英美文学汇.ppt

An Appreciation of English and American Literature 1 The Anglo-Saxon Period(450-1066) 1.1Celts ( the tribe of Briton)---55 BC, the Roman conquest---the beginning of 500,the English conquest---the later part of 7th century the 1st English poet Cademan(凯德蒙), 100 years later Beowulf occurred---1066 Norman conquest(1066-1350), French became the official language, literature was mainly written in French and Latin for 300 years( literature about knight, king Arthur, Romance). 2 Medieval period(14-15 century) 2.1 14th century: violent change, the hundred Years’ War with France (1337-1453), national consciousness/ appearance of middle class shaken the feudal system/ the peasant uprising(1381) /corruption of church/the Black death made people lose belief in God 3Elizabeth Period/The English Renaissance( 1550-1642) 3.1 During the reign of Queen Elizabeth(1558-1603) England enjoyed a period of peace and prosperity, reach the peak of power, wealth and literature /a balance of power between landlord and the rising burgher as well as the balance protestants and Catholics/ the defeat of the Spanish navy make the England a powerful nation/ From the first half of the 16th century English Renaissance began to develop into the flowering of literature and then England became “ a nest of singing bird” William Shakespeare( 1564-1616) Lifetime and works 1.1 Lifetime: born in Stratford-on-Avon/ father / early education: in a grammar school Where he learned “ less Latin and less Greek”/ In 1584, he went to London 1.2 His play works: 4 periods 1.2.1 The first period( 1592-1594): early history plays and a group of comedies./ history plays: King Henry VI, Richard III, Two Gentlemen of Verona (《维洛那二绅士》), Love’s Labour Lost（《爱的徒劳》）/ imitation of the existing plays, by the spirit of youthfulness and rich imagination, by exaggerated language and by the frequent use of rhymed couplet 1.3 His poetry 1.3.1 Shakespeare as a great poet: a dramatist and a poet/ 154 sonnets and 2 long poems/ his dramas