英美文学选读完整笔记.docx

英美文学选读完整笔记.docx

《英美文学选读完整笔记.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《英美文学选读完整笔记.docx（81页珍藏版）》请在冰点文库上搜索。

英美文学选读完整笔记

EnglishLiterature

英国文学

三峡大学外国语学院

徐建刚

ChapterITheRenaissancePeriod

一、学习目的和要求 

　　通过本章学习，了解文艺复兴运动和人文主义思潮产生的历史，文化背景，认识该时期文学创作的基本特征和基本主张，及其对同时代及后世英国文学乃至文化的影响；了解该时期重要作家的文学生涯，创作思想，艺术特色及其代表作品的主题结构，人物刻画，语言风格，思想意义等；同时结合注释，读懂所选作品，了解其思想内容和写作特色，培养理解和欣赏文学作品的能力。

二、考核要求

（一）文艺复兴时期概述

　　1.识记：

（1）文艺复兴时期的界定

（2）历史文化背景

　　2.领会:

（1）文艺复兴运动的意义与影响

（2）文艺复兴时期的文学特点

　　　　　　 （3）人文主义的主张及对文学的影响

　　3.应用：

文艺复兴，人文主义及玄学诗等名词的解释

　BriefIntroductiontotheRenaissancePeriod

　I.应用　

　DefinitionsoftheLiteraryTerms:

　1.TheRenaissance:

TheRenaissancemarksatransitionfromthemedievaltothemodernworld.Generally,itreferstotheperiodbetweenthe14th&17thcenturies.ItfirststartedinItaly,withthefloweringofpainting,sculpture&literature.FromItalythemovementwenttoembracetherestofEurope.TheRenaissance,whichmeans"rebirth"or"revival,"isactuallyamovementstimulatedbyaseriesofhistoricalevents,suchasthere-discoveryofancientRoman&Greekculture,thenewdiscoveriesingeography&astrology,thereligiousreformation&theeconomicexpansion.TheRenaissance,therefore,inessenceisahistoricalperiodinwhichtheEuropeanhumanistthinkers&scholarsmadeattemptstogetridofthoseoldfeudalistideasinmedievalEurope,tointroducenewideasthatexpressedtheinterestsoftherisingbourgeoisie,&torecoverthepurityoftheearlychurchfromthecorruptionoftheRomanCatholicChurch.

　2.Humanism:

HumanismistheessenceoftheRenaissance.ItsprangfromtheendeavortorestoreamedievalreverencefortheancientauthorsandisfrequentlytakenasthebeginningoftheRenaissanceonitsconscious,intellectualside,fortheGreekandRomancivilizationwasbasedonsuchaconceptionthatmanisthemeasureofallthings.Throughthenewlearning,humanistsnotonlysawtheartsofsplendorandenlightenment,butthehumanvaluesrepresentedintheworks.Renaissancehumanistsfoundintheclassicsajustificationtoexalthumannatureandcametoseethathumanbeingsweregloriouscreaturescapableofindividualdevelopmentinthedirectionofperfections,andthattheworldtheyinhabitedwastheirsnottodespisebuttoquestion,explore,andenjoy.Thus,byemphasizingthedignityofhumanbeingsandtheimportanceofthepresentlife,theyvoicedtheirbeliefsthatmandidnotonlyhavetherighttoenjoythebeautyofthislife,buthadtheabilitytoperfecthimselfandtoperformwonders.ThomasMore,ChristopherMarloweandWilliamShakespearearethebestrepresentativesoftheEnglishhumanists.

　3.Spenserianstanza:

SpenserianstanzawasinventedbyEdmundSpenser.Itisastanzaofninelines,withthefirsteightlinesiniambicpentameter&thelastlineiniambichexameter,rhymingababbcbcc.

