英国文学史Chapter-3.pptVIP

Middle English Literature Shi Qingquan Department of Foreign Languages Dezhou University Anglo-Norman Period(1066-1350) Medieval English Literature I. Historical background Norman conquest (1066) and its effect: 1. Feudalism was firmly established King—feudal barons or vassals– serfs or peasants Chief social conflict: serfs or peasants and feudal lords Norman nobility and clergy vs ordinary AS tri-lingual society for almost 200 years : Norman-French: king’s court, big manors, law court and big schools Latin: churches, monasteries and ecclesiastical courts (clergy and scholars) native English, overwhelming majority of the ordinary people , by the mid-14th century gained absolute supremacy and through some 4 centuries (12th-15th) Old English developed into Middle English 2. Literature French culture was introduced into England , including French customs and manners, medieval French literature and the literature of Italy and other European countries. Anglo-Latin Literature : A.Geoffrey of Monmouth Historia Regum Britanniac( the History of the Kings of Britain) (1136) telling the full account of the legends of king Arthur and his Round Table Knights and Merlin and Lear ,Cymbeline . B. Roger Bacon: the father of experimental science Opus Maius Middle English literature Alliterative and metrical Romances constitute the bulk of the literary works Romance—the most popular literary form in the Middle Ages in Europe; a tale (in verse or prose) that deals with knightly adventures or other heroic deeds or supernatural or amorous subjects, and usually emphasizes the chivalric love . Chivalry: qualities idealized by knighthood, such as bravery, courtesy, honor, and gallantry toward women. Characteristics of romance: 1)mysterous , fantasies, romantic love, and standardized characterization ; 2) loose structure, simple and straightforward language; 3) set in an idealized worlds, containing unlikely or supernatural happenings, reflecting a chiva