(精选)英国文学史2nd week课件.pptVIP

 Unit Two The Beginning Period of British Literature Aim of study to know the starting point of British literature, the historical and cultural context of its emergence, later growth some authors and works Beowulf, Geoffrey Chaucer-The Canterbury Tales, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight I The Seminal Period Historical Background: the Celts Roman conquest The invasion of Anglo-Saxons 1066, Norman Conquest Cultural Context: The influence of Christianity Pope Gregory sent Augustine to England in 597 Beowulf as the national epic of the British people Two Types of Epics Traditional epics (folk epics) written versions of what had originally been some oral poems about a tribal or national hero during a war like age, such as Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, the Anglo-Saxon Beowulf; The French Chanson de Roland《罗兰之歌》and the Spanish Poema del Cid《熙德之歌》in the 12th century; and the 13th century German epic Nibelungenlied《尼伯龙根之歌》 Literary epics: composed by individual poetic craftsmen in deliberate imitation of the traditional form. Like Virgil’s Aeneid, Milton’s Paradise Lost How Beowulf was produced originally in oral form sung by bards or minstrels at the end of 6th century and later written by a Danish cleric living in England in the 10th century. Written in Old English as an epic of the Scandinavian legend. Plot and Structure Part 1 the fight against the Grendel, Part 2 the fight against Grendel’s mother Part 3 the fight against the Dragon Beowulf Vs. Grendel Comments Heroic ideal: kings and kingship , strength and courage as basic virtues, gentleness and generosity , obedience and loyalty theme: how the primitive people wage heroic struggles against the hostile forces of the natural world with strong will and perseverance Comments (Continued) Pagan ideas: the heroic ideal of a king, the value of a warrior society, the belief in fatalism, and the theme of vengeance Christian Values: God as the creator of all things, God’s will is identical w