3Middle, Chaucer3Middle, Chaucer.doc

Medieval Period (1066-1485) [教学内容] Historical background of the Norman-Anglo period The influence of the Norman Conquest on English Language and literature The definition of Romance and the three major themes. “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”: plot, theme, style Geoffrey Chaucer’s literary career and his major works The contents and features of “The Canterbury Tales” English popular ballads [教学目标与要求] To get information of the Anglo-Norman period and understand the influence of the Norman Conquest on English Language and literature; To understand English Romance and its three major themes, and to analyze the theme and style of “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” To know the background of Geoffrey Chaucer’s time, his lifestory and major works To understand the contents of “The Canterbury Tales” To analyze the structure, the artistic features, the significance of “The Canterbury Tales” To know Chaucer’s contribution to English language and literature To get to know the literary terms: ballad, heroic couplet [重点与难点] Chaucer’s life and literary career; “The Canterbury Tales”: the stories, the structure (the function of “The General Prologue”) and the social significance; Chaucer’s contributions to English literature and modern English The origin and development of popular ballad 教授内容： Historical Background (what is the most important event in this period?) 1. The Norman Conquest In 1066, at the battle of Hastings, William, the energetic Duke of Normandy, defeated the Anglo-Saxons and became the King of England. 2. The Consequence of the Conquest Politically, a feudal system and a centralized government was established in England . Religiously, the Rome-backed Catholic Church had a much stronger control over the country. Great changes took place in languages: the Norman lords spoke French; common English spoke old English; Latin became the principal tongue of church affairs and was used by the clergymen and scholars. ( As a result, many terms employed by the Normans w