英國文學(xué)之中世紀(jì)英國文學(xué) OldandMedievalEnglishLiterature

OldandMedievalEnglishLiteratureOutlineofBritishLiteratureOldandMedievalEnglishLiteature(449-1485)TheRenaissancePeriod(1485-1660)The17thCentury(1660-1700)The18thCentury(1700-1798)TheRomanticMovement(1798-1832)TheVictorianAge(1832-1901)ContemporaryPeriod(1901-)OldandMedievalEnglishLiteratureTheAnglo-SaxonPeriod(449-1066)TheAnglo-NormanPeriod(1066-1485)

OldandMedievalEnglishLiterature(History)OldandMedievalEnglishLiterature(Literature)HistoricalBackgroundTheAnglo-SaxonPeriod(449-1066)EarlySettlers:Celtsaround700B.C.ThreeInvasionsRomanInvasionInvasionsbyGermanic/Teutonictribes

DanishInvasion

1).Processofinvasion:Earlyinvasion:(in55B.C.〕JuliusCaesar，theRomanConqueror,whohadthenjustoccupiedGaul(thepresentdayFrance)RomanInvasionRomanInvasion2)FinaloccupationoftheislandsbyRomein43A.D.(ClaudiustheEmperor)

BecomeoneofprovinceofRomanEmpire.3).EndofRomanoccupation:

In410A.D.,alltheRomantroopswentbacktothecontinentandneverreturned,thusendedtheRomanoccupationinBritain.TheHistoricalBackground

3).Influence:1.WiththeRomanConquesttheRomanmodeoflifecameacrosstoBritain.2.Also,itwasduringtheRomanrulethatChristianitywasintroducedtoBritain.

InvasionsbyGermanic/TeutonicTribesTime:

fromthemiddleofthe5thcenturytothe11thcentury

Origin:

threeGermanictribesfromtheNortheastofEurope:

theAngles,theSaxonsandtheJutes

Socialpattern:thelaterstagesoftribalsociety.somesmallkingdomsaunitedkingdomcalledEngland(thelandofAngles)bythe7thcentury

Language:thethreedialectsasinglelanguagecalledAnglo-SaxonorOldEnglish.DanishInvasion

From787,theEnglishbegantobetroubledbybandsofDanishVikings.

Atfirsttheyjustinvadedpartsofthecountryfromtimetotime.Graduallytheycametomakepermanentsettlementandruthlesslydestroyedmanyofthemonasteries.

WhowereVikings?ThetermVikingiscustomarilyusedtorefertotheNorse(Scandinavian)explorers,warriors,merchants,andpirateswhoraided,traded,exploredandsettledinwideareasofEuropeandtheNorthAtlanticislandsfromthelate8thtothemid-11thcentury.GeneralViewofLiteratureQ:Whatdoyouthinkwillexertinfluencesonliteratureatthistime?A:1.Northernmythologytrace2.ChristianfeatureWhatwastheoriginalformofliteratureatthattime?Anglo-Saxonliteratureisalmostaverseliteratureinoralform.

Itcouldbepasseddownbywordofmouthfromgenerationtogeneration.Itscreatorsforthemostpartareunknown.Itwasonlygivenawrittenformlongafteritscomposition.Whatwasthemajorgenreofliterature?a.ItistheearliestformofliteratureinthehistoryofEnglishliterature.b.Theearliestpoemsorsongswerenarratedorallybyminstrels,orscopsorgleemen.Whatwasthemajorgenreofliterature?c.TherearetwogroupsofEnglishpoetryinAnglo-Saxonperiod—pagan〔無宗教信仰的；異教徒的〕andreligiouspoetry.Paganpoetrywas

representedbyBeowulfwhilereligiouspoetrywasrepresentedbytheworksofCaedmonandCynewulfMasterpiece:“TheSongofBeowulf〞

SignificanceSettingCharactersPlotThemeLiteraryFeaturesSignificanceThenationalepicoftheEnglishpeople;Passedfrommouthtomouthforhundredsofyearsbeforewrittendowninthe10thcentury;ThemostimportantandrepresentativeworkoftheOldEnglish(theAnglo-Saxon)literature.SettingTime:

Thestorymaytakeplaceasearlyas400or500A.D.Place:itissetinwhatisnowSweden,whereatribecalledtheGeatslived.Setting:Beowulf’stimeandplaceEuropetodayTimeofBeowulfCharacters:

Beowulf:theheroGrendel’smother

Hrothgar:theking

Grendel:amonster

BeowulfPlotBeowulf’sfightwiththemonsterGrendelinHrothgar’shallBeowulf’sslayingofGrendel’smotherinherlairBeowulf’sreturntohishometown,andhissuccessiontothethrone.

