英国文学史考研笔记.docVIP

PAGE PAGE 1 一、History of English Nation and Early Literature 1、The language of English 1）Old English 5th – 11th century 2) Middle English 11th – 15th century 3) Modern English 15th – now 2、The Making of English Nation 1) Aborigines: Aborigines of Britain were Celts.（or Britons） (700 B.C.) 2)Roman conquest (1st century B.C.5th century A.D.) In 55 B.C.. Britain was invaded by Julius Caesar, the Roman conqueror. The Roman occupation lasted for about 400 years. Christianity arrived England at that period. 3)Anglo-Saxon conquest[English conquest](5 C8 C) Angles, Saxons and Jutes ①After many conflicts between the many tribes, at 7th century, a united kingdom appeared. This kingdom used Old English, and the people was called English. The Anglo-Saxon period witnessed a transition from tribal society to feudalism. ②The Anglo-Sexons believed the Pagan Religion(old mythology of Northern Europe). They were called Pagans.(异教徒) They were Christianized in the 7th century. ③English literature began from this period. 4) Danish Invasion (8C—11C) The danes dominated England for just 30 years, but the influence was deep. 5) Norman conquest(1066-1350) English blended with French and Latin, and Middle English came into being. The Norman Conquest marks the establishment of feudalism in England. Three effects of the Norman conquest: (a)the bringing of Roman civilization to England (b)the growth of nationality i.e. a strong centralized government (c)the new language and literature, which is proclaimed in Chaucer 3、Early English Literature(5th century- 15th century) 1) Features: in oral form; close to religion; in poetry(epics) 2) Classification: Secular literature(世俗文学) Religious literature(宗教文学) 3) Masterpieces: The Song of Beowulf （national epic of England） It is the first long narrative poem in old English. It was written down in the 10th century. It told the struggle of primitive people against host