英國文學復習資料

WhatistheFrenchinfluenceoverEnglishliterature?

TheFrenchinfluenceismostmarkedinthedrama.Rimedcoupletsinsteadofblankverse,theunities,amoreregularconstruction,andthepresentationratherthan

individual—theseweresomeoftheFrenchrequirementswhichtheEnglishdramatistshadmoreorlessinmind.Thecomediesarecoarseinlanguageandtheirviewoftherelationsbetweenmenandwomenisimmoralanddishonest.

WhatisthemainthemeofSonnet18?

Thispoemassertsthepowerofliteraturetocombattheravagesoftimeanddeclarethegreatnessofmanandhisimmortality.Shakespeareexpressesthataslongastherearebreathsinmankind,hispoetrywillalsoliveon,andensurestheimmortalityofhisthought.

WhatarethefeaturesofDickens’sworks?

Dickens’snovelsofferamostcompleteandrealisticpictureoftheEnglishbourgeoissocietyofhisage.Theyreflecttheprotestofthepeopleagainstcapitalistexploitation;criticizethevicesofcapitalistsociety.

Dickensisapettybourgeoisintellectual.Hecouldnotoverstepthelimitsofhisclass.Hefailedtoseethenecessityofabitterstruggleoftheoppressedagainsttheiroppressors.Thereisadefinitetendencyforareconciliationofthecontradictionsofcapitalistsociety.

Almostallhisnovelshavehappyendings.Hisnovelstellmuchoftheexperiencesofhischildhood.Dickensisagreathumorist.Hisnovelsarefullofhumorandlaughter.

WhatarethecommonfeaturesofthenovelsinVictorianAge?

ThecommonfeaturesofthenovelsinVictorianAgeare:

a.Theplotisunfoldedagainstasocialbackground.

b.Thecause-effectsequenceismuchmorestriking.

c.MostoftheVictoriannovelswerefirstpublishedinserialform,thatis,byinstallment,beforetheywerefullypublishedinasinglebook.

d.TheVictoriannovelsweretaintedbythespiritofPuritanismoftheVictorianage.

e.TheVictoriannovelswerecharacterizedbytheirmoralpurpose.

GiveasummaryabouttheEnglishliteratureduringtheRenaissance.

EnglishliteratureintheRenaissancePeriodisusuallyregardedasthehighlightinthehistoryofEnglishliterature.InthesecondperiodofEnglishRenaissancethatis,inElizabethanPeriod,Englishliteraturedevelopedwithagreatspeedandmadeamagnificentachievement.ThegreatestandmostdistinctiveachievementofElizabethanliteratureisthedrama.Thusappearedagroupofexcellentdramatistsandgreatpoets,suchasJohnLyly,ThomasKyd,ChristopherMarlowe,WilliamShakespeare,ThomasWyatt,HenryHowardandEdmundSpenser.

SinceEnglishRenaissancePeriodwasanageofpoetryanddrama,andwasnotanageofprose,therewerenotsomanyprosewriters.Inthebeginningperiod,thegreathumanist,ThomasMorewrotehisfamousproseworkUtopia,whichmaybethoughtofasthefirstliterarymasterpieceoftheEnglishRenaissance.InElizabethanPeriod,FrancisBaconwrotemorethan50excellentessays,whichmakehimoneofthebestessayistsinEnglishliterature.

2.GiveabriefintroductiontoUtopia.

UtopiaisMore’smasterpiece,writtenintheformofaconversationbetweenMoreandareturnedsailor.Thewholeworkisdividedintotwobooks.ThefirstbookcontainsalongdiscussiononthesocialconditionsofEngland.Inthesecondbook,Moredescribes

indetailandidealsocietycalledUtopia.Thename“Utopia”comesfromtwoGreekwordsmeaningnoplace.ItwasusedbyMoretonamehisidealsociety.

BookOneofUtopiaisapictureofcontemporaryEngland.TheauthorseverelycriticizesEnglishsocietyandexposessocialevils:theenclosureforlandandtheensuingexpulsionofpeasants.Booktwooffersusagoodpictureofanidealsocietyinsomeunknownocean.

AllcitizensinUtopiaarepoliticallyequal.Everybodytakespartinlabor.Theproductsofthesocietyaredistributedaccordingtotheneedsofthecitizens.Allreligionsinthisidealsocietyareauthorizedandtoleranceisthelaw.Lifethereispleasant.

3.GiveabriefcommentonTheMerchantofVenice.

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OfShakespearesearliercomedies,TheMerchantofVeniceiscertainlythemostoutstandingoneinwhichShakespearecreatestension,ambiguity,aself-consciousandself-delightingartificethatisatonceintellectuallyexcitingandemotionallyengaging.Thesophisticationderivesinpartfromtheplaybetweenhigh,outgoingromanceanddarkforcesofnegativityandhate.ThetraditionalthemeoftheplayistopraisethefriendshipbetweenAntonioandBassanio,toidealizePortiaasaheroineofgreatbeauty,witand

loyalty,andtoexposetheinsatiablegreedandbrutalityoftheJew,especiallytheholocaustcommittedbytheNazyGermanyduringtheSecondWorldWar,itisverydifficulttoseeShylockasaconventionalevilfigure.AndmanypeopletodaytendtoregardtheplayasasatireoftheChristianhypocrisyandtheirfalsestandardsoffriendshipandlove,theircunningwaysofpursuingworldlinessandtheirunreasoningprejudiceagainstJew.

4.WhatisthemainideaofHamlet?

ThestoryoftheplaycomesfromanoldDanishlegend.Itisverylikelythat

ShakespeareborrowedsomethingfromThomasKyd’sTheSpanishTragedy.ThewholeplayshowshowHamlet,herooftheplaywhorepresentsgoodandjustice,fightsagainst

hisuncleinwhomalltheevilthingsofthetimecanbeseen.Hamlet’sfather,theoldKinghasbeenpoisonedtodeathbyhisownbrother.Thenewking,thatis,Hamlet’suncle,hasmarriedtheQueen,Hamlet’smother.Hamletwantstorevengeforhisfather.

Heisnotaweak-mindedyoungman.Heloveshispeopleandislovedbythem.

HeshowshisbraveryinrunningaftertheGhostofhisfather,inkillingtheking’sminister,Polonist,infightingwiththepiratesonthesea,andwithLaertes.Hehasseen

throughthewickedandunjustworldwhichhelivesin.Heobservesthat“Denmarkisa

prison”.Heisdeterminedtodoawaytheevilsinthesociety.Finallyhekillsalltheenemiesandavengeshisfather.Hediesaheroicdeath.

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summitofShakespearesart.

5.InwhichperioddidShakespearewritehismaincomedies?Whatdidhetellusinthiscomedies?

【第一問略】

IntheseplaysShakespeareportrayedtheyoungpeoplewhohadjustfreedfromthefeudalfetters.Hesangoftheiryouth,theirloveandidealofhappiness.TheheroesandheroinesweresonsanddaughtersoftheRenaissance.TheytrustnotinGodorKingbutinthemselves.

Shakespeareputwomencharactersataprominentplaceinhiscomedies.Heshowedgreatrespectforthedignity,honesty,wit,courage,determinationand

resourcefulnessofwomen.TheyoungheroinesinShakespeare’scomediesareindependentincharacterandveryfrank.Inspeaking,thinkingandfee