　4.Metaphysicalpoetry:

Theterm"metaphysicalpoetry"iscommonlyusedtonametheworkofthe17thcenturywriterswhowroteundertheinfluenceofJohnDonne.Witharebelliousspirit,themetaphysicalpoetstriedtobreakawayfromtheconventionalfashionoftheElizabethanlovepoetry.ThedictionissimpleascomparedwiththatoftheElizabethanortheNeoclassicperiods,andechoesthewordsandcadencesofcommonspeech.Theimageryindrawnfromtheactuallife.Theformisfrequentlythatofanargumentwiththepoet'sbeloved,withGod,orwithhimself.

　5.TheRenaissanceherARenaissanceheroreferstoonecreatedbyChristopherMarloweinhisdrama.Suchaheroisalwaysindividualisticandfullofambition,facingbravelythechallengefrombothgodsandmen.HeembodiesMarlowe'shumanisticidesofhumandignityandcapacity.Differentfromthetragicheroinmedievalplays,whoseeksthewaytoheaventhroughsalvationandgod'swill,heisagainstconventionalmoralityandcontrivestoobtainheavenonearththroughhisownefforts.Withtheendlessaspirationforpower,knowledge,andglory,theherointerpretsthetrueRenaissancespirit.BothTamburlaineandFaustusaretypicalinpossessingsuchaspirit.

（二）该时期的重要作家

　1.一般识记：

重要作家的文学生涯

　2.识记：

重要作品及主要内容

　3.领会：

重要作家的创作思想，艺术特色及其代表作品的主题结构，人物塑造，语言风格，艺术手法，社会意义等。

　4.应用：

（1）莎士比亚和邓恩诗歌的主题，意象

（2）喜剧《威尼斯商人》的主题和主要人物性格分析

　　　　　（3）哈姆雷特的性格分析

　　　　　（4）史诗《失乐园》的结构，人物性格，语言特点等的分析

I.EdmundSpenser

1.一般识记

　BriefIntroductiontotheAuthor

Englishpoet，borninLondon,England,about1552,anddiedinLondon,Jan13,1599.

　2.识记HisMajorWorks

Spenser'smostimportantwork&masterpieceisTheFaerieQueene,agreatpoemofitsage.Acomplexmoral,religious,&politicalallegory,itisalsoanepicthatexaltsQueenElizabethⅠ&theEnglishnation.AccordingtoSpenser'sownexplanation,hisprincipalintentionistopresentthrougha"historicalpoem"theexampleofaperfectgentleman:

"tofashionagentlemanornoblepersoninvirtuous&gentlediscipline."ItsprincipalheroistheArthurofmedievallegend.Thesixbooksofthepoemillustratethenatureofparticularvirtues,suchas,temperance&justice.OthermajorworksofSpenserareTheShepheardesCalender（1579）,apoemconsistingof12eclogues-correspondingtothe12monthsoftheyear;Epithalamion（1595）,apoemexpressingthedeeppersonalfeelingsoccasionedbythepoetssecondmarriage;Amoretti（1595）,aseriesofsonnets.

　3.领会HisInfluence

　1）MainqualitiesofSpenser'spoetry

　　①aperfectmelody

　　②araresenseofbeauty

　　③asplendidimagination

　　④aloftymoralpurity&seriousness

　　⑤adedicatedidealism

　2）Inhiswriting,Spenserdrewontheconventions&thoughtofClassical,medieval,&Renaissanceliterature.However,headdedtohisfusionofthesediverseelementsmuchthatwasoriginal,&hisworksinspiredmanylaterEnglishpoets.Hecreatedanewstanza,calledtheSpenserianstanza,whichiswellsuitedtonarrativeverse.HisskillsinwritingmelodiousEnglishverse&hiscombinationofemotion,erudition,&spiritualvisionhavewonhimtheadmirationofgenerationsofEnglishpoets.Itishisidealism,hisloveofbeauty,&hisexquisitemelodythatmakehimknownas"thepoets'poet."

　4.应用

　TheFaerieQueene:

　1）Itisalong,allegoricalpoem.Inthepoem,Spenserdramatizedpolitical,religious,&moralthemesbypersonifyingthem,ormakingthemcharacters.

