapter Six: the 17th Century(1603-1688)Bourgeois revolution:lthe burghers' need of free tradelthe persecution of the Puritans against the anglish church. (king's right for the state and the church)Neoclassicsm (1603-1798)lRenaissance movement & Enlightenment Movement: Renaissance movement happened in the 15th C.; lfocuses on Humanism, i.e. human beings’ secular life, or earthly life;lliterary form: classicism, revival of the ancient art of Greece and Rome.c.f. Enlightenment Movement: happened in the 17th century, furthering the development of Renaissance movement, focusing more on human being's reasoning abilityliteratureinterpretation of the Biblelthe King James Bible of 1611Bacon:Of Studies (pp.178-180)metaphysical poemsJohn Donne:A valediction: Forbidding MourningJohn Milton:lParadize LostJohn Bunyan:lThe Pilgrim's Progresschapter Seven: the 18th Century(1688-1798)l1688: the constitutional monarchy was set, a compromise between the bourgeoisie and the aristocrats;la powerful naval countryLiteratureDaniel Defoe:Moll FlandersRobinsin CrusoeJonathan Swift:Gulliver's Travelswilliam Blake:the chimmey SweeperChapter Eight. Romantic Period (1798-1832)lAt the turn of the 18th and 19th century. In England, the beginning was marked by the publication of Lyrical Ballads (1798), and the end was marked by the death of Sir Walter Scott’s death (1832)The Luddite movement, breaking machinesthe intellectual movement: Rousseau(french philosopher), advocating feeling, instinct rather than reaso;Edmund Burke, emphasizing feeling and instinct; Thomas Painelcharacteristics: (pp. 4-5)lpoets:lWordsworthlColeridgelShelleylKeatslScottlLambChapter Nine: The Victorian period (1832-1901)The Second Climax of British Lit.lQueen Elizebath vs. Queen Victoria:p.126the two periods of political and economical development.the two climaxes of lit. Dramas vs. novels lrealism:lCharles Dickens Oliver Twist (Chapters II and III)lWilliam Makepeace Thackeray Vanity Fair (Chapter XXXVI)Ref. The Pilgrim's Voygey Charlotte BrontëJane Eyre (Chapter XXIII)Emily BrontëWuthering Heights (Chapter XV)Thomas Hardy Tess of the D’Urbervilles (Chapter XIX)Joseph Conrad Heart of Darkness (An Excerpt)D. W. Lawrence Sons and Lovers (Chapter X)James Joyce Dubling: ArabyT. S. Eliot The Waste Land (The Burial of the Dead)George Bernard Shaw Mrs. Warren’s Profession (Act II)John Osborne: Look Back in AngerSamuel Beckett: Waiting for GodotDoris Lessing A Woman on a RoofJohn Fowles The French Lieutenant’s WomanWilliams Golding:Lord of the FliesAssignmentlprepare Beowulf & Chaucer。