英国文学-乔叟时期-英文.ppt

Topic II. The Age of Chaucer I. Social Background---a transitional period. 2. the awakening of national consciousness in England. II. John Wycliff(1324?-1384) Two Contributions ---the father of English Prose. translated the Bible into standard English ( to reform the church ) III. William Langland (1330?-1400?) 1. The Vision of Piers Plowman---alliterative poem. Two parts of it. 2. allegory---a story or description in which the characters and events symbolize some deeper underlying meaning, and serve to spread moral teaching. It has a double meaning. (surface and underlying meaning) 3. theme--- To praise the fairness and honesty. Different people has their own duty. To criticize the luxury and rottenness. To support the equality and the honest work. 4. Major Characters Lady Meed---the bribery Seven Sins. IV. Geoffrey Chaucer (ca.1340-1400) 1. life story---patron. “Poet’s Corner” in Westminster Abbey. 2. literary Career--- three periods (1). 1360-1372, he wrote under the influence of French literature. “The Book of Duchess”. (2). 1372-1386. he wrote under the influence of Italian literature. “Troilus and Criseyde”---sing for the love and the individual happiness; oppose the feudal formality and asceticism of the day. The beginning of the humanism. (3).1387-1400. his own creative period. “The Canterbury Tales”---the first complete realistic poem of the medieval period. A. the contents---858 lines of the “Prologue”and 24 tales. B. the theme--- he presented to us a comprehensive realistic picture of the English society of his time and created a whole gallery of vivid characters from all walks of life in it. C. the main characters The Wife of Bath; the Pardoner; the Nun’s Priest; D. significance of it-it gives a comprehensive picture of his time; The dramatic structure of the poem has been highly commended by critics; His humour (gentle satire and mild irony.). His contribution to the English language.---native language. (London dialect); he introdu