1、Introductionofthecourse(1) ThiscourseiscalledSelectedReadingsinEnglishLiterature,acompulsorycourseforyou.Itwillbefinishedinabout2weeks.(2) Inthiscourse,youwillhavetoreadsomeoriginalworkstakenfromEnglishclassics.Itmaybealittlebitdifficultforyou.However,itsalsoachanceforyoutoknowsomegreattreasuryinwor
2、ldliteratureandllhelpyouunderstandthem.(3)Comparingwiththeliteraryhistorycourses,thiscoursemainlyfocusesonoriginalproductions.Thecoursebookisaniceonewithclassicalworksanddetailednotes.(4) Forthefinaltest,20%willbedecidedbyyourattendance,and80%bythetestpaper.(5) Averyimportantsuggestion:previewthepro
3、ductionsbeforetheclass;otherwiseit11beverydifficultforyoutocatchmeintheclass.Lecture1TheOldandMedievalEnglishLiteratureSincehistoricaltimes,Englandhasbeenconqueredthreetimes.ItwasconqueredbytheRomans9theAnglo-Saxons,andtheNormans.EnglandwasnotmuchaffectedbytheRomanConquest,butshefeltthefullweightoft
4、heothertwoconquests.TheAnglo-SaxonsbroughttoEnglandtheGermaniclanguageandculture,whiletheNormansbroughtafreshwaveofMediterraneancivilization,whichincludesGreekculture,Romanlaw,andtheChristianreligion.ItistheculturalinfluencesofthesetwoconqueststhatprovidedthesourcefortheriseandgrowthofEnglishliterat
5、ure.TheperiodofoldEnglishliteratureextendsfromabout450toIO66,theyearoftheNormanconquestofEngland.TheAnglo-SaxonlanguagebecamethebasisofmodernEnglish,andaspecificpoetictradition,whichisbothboldandstrong,mournfulandelegiacinSPirit.（粗暴、豪迈、悲情、哀婉）Generallyspeaking,theoldEnglishliteraturethathassurvivedca
6、nbedividedintotwogroups:thereligiousgroupandthesecularone.Thepoetryofthereligiousgroupismainlyonbiblicalthemes.GenesisA,GenesisBandExodus（创世纪、出埃及纪）arepoemsbasedontheOldTestament;whereastheDreamoftheRood十字架之梦comesfromtheNewTestament.Inthispoem,Christisportrayedastheyoungwarriorstridingtoembracedeatha
7、ndvictory,whiletherood（cross）itselftakesontheburdenofhissuffering.TheseculargroupofpoemevokestheAnglo-Saxonsenseoftheharshnessofcircumstanceandthesadnessofthehumanlot.Beowulf,atypicalexampleofOldEnglishpoetry,isregardedtodayasthenationalepicoftheAnglo-Saxons.However,theheroandthesettingofBeowulfhave
8、nothingtodowithEngland,forthestorytookplaceinScandinavia.ItdescribestheexploitsofaScandinaviahero,Beowulf,infightingagainstamonsterandafire-breathingdragon.InthesesequencesBeowulfisshownnotonlyasagloriousherobutalsoasaprotectorofthepeople.Thematicallythepoempresentsavividpictureofhowtheprimitivepeop
9、lewageheroicstrugglesagainstthehostileforcesofthenaturalworldunderawiseandmightyleader.Thepoemisanexampleoftheminglingofnaturemythsandheroiclegends.;TheNormanConquestbroughtEnglandmorethanachangeofrulers.Politically,afeudalistsystemwasestablishedinEngland;religiously,theRome-backedCatholicChurchhada
10、muchstrongercontroloverthecountry;andgreatchangesalsotookplaceinlanguages(French,LatinandOldEnglishco-existed).WiththeNormanConqueststartsthemedievalEnglishliterature,whichcoversaboutfourcenturies,from1066uptothemid-14thcentury.ItisChauceralonewho,forthefirsttimeinEnglishliterature,presentedtousacom
