Summary of Chapter Two 1.doc

Summary of Chapter Two 1 Ⅰ Historical Background 1. The Hundred Years’ War The Hundred Years’ War continued and in 1415 at the Battle of Agincourt King Henry Ⅴ (1413-1422) defeated the French army and claimed himself the heir to the French throne. However, when his son King Henry Ⅵ came to the throne, he was a puppet king handled by influential noblemen and his possessions in France were won back by the French under the leadership of the French heroine Joan of Arc (1412-1431). 2. The War of the Roses (1455-1485) The War of the Roses, or the Thirty Years’ War, was a series of civil wars fought between the two great families, both of which claimed the right to the English throne. The House of Lancaster used a red rose as its emblem and the House of York identified itself with a white rose. Henry Ⅵ belonged to the House of Lancaster but the members of the House of York believed that they were more entitled to the crown than Henry Ⅵ. Civil war broke out between the two families and almost all noble families were involved in it. It lasted for thirty years until King Henry Ⅶ defeated Richard Ⅲ (1483-1485) at the Battle of Bosworth and ended the civil war. 3. Popular Ballads In the field of literature, folk literature, especially ballads, became an important feature in the 15th century. Like “ballet”, ballad is derived from the Latin “ballare”, that is “to dance”. A ballad is a narrative poem that tells a story. There are certain basic characteristics common to a large number of ballads. They are: (1) The beginning is often abrupt. (2) Its simple language. (3) The story is often told through dialogue and action. (4) There are strong dramatic elements. (5) The theme is often tragic. (6) Most of the ballads are quasi-historical, such as “Robin Hood” ballads. (7) Music has an important influence on the ballads. (8) The ballad meter is used. It is the common form for the ballads. It contains four-line stanzas. The odd numbered lines have four feet each and the even numbere