早期及中期的英国文学.ppt

Historical background 1) Conquests and invasion 2) Major cultural/social aspects Literary achievements 1) old English period: Beowulf (epic) 2) middle English period: chronicle; romance; allegory; ballads; The Canterbury Tales Epic Long oral narrative poem Deals with legendary or historical events Mostly deals with a single hero Summarizes and expresses the nature or ideals of a nation at important or crucial period of its history allegory Refers to any writings with a double meaning; an extended metaphor Men, ideas, events in allegory represents not only themselves on the literal level, but also stand for something else on the symbolic level. Usually involves moral or spiritual concepts. Geoffrey Chaucer (1340-1400)  Father of English poetry /literature Messenger of Humanism 3 periods of creation French Romaunt of the Rose, translation Italian (after Dante Divine Comedy, Petrarch and Boccaccio, Decameron; The House of Fame, The Legend of Good Women, Troylus and Criseyde) British (1386-1400) The Canterbury Tales the Canterbury Tales 29 pilgrims, and the poet on the way to Canterbury, stopped at an inn. At the proposal of the host of the Tabard Inn each was to tell 4 stories on the way to and back from Cant. Host be the guide and judge, the best teller gets a free supper at the cost of all the rest upon their return to the inn. Should have been 120 stories, but only 24 completed and preserved, 2 incomplete, 2 unfinished. Theme affirms man’s right to pursue earthly happiness opposes asceticism praises man’s energy, intellect, and love of life; exposes and satirizes the social evils, esp. the religious abuses Structure general prologue (occasion, characters) followed by stories a separate prologue between two stories feature Middle English; A combination of different literature types (romance, allegory, etc.); Vivid portrait of English society; reflecting the changing social status Humorous, sarcastic Contributions the first to presen