11、prehensiverealisticpictureoftheEnglishsocietyofhistimeandcreatedawholegalleryofvividcharactersfromallwalksoflifeinhismasterpieceTheCanterburytales.GiovanniBoccaccioandTheDecameronFengMeng-Iongand“Sanyanor“ThreeWords”:StoriestoCautiontheWorld(ComprehensiveWordstoWarntheWorld),StoriestoAwakentheWorld(
12、ConstantWordstoAwakentheWorld),andStoriestoInstructtheWorld(IllustriousWordstoInstructtheWorld)AboutGeoffreyChaucer:富二代)GeoffreyChaucer(c.1340-1400)wasoneofthefineststorytellersintheEnglishlanguage,aswellasbeingagreatpoetandanaccomplishedprosewriter.Historiansareuncertainabouthisexactdateofbirth.Geo
13、ffreyswell-to-doparentspossessedseveralbuildingsinthevintagequarterinLondon.NotmuchisknownaboutGeoffreysschoolcareer.HemusthavehadsomeeducationinLatinandGreek.OutofschoolhewentonasapageinthehouseholdoftheCountessofUlster.ChaucerroseinroyalemploymentandbecameaknightoftheshireforKent.Asamemberofthekin
14、gfshousehold,ChaucerwassentondiplomaticerrandsthroughoutEurope.Fromalltheseactivities,hegainedtheknowledgeofsocietythatmadeitpossibletowriteTheCanterburyTales.ChaucerdiedinOctober1400andwasburiedinWestminsterAbbeyinLondon.HewasthefirstofthosethataregatheredinwhatwenowknowasthePoetsCornerinWestminste
15、rAbbey.TheinfluenceofRenaissancewasalreadyfeltinthefieldofEnglishliteraturewhenChaucerwaslearningfromthegreatItalianwriterslikePetrarchandBoccacciointhelastpartofthe14thcentury.Heaffirmedman,srighttopursueearthlyhappinessandopposedasceticism;hepraisedman,senergy,intellect,quickwitandloveoflife;heexp
16、osedandsatirizedthesocialvices,includingreligiousabuses.Itthuscanbesaidthat,inEnglishliterature,Chaucerboremarksofhumanismandanticipatedaneweratocome.Fromhisbirthtohisdeath,Chaucerdealtcontinuallywithallsortsofpeople,thehighestandthelowest,andhisobservantmindmadethemostofhisever-presentopportunity.I
17、nhisworks,Chaucerexploresthethemeoftheindividuasrelationtothesocietyinwhichhelives;heportraysclashesofcharacters5temperamentsandtheirconflictsovermaterialinterests;healsoshowsthecomicandironiceffectsobtainablefromtheclassdistinctionsfeltbythenewlyemergedbourgeoisie.Inshort,Chaucerdevelopshischaracte
18、rizationtoahigherartisticlevelbypresentingcharacterswithbothtypicalqualitiesandindividualdispositions.AboutTheCanterburyTales:GeoffreyChaucerwroteTheCanterburyTales,acollectionofstoriesinaframestory,between1387and1400.ItisthestoryofagroupofthirtypeoplewhotravelaspilgrimstoCanterbury(England).Whiletr
19、avellingtoCanterbury,thepilgrims,whocomefromalllayersofsociety,tellstoriestoeachothertokilltime,shotthroughwithcunningwitanddryhumor.AlthoughincompleteatthetimeofChaucefsdeath,itisgenerallyregardedashisgreatestworkormasterpiece.TheTalesthemselvesrangefromtheexemplarysaints1livestoldbythenuns,totheba
20、wdy,comictalesofthemillerandthereeve,alwaysshotthroughwithChaucefscunningwitanddryhumor.Chaucerleaveshisreaderswiththeimpressionthatthewholeofmedievalsocietyhaspassedbeforetheireyes.Theaimofthepresentedition,withitson-pagenotesandglosses,istoenablereaderswithlittleornopreviousexperienceofmedievalEng
