高文先生与绿衣骑士.ppt

The Anglo-Norman Period(1066-1350) Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Background Knowledge The Anglo-Norman Period In the year 1066, at the battle of Hastings(西斯廷)，the Normans headed by William，Duke of Normans，defeated the Anglo-Saxons. The Normans were originally a hardy race of sea rovers inhabiting Scandinavia. In the 10th century they conquered a part of northern France, which is still called Normandy, began with the battle of Hastings in 1066. The three chief effects of the conquest were; the bringing of Roman civilisation to England, the growth of nationality, i.e. a strong centralised government, instead of the loose union of Saxon tribes; the new language and literature, which were proclaimed in Chaucer. Social Feature of the Feudal England The chief feature of the society was distinct division into classes, mainly, two classes: landlord and peasants. Knight spirits; brave, loyal, steadfast and self-sacrifice Religious It is true that by far the largest proportion of surviving Middle English literature is religious. Until the end of the 14th century Christain teaching was primarily concerned with the issue of personal salvation, putting emphasis on the moral and spiritual responspilities of the individual rather on his ethical and social responsibilities. The Influence of the Norman Conquest on English Literature Language: After the Norman Conquest, there was almost no written literature in English for a long time. Chronicles and religious poems were in Latin. Romances were at first in French. By the end of the 14th century, Normans and English intermingled, English was the more dominent speech in this country. Literature: The three centuries after the Norman Conquest saw the large scale introduction of French culture and literature. Romance was a type of literature that was popular in the middle age. Romance: The word was from Latin, means a tale in verse, embodying the life and adventures of knights. Romance was characteristic of the