英国文学讲义新.docVIP

PART ONE EARLY AND MEDIEV AL ENGLISH LITERATURE Early: 8thc.---1066; Medieval: 1066---1500 Chapter 1 The Making of England 1. The Britons: the early inhabitants, a tribe of Celts;Britain: the land of Britons 2. The Roman Conquest: 55B.C.---78A.D.---410A.D.; Julius Caesar; the Roman mode of life, the roman roads; towns; London; Christianity 3. The English Conquest: a. three tribes from the Northern Europe: the Angles---the east midland; the Jutes---the southeastern; the Saxons--- the southern part: seven kingdoms b. the 7th c. England, the land of Angles; English; Old English; Anglo-Saxon 4. The Social Condition of the Anglo-Saxons military democracy grown out of the gens; a transition from tribal society to feudalism 5. Anglo-Saxon Religious Belief and Its Influence heathen; Northern mythology; christianized in the 7th c. Chapter 2 Beowulf (Old English 1. Anglo-Saxon Poetry: five preserved relics---songs or poems of the heroic deeds; short fragments; Beowulf---over 3000 lines 2. The story: Beowulf, king of Geats, Jutland, Denmark; Hrothgar, king of the Danes; Grendel; a fire dragon 3. Analysis: the background of Beowulf, and the historical significance (reflecting the features of the tribal society of ancient times a. written in the 10th c., taking place in the 6th c., a folk legend, heathen b. northern tribes, northwestern coast of Europe c. struggle against nature Chapter 3 Feudal England (MEDIEV AL ENGLISH 1 The Norman conquest 1. The establishment of feudalism in England, 1066, the French-speaking Normans, Duke William 2. The influence on English literature: French---the French lords, official, Romances; Latin---religious, scholarly; English--- the common English people 3. English adopted the structure and terms of French 2 The Romance: a. the most prevailing literature in feudal England, in verse, or in prose, the life and adventures of a knight; chivalry. b. The cycles: the matters of Britain (adventures of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, Franc