英國文學(xué)簡答題答案

1、1 Features of Scotts historical novels1. Scott has on outstanding gift of vivifying the past his novels, which combine historical fact with romantic imagination, give a picturesque representation of various historical personage and events. He was especially versed in portraying Scottish history and

2、Scottish characters, but he also was a successful writer on the history of other countries.2. In his novels, historical events are closely interwoven with the fares of individual life. Besides, the nominal heroes of Scotts novels, usually young men of noble birth are thrown into close companionship

3、with ordinary. People and go through a serious of hardships and adventures. This arrangement is convenient to the novelist in depicting characters from various social strata and their fates in historical events. But not a few of these novels are pale figures. Whose actual function in the novels is t

4、o hold together the numerous incidents of the plot and introduce other characters far more interesting than themselves?3. When Scott describes historical events, he is concerned not only with the lives and deeds of kings, Statesmen and other historical figures, but is always mindful of the fates of

5、the ordinary people. Hence the numerous pen-portraits of the people from various social positions, which constitute an important characteristic in Scotts novels.4. Scott is a romantic. But, besides romantic imagination, he also relies upon careful studies and investigations into the details of histo

6、rical life.5. Scotts historical novels paved the way for the development of the realistic novel of the 19th century. In fact, Scotts literary career marks the transition from romantic to realism in English literature of the 19th century.2Talk about Samuel Johnsons Dictionary in your own words1. Some

7、 of the definitions in the dictionary are often, quoted to illustrate. Johnsons personality prejudice.2. But the dictionary as a whole was a great work of scholarship. Johnsons purpose was to make a dictionary by means of which the pronunciation of our language may be fixed, and its attainment facil

8、itated; by which its purity may be preserved, its use ascertained and its duration lengthened.3. Though the dictionary has been displaced by latter ones, it worked an epoch in the study of the English language.4. His Dictionary also worked the end of English writers reliance on the patronage of nobl

9、emen for support.3The features of the works of romanticist1. The general feature of the works of the romanticists is dissatisfaction with the bourgeois society, which finals expression in a revolt against or an escape from the prosaic life. Their writing is filled with strong willed heroes. Formidab

10、le, events, tragic, situations, powerful, Conflicting Passions, and exotic pictures.2. Sometimes they resort to symbolic methods.3. The romanticists paid great attention to the spiritual and emotional life of man, Nature often personified, also plays important role in their works.4. Poetry of course

11、 is the best medium to express all these sentiments. In fact, all the romanticists mentioned above were poets. The Romantic Period was one of poetical revival.4Whats Byronic hero?Byronic hero who are men with fiery passions and unbending will and express the poets own ideal of freedom. These heroes

12、rise against tyranny and injustice, but they are merely love fighters striving for personal freedom and some individualistic ends.5Prometheus Unbound1. Shelleys masterpiece is Prometheus Unbound a lyrical drama in if acts.2. According to Greek myth, Prometheus stole fire from heaven and taught men h

13、ow to use it. The figure of Prometheus has been symbolic of those noble-hearted revolutionaries who devote themselves to the just cause of the people and suffer, great pains at the hands of tyrants.3. The plot of Shelleys drama is borrowed from Prometheus Bound a play of the Greek tragedian Aeschylu

14、s4. But Shelly give the myth his own interpretation5. In this poem Prometheus represents mankind itself. And Zeus, a symbol of all reactionary institutions. To Shelly, the image of Prometheus unites four no use qualities: mans shaping intellect, his heroic endurance the definition against tyranny an

15、d the love of mankind mother Earth gives him strength to endure all suffering and sends the spirits of heroes and martyrs to cheer him. His bride Asia the spirit of love and goodness awaits him in the distance Prometheus is released by Herlus the hero of great strength.6. Prometheus bound becomes Pr

16、ometheus Unbound. This symbolizes the victory for mains struggle against tyranny and oppression.6Why did Chaucer become the founder of English poetry?1 Chaucers learning was wide in scope2he obtained good knowledge of Latin, French 3then his dilomatic missions to Italy enables him to study the poems