　2）Plot:

Thestory,whichissetagainstabackgroundofArthur&medievallegend,dealswiththeadventuresofsixknightsofthecourtofthefairyqueennamedGloriana,whorepresentsQueenElizabethⅠofEnglish.

　  ThefaerieQueenwasleftunfinishedatSpenser'sdeath.Itwasoriginallyplannedasa12-bookpoem.Butonly6bookswerecompleted.Thepoemisparticularlyadmiredforthemelodicbeautyofitslanguage&foritsrichcontentofphilosophical&mythologicalmaterialpresentedintheformofvividnarratives.

II.ChristopherMarlowe

1.一般识记

　BriefIntroduction

　Englishdramatist&poet,borninCanterbury,England,Feb,6,1567,diedinDeptford,England,May30,1593.MarlowewasthefirstgreatEnglishDramatist.HebroughttotheEnglishstageanewconceptoftragedy,oneinwhichthedramacentersaroundthestrugglesofamanoverwhelmedbyhispassions&ambitions.

　2.识记

　HisMajorWorks

　HismostfamoustragediesareDoctorFaustus,TheJewofMalta,Tamburlaine&EdwardⅡ.Inhisplays,Marloweusedblankverse,whichhemoldedintoasuperbinstrumentforexpressingintenseemotions.AfterhisdevelopmentofblankverseitbecamethestandardmediumforEnglishdramatic&epicpoetry.Hisnon-dramaticpoetryincludesHero&Leander,"thePassionateshepherdtoHislove,"&aversetranslationofOvid'sAmores.

Marlowe'sDoctorFaustus（about1589）,generallyconsideredhisbestplay,wasbasedonarealDr.Faustus,whowaslaterassociatedwithamedievallegendofamansellinghissoultothedevil.Theplay'sdominantmoralishumanratherthanreligious.Itcelebratesthehumanpassionforknowledge,power&happiness;italsorevealsman'sfrustrationinrealizingthehighaspirationsinahostilemoralorder.Thelastscene,inwhichFaustusconfrontshisdoom,brilliantlyrendersthefear&agonyofacondemnedman.

　TheJewofMalta（about1589）illustratesMarlowe'soutstandingportrayalofcharacter.Itshero,BarabastheJew,servedasthemodelforShylockinShakespeare'sTheMerchantofVenice.Inabout1592.MarlowewroteoneofthefirstsuccessfulEnglishhistoricaldramas,EdwardⅡ。

Itishismostdramaticallymatureplay&exhibitshismasteryofcharacterization,stagecraft&rhetoric.

　Tamburlaineisaplayaboutanambitious&pitilessTartarconquerorinthefourteenthcenturywhorosefromashepherdtoanoverpoweringKing.Bydepictingagreatherowithhighambition&sheerbrutalforceinconqueringoneenemyafteranother,MarlowevoicedthesupremedesireofthemanoftheRenaissanceforinfinitepower&authority.

　3.领会HisAchievements&Influence

　Achievements:

Marlowe'sgreatestachievementliesinthathe　perfectedtheblankverse&madeittheprincipalmediumofEnglishdrama.

　HissecondachievementishiscreationoftheRenaissanceheroforEnglishdrama.

ThethemeofhisworksisthepraiseoftheRenaissancespirit.

　Hisinfluence:

Amanofwidelearning,Marlowewasoneoftheextraordinarypoets&playwrightsofhistime."Marlowe'smightyline,"asBenJonsoncalledhisblankverse,wasoneofthemostimportantcontributionstotheartofEnglishliterature.

　4.应用Dr.Faustus

　TheselectionofActⅠfromDr.FaustusismainlyaboutFaustusisshowinghisgreatambition,thatis,ifhehadmanysouls,hewouldgivethemalltotheDevilsothathecouldcontroltheworld.InportrayingFaustus,amoreintrospective&philosophicalfigurethanTamburlaine,MarlowepraiseshissoaringaspirationforknowledgewhilewarningagainstthesinofpridesinceFaustus'sdownfallwas