21、lishtoreadandenjoythislandmarkinEnglishLiterature.ChaucerintroducedfromFrancetherhymedstanzasofvarioustypestoEnglishpoetrytoreplacetheOldEnglishalliterativeverse.InTheCanterburyTales,heusedtherhymedcoupletofiambicpentameterwhichistobecalledlatertheheroiccouplet.heroicCOUPIet（英雄对偶、英雄双韵体）；eachline10sy
22、llabus;iambicPentameter（抑扬格五首步；TheCanterburyTalesTheGeneralPrologue1 Whanthat/April/withhisshowressooteWheninAprilthesweetshowersfallandshoot2 Thedroghte/ofMarch/hathper/cedto/theroote,downthroughthedroughtofmarchtopiecetheroot,3AndbathedeveryveyneinswichIicourAndbathedeveryvein（oftheplants）insuchli
23、quid4 Ofwhichvertuengendredistheflour;Bywhichpowerthefloweriscreated;5 WhanZephiruseekwithhissweetebreethWhentheWestWindalsowithitssweetbreath,6 InspiredhathineveryholtandheethIneverywoodandfieldhasbreathedlifeinto7 Thetendrecroppes,andtheyongesonneThetendernewleaves,andtheyoungsun8 HathintheRamhish
24、alfcoursyronne,HasrunhalfitscourseinAries99 Andsmalefowelesmakenmelodye9Andsmallfowlsmakemelody,10 ThatslepenalthenyghtwithopenyeThosethatsleepallthenightwithopeneyes11 (SoprikethhemNatureinhircorages)9(SoNatureincitesthemintheirhearts),12 ThanneIongenfolktogoononpilgrimages,Thenfolklongtogoonpilgri
25、mages,13 AndpalmeresfortosekenStraungeStrondes,Andprofessionalpilgrimstoseekforeignshores,14Tofemehalwes9kowtheinsondryIondes;Todistantshrines,knowninvariouslands;15 AndspeciallyfromeveryshiresendeAndspeciallyfromeveryshirefsend16 OfEngelondtoCaunterburytheywende5OfEnglandtoCanterburytheytravel,17 T
26、hehoolyblisfulmartirfortoseke9Toseektheholyblessedmartyr,18 Thathemhathholpenwhanthattheywereseeke.Whohelpedthemwhentheyweresick.AllthispackedintothosefirstfewlinesofTheGeneralPrologueoftheCanterburyTales.Thelinesarelearnedandmostofallliterary.TheopeninglinesoftheCanterburyTalesconstituteasimplelyri
27、ccelebratingthereturnofSpringaftertheharshnessofwinter,acommonformofmedievalFrenchlyric.ItbecamewidespreadinEnglishaswell.TheseareallinthebackgroundofChaucer1Sopeninglines,echoinginthemindsofhislisteners.ThereisintheopeninglinesoftheCanterburytalesakindofcelebrationoffertility,thesamejoyfulwelcometo
28、springandithasalltheelementsoftheconventionalfirststanzaofthelovelyricthesingingbird,thespringingflower,andthetimeAprilorMay,earlyspring.ItisthesamemovementwesawinWhentheNightingaleSingsthetimeisspring,theflowersbloom,thebirdssing,andthenyounglove.Alltheseelements,evenlove,areinthisopeningsentenceof
29、theCanterburyTales-theSpringsetting,thebirds,theflowers,theimpulsetowardlove.TothisChauceraddsanothertraditionofthecelebrationofSpring,thatofthelearnedLatintradition.ChaucerdoesnotsimplytellyouthatthedewsfellontheearthasGuillaumedoes.Hegivesinsteadabriefscientificdescription,tellinghowthedewsengende
30、rthevirtueswhichmeanspowerswhicharethehumorsthatwillproducetheflowers.HereishowSpringwasdescribedinanactualscientificTreatise,VincentofBeauvais1thirteenth-centuryencyclopediaofNaturalHistory.ItwasaworkthatChaucerknewverywellandofwhichmayevenhaveIthinkprobablyownedacopy:Indeedthesunpenetratingtothero