17、 of dunte, Petrarch and Boccaccio, famous Italian writers of the renaissance period, which were later to have profound influence upon his writing.4besides, he was an ardent admirer of Latin outhors, having studded many of the philosophical works prevailing in the Middle Ages5 he also has knowledge o

18、f astronomy, Chaucer acquired an abundant knowledge of the world, which is essential for a writer, so no man of his day could have been better equipped, socially and intellectually, to be the founder of English poetry 7 Comment on Chaucers literary career1 it is interesting to find that his literary

19、 career can also be divided into three periods, corresponding with the stages of his life2 the first period consist of works translated from French, as The Romaunt of the Rose 3 the second consist of works adapted from the Italian, as Troilus and Criseyde4the third includes The Canterbury Tales, whi

20、ch is purely English.5in the French period, the author is trying his hand on meter, on language, on subject 6 In the Italian period, the poets own creativeness shows itself through borrowed themes7 in the third period, the poet is no longer the mere interpreter of other poets8he has his own choice i

21、f subject, his own grasp of character and his own diction and plot8How did Chaucer link the tales together? 1 various in kind as these stones are the poet succeeded in linking them together through two ways.2the personality of the host affords a clear string of connection from the first to the last

22、tale, he gives a unity to the whole work, inviting, critizing, admiring, denouncing, but always keeping himself in evidence.3 then there is an intimate connection between the tales and the prologue, both of which complement each other. It is of greast importance to read the corresponding portion of

23、full dramatic, narrative and pictorial effect of work9 Talk about Chaucers achievement in English literature 1 Chaucers contribution to English poetry lies chiefly in the fact that he introduced from France the rhymed stanza of various types. especially the rhymed couplet of 5 accents in iambic mete

24、r to English poetry , instead of the old Anglo-Saxon alliterative verse2 he is the first great poet who wrote in the English language. His production of so much excellent poetry was an important factor in establishing English as the literary language of the country, the spoken English of the time ,

25、consisted of several dialects, and Chaucer did much in making the dialect of London the standard for the modern English speech.10 Analyze the image of henry V in your own words1 henry V is the symbol of Shakespeares ideal kingship he represents the up surging patriotism of the time , in depicting he

26、nry V as a prince and as a man Shakespeare looks deep into the personality of his hero and shows a profound understanding of politics and social life of the time 2 henry V describes prince Hal as a budding statesman, At the outset, he is shown to be a prodigal son. Keeping company with sir John Fals

27、taff, and other disreputable person and enjoying a low, riotous with them3 though leading a riotous life , Henry is coolheaded and has a strong will, He keeps half an eye on the chance of political success, when he is called by his father to lead the army, he enlists Falstaff as a companion in arms4

28、 after the battle, prince henry resume his old ways of life again5 on his fathers advice, henry V makes war with France in order to prevent his nobles from making trouble. But before the war, he sees to it that everything goes well at home, he crushes a conspiracy of some noble lords to assassinate

29、him and puts the traitors to death.6 in the main henry V represents Shakespeares ideal of a good king and his aspiration for the national unity of England under a powerful and efficient monarchy11 Why is Shakespeare one of the founders of realism in world literature?1Shakespeare is one of the founde

30、rs of realism in world literature, he insists on principle of realism. Shakespeare faithfully characters in his plays, the major social contradictions of his time2thus, his historical plays describe the decaying of the old feudal nobility and rising of the new Tudor monarchy which represented teeth

31、interests of English merchants and well-to-do citizens3his comedies paint, in bright colors, the life and love of the young men and women just freed from the features of feudalism4meanwhile, his great tragedies, in the main, depict the life and-death struggle between the humanists and the dark power

32、 of the time12 Shakespeare has been universally acknowledged to be the summit of the English renaissance, and one of the great .why?1shakespeare is one of the founders of realism in world literature and he insists on the principle of realism 2 though his character are often clothed in old, foreign d