Beowulf’svictoryindeath,fiftyyearslater,overthefiredragon

ThemeGood&EvilHeroism&HeroicDeedsLoyaltyBeowulf(OldEnglish)HW?T,WEGAR-DEnaingeardagum,

teodcyningatrymgefrunon,

huea?telingasellenfremedon!

oftScyldScefingsceatenatreatum,

monegumm?gtummeodosetlaofteah,

egsodeeorlas,syeean?restweare

feasceaftfunden;het?sfrofregebad,

weoxunderwolcnumweoremyndumtah,

oet?thim?ghwylcymbsittendra

oferhronradehyranscolde,

gombangyldan;t?tw?sgodcyning!

D?meaferaw?s?ftercenned

geongingeardum,toneGodsende

folcetofrofre;fyreneearfeongeat,

tehie?rdrugonaldorlease

langehwile;himt?sLiffrea,

wuldresWealdendworoldareforgeaf,

Beowulfw?sbreme–bl?dwidesprang-ScyldeseaferaScedelandumin.

Swascealgeonggumagodegewyrcean,

fromumfeohgiftumonf?derbearme,

t?thineonyldeeftgewunigen

wilgesitas,tonnewigcume,

leodegel?sten;lofd?dumsceal

inm?gtagehw?remangeteon.

HimeaScyldgewattogesc?phwile

felahrorferanonFreanw?re;

hihyneta?tb?rontobrimesfaroee,

sw?segesitas,swaheselfab?d,

tendenwordumweoldwineScyldinga---

leoflandfrumalangeahte.

Beowulf(ModernEnglish)Lo!theSpear-Danes’glorythroughsplendidachievementsThefolk-kings’formerfamewehaveheardof,Howprincesdisplayedthentheirprowess-in-battle.OftScyldtheScefingfromscathersinnumbersFrommanyapeopletheirmead-benchestore.Sincefirsthefoundhimfriendlessandwretched,Theearlhadhadterror:comforthegotforit,Waxed’neaththewelkin,world-honorgained,Tillallhisneighborso’erseawerecompelledtoBowtohisbiddingandbringhimtheirtribute:LiteraryFeaturesRhyme:ThepoemiswritteninalliterativeverseinalineRhetoric:Afigurativelanguageisused,whichiscalled“kenning〞ormetaphor〔隱喻〕.Simile(使用like或as等詞語的；明喻)AlliterativeVerse/AlliterationTherepetitionofthesamesoundsorofthesamekindsofsoundsatthebeginningofwordsorinstressedsyllablesEg.Windwhistles,laughinglion…MoreexamplesLastbutnotleastFirstandforemost(with)mightandmain(in)wealandwoefullofvigorandvitality

blackandbluesafeandsoundUseofalliterationinBeowulfOftScyldScefing Monegummaegpum Egsodeeorlas…KenningAkenningisintheformofacompound(usuallytwowords,oftenhyphenated(以連字符號連接))thatemploysfigurative〔比喻的，修飾多的，象征的〕languageinplaceofamoreconcretesingle-wordnoun.Kenningswhale’sway=?Wound-sea=?Sleepofthesword=?SeabloodDeathGuessmoreBattlesweat=Feedtheeagle=Ravenharvest=Baneofwood=Seasteed=BloodKillCorpseFireshipKenningsinBeowulfOldEnglishinBeowulfModernEnglishversionMeaningswan-rād

swan-roadseabeadoleomaflashinglightswordbanhusbone-housebodyTheAnglo-NormanPeriodHistoricalBackgroundBeginning:NormanConquestin1066

WilliamtheDukeofNormandyImportantEventsintheperiodHundredYears’War(1337-1453)BlackDeath(around1340A.D.)PeasantUprisings(around1380A.D.)WhatwasitliketoliveinEnglandintheMiddleAges?

Theideaofestates(較高的社會地位),ororders,wasencouragedduringtheAge.The3EstatesinEnglandduringtheAgeClergyLatinchieflyspoken,thosewhopray,purposewastosaveeveryone’ssoulNoblesFrenchchieflyspoken,thosewhofight,purpose

wastoprotect—allowforalltoworkinpeace—andprovidejusticeCommonersEnglishspoken,thosewhowork,purposewastofeedandclotheallabovethemanislandofpeoples,languages,anddivisions...Latin--church,schoolsFrench--court,castleEnglish--commonersTheWhiteTowerinLondon…partofWilliam’slegacyChartresCathedral

MatureFeudalSystemLiterarygenrepopularinthisperiodThemostprevailing(盛行的)kindofliteratureinfeudalE