31、otsofgrassesandplants,drawsoutthefreezinghumorwhichwinterhadbrought,andthegrassesandplants,feelingtheiremptiness,drawinthehumoroftheearth,whichaddingtoittheheatofitsownhumor,thehearofthesuntransmitsittotheplants,andthustheyarerevivedandgrowgreen;whenceitisthatthismonthiscalledApril,sincethisiswhenth
32、eearthisopened.Theporesoftheearthareopened,andhumorsbegintomoveupwardsinbeasts,trees,andman.andthereforeAprilispaintedwithaflower,forinthatmonthApriltheearthhaththatbeginningtobeclothedandadornedwithflowersChaucernotonlysaysitisApril,hedefinesthetimebyexactreferencetotheCosmostotheyoungsunjustemergi
33、ngfromthezodiacalsignoftheRam,sothattheactiontakesplaceinagrandcosmicsettingonearth,surroundedbytheninespheresthesevenplanets,thefixedstars,allmovinginaharmonyproducedbythereconciliationofopposites,themusicofthespheres.ChaucerlearnedthisfromLatinliterature.Finally,thehighstyleinwhichtheselinesarewri
34、ttenisanemphaticallyliterarywayofwriting.Itisbookish,conventional,treatingcommonplaces.Thatistosaythatthissortofdescriptionofspringisnotnew.ItisonethatChaucefssophisticatedfirsthearersknewfromscoresofpoems.TheyknewitforexamplefromtheProloguetotheLegendofGoodWomen9whichwastheworkChaucerwroteandpublis
35、hed-thatisreadaloudinpublicjustbeforeheturnedtotheCanterburytales.HereispartofthedescriptionofSpringinthatPrologue:Andherearetherestoftheingredientsthesingingofbirds,theoutburstofgreeneryandflowers.ThatisthestandarddescriptionofSpring,casthereinthehighstyle.ThatistosayitisnottheWestWind9asinthefamou
36、sMiddleEnglishlyric.Questions:1. TheworkthatPresented9forthefirsttimeinEnglishliterature,acomprehensive,realisticpictureoftheEnglishsocietyofhistimeandcreatedawholegalleryofvividcharactersfromallwalksoflifeismostlikely.A. WilliamLangland5SPiersPlowmanB. GeoffreyChaucer5STheCanterburyTalesC. JohnGowe
37、r,sConfessioAmantisD. SirGawainandtheGreenKnight2. AmongthegreatMiddleEnglishpoets,GeoffreyChaucerisknownforhisproductionof.A.PiersPlowmanB.SirGawainandtheGreenKnightC. ConfessioAmantisD. TheCanterburyTalesLecture2theRenaissancePeriodEachperiodisareactionagainstthelastperiod.Everyperiodeclipsedbythe
38、rapidriseofnextperiod.HistoricalBackgroundTheRenaissancemarksatransitionfromthemedievaltothemodernworld.Generally,itreferstotheperiodbetweenthe14thandmid-17thcentury.ItfirststartedinItaly,withtheflowingofpainting,sculptureandliterature.TheRenaissance,whichmeansrebirthorrevival,isactuallyamovementsti
39、mulatedbyaseriesofhistoricalevents,suchastherediscoveryofancientRomanandGreekculture,thenewdiscoveriesingeographyandastrology,thereligiousreformationandtheeconomicexpansion.Therefore,inessence,isahistoricalperiodinwhichtheEuropeanhumanistideasinmedievalEurope9tointroducenewideasthatexpressedtheinter
