英国文学史及作品选读Chapter 5.docx

1、英国文学史及作品选读 Chapter 5 英国文学史及作品选读 Chapter 5 Chapter VThe English Renaissance(1550-1642)2013-7-141莎 士 比 亚 生 平莎 士 比 亚 写 作 生 涯 的 四 个 阶 段Shakespeares Writing CareerBirthplace 出生地2013-7-14Shakespeares LifeThe Royal Theatre皇家剧院1564-16162The birthplace of Shakespeare at Stratford2013-7-14 3Royal Shakespeare

2、Theatre2013-7-14 41. Historical background? The Elizabeth Age (1558-1603): England enjoyed peaceful development under the rule of Queen Elizabeth I, who maintained a balance of between the Protestants and the Catholics.? The War with Spain:in 1588, English navy defeated the Spanish Armada, which acc

3、elerated the awakening English peoples national consciousness;2013-7-14 5? The enclosure movement: Many peasants were forced to leave the land and settled down in towns. The two opposite classes came into being, the capitalist and the laboring class. ? Reformation: It was a return to pure Christiani

4、ty-cleansing the church of all the corruption. English Reformation was triggered by Henry VIIIs divorce and remarrying.2013-7-14 62. Renaissance and Humanism:? (1) Renaissance: a French word, meaning “rebirth”. The art and science of ancient Greece and Rome were being rediscovered after long years o

5、f neglect. ? (2) English Renaissance had two impulses humanist reverence for the classics and English pride and sense of national identity. ? (3) Humanism is the essence of the renaissance emphasizing the dignity and potential of the individual and the worth of life in this world.2013-7-14 7Literatu

6、re from 16th to 17thC.? Translation occupied an important place in the English Renaissance. The translated classical works of Greek and Latin; theKing James Bible(in 1611 under the auspices of James , a monument of english language and english literature) ? A large amount of books describing discove

7、ries and adventures. ? Poetry and plays2013-7-14 8Poets and writers? Thomas More(1478-1535): an English politician and writer.his work Utopia describes his ideal of a perfect society. He was a powerful adviser to King Henry , but he opposed the kings divorce and refused to accept him as the head of

8、the Church of England. For this the king put him into prison and ordered his head to be cut off.2013-7-14 9? Thomas Wyatt (1503-1542) 托马斯.怀亚特English diplomat and poet who was the first to introduce the sonnet form into English literature. ? Philip Sidney(1554-1586) 菲利普.锡德尼 English poet, soldier, and

9、 politician. His most important works are the sonnet sequence Astrophel and Stella(十四行组诗爱星 者和星星)and the collection of pastoral idylls Arcadia(田 园诗集 阿卡迪亚), both published posthumously. ? ThomasCampion托马斯.坎皮恩(1567-1620) English poet and composer of songs for voice and lute. ? Edmund Spenser(1552?-1599

10、)埃德蒙.斯宾塞:English poet known chiefly for his allegorical epic romance The Faerie Queene (1590-1596 仙后 ). His other works include the pastoral Shepeardes Calendar (1579 牧羊 人的日历 ) and the lyrical marriage poem Epithalamion (1595 祝婚歌 ).2013-7-14 10? John Lyly(1553?-1606)约翰.黎里: English playwright and nov

11、elist who wrote a number of comedies that influenced English drama.His novel Eupheus ? Thoma Loge ? Christopher Marlowe(1564-1593)克里斯托弗.马洛 English playwright and poet whose development of blank verse influenced Shakespeare. His plays include Tamburlaine the Great (c. 1587 帖木耳大帝 ) and Edward II (c. 1

12、592爱德华二世 ). ? Robert Greene (1558?-1592)罗伯特.格林English writer noted for his plays, such as Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay (c. 1589 弗里亚 培根和弗里亚 邦奇 ).2013-7-14 113. The flourishing of drama:? The reason for the flourishing of drama; ? The structure of the Elizabethan theatre; ? “The University Wits”: Robe

13、rt Greene; Thomas Kyd; Christopher Marlowe. They were the predecessors to Shakespeare: ? Christopher Marlowe: The Tragic History of Doctor Faustus2013-7-14 124. William Shakespeare (1564-1616):? Life: ? 1564, Born in Stratford-on-Avon, ? Ca. 1588-1592, in London as actor and playwright; ? Ca. 1592-9

14、8, devotes himself mainly to chronicle histories and comedies; ? Ca. 1601-1609, period of the greatest tragedies and romantic comedies ? Ca. 1610, retires to Stratford; ? 1616, died.2013-7-14 134.1 Shakespeares Sonnets: Sonnet: A fixed form of lyric poetry that consist of fourteen lines, usually wri

15、tten in iambic pentameter. There are two basic types of sonnets, the Italian and the English Sonnet.?2013-7-1414? Shakespeares sonnets: Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets. The first group was addressed to a Mr. W. H. The second group was addressed to a Dark Lady. ? Shakespeares sequence suggests a story.

16、 Certain motifs are evident. ?2013-7-14 15? “Sonnet 18”: the immortality of Art; ? “Sonnet 29”: eulogy of friendship; ? “Sonnet 66”: criticizing social injustice.2013-7-14164.2 Shakespeares Plays:Shakespeare wrote 37 plays in all. His writing career can be roughly divided into four stages: ? 1. 1592

17、-1594: a period of experimentation. (The Comedy of Errors, The Taming of the Shrew) ? 2. 1595-1600: period of rapid growth and development (Middle Summer Nights Dream, Romeo and Juliet, As You Like It ) ? 3. 1601-1608: period of gloom and depression, (Hamlet, King Lear, Othello, Macbeth) ? 4. 1608-1

18、612: restored serenity, a period of calm (The Winters Tale, The Tempest )2013-7-14 174.2.1 Hamlet? (1) Hamlet: It supports a massive variety of interpretations and understandings; It reflects the nature of humanity in the universe; the play is about the relationship in human life between thought and

19、 action. ? (2) Hamlets "tragic flaw”: the imbalance between his active and passive natures; the moral question of suicide in a malevolent universe; the question of Hamlet's sanity ? (3) “To be or not to be” soliloquy: It's human nature to feel cowardly and ineffective when you're un

20、able (or too smart) to take decisive (or rash) action.2013-7-14184.2.2 Romeo and Juliet :? ? ? ? ? Shakespeares earliest success in tragedy; Setting: Verona, a city in Italy; Two families in feud: Montague, Capulet Main characters: Romeo, Juliet, Friar Laurence Romeo sees Juliet at the Capulets ball, falls in love with her and stands beneath her balcony. ? Despite the family feud, a pair of innocent lovers express their love for each other. ? Butterfly Lovers is often considered as A Chinese Version of Romeo and Juliet . Make a comparative study of the two.2013-7-14 19