33、resses, their thoughts and feelings belong to Shakespeares own time, and so his drama becomes a monument of the English renaissance , Shakespeare wrote about his own people and for his own time.3shakespeares long experience with the stage and his intimate knowledge of dramatic art thus acquired make

34、 him a master hand for playwriting, under his hand drama becomes very elastic, in order to reproduce the various aspects of real life, Shakespeare often combines the majestic with the funny, the poetic with the prosaic, and the tragic with the comic, his character also bear this manifold quality4 Sh

35、akespeare was skilled in many poetic forms .the Song the sonnet the couplet and the dramatic blank verse, in his hand, it becomes a most flexible means of expression to utter all the possible thoughts, and feelings of his 5 Shakespeare was a great master of the English language. He commanded a vocab

36、ulary larger than any other English writer , Shakespeare and the authorized version of the English Bible are the two great treasuries of the English renaissance, and one of the greatest writers the world over.13 Talk about Shakespeares sonnets in gaur own words 1 in 1609 appeared Shakespeares sonnet

37、s, never before imprinted, the collection contains 154 sonnets2 they may be roughly divided into three groups, numbers 1-17 are variations on one theme, a handsome young man is being persuaded to many and beget offspring who will preserve his beauty in a new generation, though he himself will lose i

38、t as he grows old, gradually this theme gives place to the ideal that the beloved youth will survive through the poets verse.3 numbers 18-126 are on a variety of themes, associated with a handsome young man, the poet enjoys his friendship and is full of admiration promising to bestow immortality on

39、the young man by the poems he writes in his honors4then begins a new series, principally about a married woman with dark hair and complexion , the so called “dark lady of the sonnets”5 for all that ,all critics unite in praising these sonnets for a variety of virtues , they express strong feeling ,

40、they have a density of thought and imagery that makes them seem the quiet essence of the poetical experience, they delight by a felicity of phrase and verse movement, they also afford thee reads hints of Shakespeares personality and personal life.14 What it the significance of Pamela in English lite

41、rature?1 Samuel Richardsons first book Pamela tells of a virtuous servant girls resistance to the attempts for young master and her final reward of honorable matrimony with the man.2 In this novel for the first time, Richardson gave a detail description of the English family life in the 18th century

42、. There is not much action in the story. The author chiefly describes and analyses the thoughts and especially the feelings of the heroine in great detail.3 the chief contribution of this novel to the development of the English novel lies in the penetrating psychological study of the heroine employe

43、d for the first tine in the English prose fiction.4 Pamela is written in the form of an epistolary novel.15 Why is Pamela the first English psycho-analytical novel?Pamela was a new thing in three ways:1 firstly, it discarded the “improbable and marvelous” accomplishments of the former heroic romance

44、s, and pictured the life and love of ordinary people2 secondly, its described not only the sayings and doing of characters but also their secret thoughts and feelings3 thirdly, it described not only the saying and doings of character but also their secret thoughts and feelings. It was, in fact the f

45、irst English psycho-analytical novel.16 What is Parson Adams in Joseph Andrew like?1 he is ever ready to help the weak and oppressed. But he is scoffed at and victimized by the vulgar and worldly-wise persons.2 despite his rustic appearance, this parson is a man of extraordinary learning3 he is the

46、most absent-minded man in the world. His capacity for missing his way and losing himself is also wonderful4 but, in spite of all his weaknesses, Parson Adams is a good man. He specially loves poor and humble people, because he himself is poor and upright. He always keeps his dignity.5 it is this tru

47、thfulness and uprightness that give the character of Parson Adams a peculiar beauty6 in fact, he is the most outstanding character in the novel17 Tell the characteristics of Tom Jones1 tom Jones, the fondling, is a handsome young man. He is frank and open, kind, disinterested, and, through quick-tempered, devoid of malice. His outstanding quality is “good nature “and “goodness of heart”2 he is never an indifferent spectator of the misery or happiness of anyone. He would not willingly inflict even the most trifling hurt on any