40、estsoftherisingbourgeoisie,andtorecoverthepurityoftheearlychurchfromthecorruptionoftheRomanCatholicChurch.Twofeaturesarestrikingofthismovement.Theoneisathirstingcuriosityfortheclassicalliterature.Anotheristhehumanism,whichmeansthenewfeelingofadmirationforhumanbeautyandhumanachievement.Humanismisthee
41、ssenceoftheRenaissance.Itsprangfromtheendeavortorestoreamedievalreverencefortheantiqueauthors,fortheGreekandRomancivilizationwasbasedonsuchaconceptionthatmanisthemeasureofallthings.Throughthenewlearning,humanistsnotonlysawtheartsofsplendorandenlightenment,butthehumanvaluesrepresentedintheworks.Inthe
42、medievalsociety,peopleasindividualswerelargelysubordinatedtothefeudalistrulewithoutanyfreedomandindependence;andinmedievaltheology,peoplesrelationshipstotheworldaboutthemwerelargelyreducedtoaproblemofadaptingtooravoidingthecircumstancesofearthlylifeinanefforttopreparetheirsoulsforafuturelife.ButRena
43、issancehumanistsfoundintheclassicsajustificationtoexalthumannatureandcometoseethathumanbeingsweregloriouscreaturescapableofindividualdevelopmentinthedirectionofperfection,andthattheworldtheyinhabitedwastheirsnottodespisebuttoquestion,explore,andenjoy.Thus9byemphasizingthedignityofhumanbeingsandtheim
44、portanceofthepresentlife,theyvoicedtheirbeliefsthatmandidnotonlyhavetherighttoenjoythebeautyofhislife,buthadtheabilitytoperfecthimselfandtoperformwonders.ThefirstperiodoftheEnglishRenaissancewasoneofimitationandassimilation.PetrarchwasregardedasthefountainheadofliteraturebytheEnglishwriters.Foritwas
45、PetrarchandhissuccessorswhoestablishedthelanguageofloveandsharplydistinguishedthelovepoetryoftheRenaissancefromitscounterpartsintheancientworld.ShakespearelivedinsuchaperiodandalsosuchaperiodmadehimthemostfamousandmostimportantEnglishwriter.IntheearlystageoftheRenaissance,poetryandpoeticdramawerethe
46、mostoutstandingliteraryformsandtheywerecarriedonespeciallybyShakespeare.WilliamShakespeare(1564-1616)：(富二代，姐弟恋)Shakespeareisoneofthemostremarkableplaywrightsandpoetstheworldhaseverknown.Withhis38plays,154sonnetsand2longnarrativepoems,hehasestablishedhisgiantpositioninworldliterature.Shakespearewasbo
47、rnprobablyonApril23，1564，intoamerchantsfamilyInStratford-on-Avon.TownHespenthischildhoodinthatbeautifulmarkettownandattendedtheStratfordGrammarSchool.Hisrealteacherswerenatureanditspeoplethatsurroundedhim.In1582,hemarriedawomanseveralyearshissenior.From1591to1611,Shakespearewasintheprimeofhisdramati
48、ccareerandhisplayscameoutoneafteranother.But,hedidnotconfinehisgeniusmerelytothetheater.In1593and1594,hepublishedtwonarrativepoems,VenusandAdonis（维纳斯与安东尼斯）andTheRapeofLucrece.鲁克丽斯受辱t己）.Healsowrotesonnets,whichwerepublishedin1609.By1597,ShakespearewassoprosperousthatheboughtthelargesthouseinStratford
49、knownasNewPlace.About1610heleftLondonandretiredtoStratford,thoughhecontinuedtowriteforsometime.HediedonApril23,1616.TherealmainstreamoftheEnglishRenaissanceistheElizabethandrama.Shakespeareismainlyfamousforhisgreatplays,especiallytheoutstandingnFourGreatTragedies11.（nHamletn9KingLearn9nOthellonandnMacbethn）Theyhavesomecharacteristicsincommon.Eachportrayssomenoblehero,whofacestheinjusticeofh
