lecture 2.docx

lecture 2.docx

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lecture2

1）.Historicalandculturalbackgrounds.

a.Renaissancemarksatransitionfromthemedievaltothemodemworld.Itwassparkedoffbyacombinationofhistoricalfactors,suchastherediscoveryofancientGreekandRomanclassics,thereligiousreformation,explorationsingeographyandscience,andtheeconomicexpansion.

b.Thegreat16th-centuryreligiousrevolutionresultedintheestablishmentoftheProtestantchurches.InEngland,thebreakwithRomecamefirstasaresultofadecisionbyKingHenryVIIItodivorcehisfirstwife.ThechangeinreligiousdoctrinecameafterwardinthereignsofKingEdwardVIandQueenElizabethI.

c.Thecontinuingdevelopmentoftrade,thegrowthofthemiddleclass,theeducationforlaypeople,thecentralizationofpowerandofmuchintellectuallifeinthecourt,andthewideninghorizonsofexplorationgaveanewimpetusanddirectiontoliterature.WilliamCaxtonfirstintroducedprintingintoEngland.ThenumberofpressesquicklyincreasedinEngland,andwiththemthenumberofprintedbooks.

d.HumanismistheessenceoftheRenaissance.ItsprangfromtheendeavortorestoreamedievalreverencefortheantiqueauthorsandisfrequentlytakenasthebeginningoftheRenaissanceonitsconscious,intellectualside.TheGreekandRomancivilizationwasbasedonsuchaconceptionthatmanisthemeasureofallthings.Humanistsbelievedthatmandidnotonlyhavetherighttoenjoythebeautyofthislife,buthadtheabilitytoperfecthimselfandtoperformwonders.Inaword,humanismsuggestsanyattitude,whichtendstoexaltthehumanelementorstresstheimportanceofhumaninterests,asopposedtothesupernatural,divineelements.

2）.FeaturesofEnglishRenaissanceLiterature

a.Renaissancepoetry

Thetwogreatestinnovatorsofthenew,richstyleofRenaissancepoetrywereSirPhilipSidney,whofollowedwiththesestina（六节Stanza诗，由六节六行诗，加结尾的一节三行诗构成）andterzarima（三行一节的诗体，三行诗节隔句押韵法）andEdmundSpenser.Intheirlyricalandnarrativeworkstheydisplayedtheornate,somewhatflorid,highlyfiguredstyle.Twootherpoetictendenciesbecamevisibletowardtheendofthe16thcentury.ThefirstisexemplifiedbyJohnDonneandothermetaphysicalpoets;thesecondbestrepresentedbyBenJonsonandhisschool;AndMarlowegavenewvigortotheblankversewithhis"mightylines".ThelastgreatpoetoftheEnglishRenaissancewasthePuritanwriterJohnMilton,whosepoemsrevealastonishingpoeticpowerandgraceunderthecontrolofaprofoundmind.Thegoalsofhumanisticpoetryare:

skillfulhandlingofconventions,forceoflanguage,and,aboveall,thedevelopmentofarhetoricalplaninwhichmeter,rhyme,scheme,imageryandargumentshouldallbecombinedtoframetheemotionalthemeandthrowitintohighrelief.

b.Renaissancedrama

Generallyspeaking,theElizabethandramaistherealmainstreamoftheEnglishRenaissance.Mostoftheplayswerewritteninanelaborateversestyleandundertheinfluenceofclassicalexamples.ChristopherMarlowebeganthetraditionofthechronicleplaysofthefataldeedsofkingsandmonarchs.Hisplaysareremarkableprimarilyfortheirdaringdepictionsofworld-shatteringcharactersthatstrivetogobeyondthenormalhumanlimitations.ElizabethandramareacheditstruefloweringinShakespeare'sworks.Shakespeare'scompassionateunderstandingofthehumanlothasperpetuatedhisgreatnessandmadehimtherepresentativefigureofEnglishliteratureforthewholeworld.

c.RenaissanceEssay

FrancisBacon,wasthefirstimportantEnglishessayist.HewasalsothefounderofmodemscienceinEngland.Hiswritingspavedthewayfortheuseofscientificmethod.Thus,heisundoubtedlyoneoftherepresentativesoftheEnglishRenaissance.

3）.Majorwritersoftheperiod

I.EdmundSpenser（1552?

-1599）

a.Pointsofview

Religiously,Spenserwasaloverandcelebratorofphysicalbeauty,andhewassternlymoral.Inhisworks,heeffectivelyblendedclassicalliterarythemesandconventionswithChristianmoralismandrevealedhisstrongEnglishpatrioticfeelings.MiltonrecognizedSpenseras,likehimself,aChristianhumanistandBritishpoetprophet.Artistically,Spenserconsideredthepoet'sroleastheinspiredvoiceofGodrevealingexamplesofmorallyperfectactionsinanaestheticallyidealworld.Hisartisticviewisbestillustratedinhismasterpiece,TheFaerieQueene.Spenserhadastrongbackgroundintheclassics.AmonghispracticalEnglishantecedents,themostimportantwastheworksofChaucer.

b.Artisticfeatures

--SpenserhasglorifiedEnglandanditslanguagebyhislongallegoricalpoemTheFaerieQueene.

--ThemainqualitiesofSpenser'spoetry:

aperfectmelody;araresenseofbeauty;asplendidimagination;aloftymoralpurityandseriousness;andadedicatedidealism

--Spenserusesstrangeformsofspeechandobsoletewordsinordertoincreasetherusticeffect.

--TheFaerieQueeneiswritteninthestanzainventedbythepoethimself,theSpenserianstanza,i.e.,astanzaofninelines,withthefirsteightlinesiniambicpentameterandthelastlineiniambichexameter,rhymingababbcbcc.

--TheFaerieQueeneisanallegory,therearemanysymbolsinthebook.TheRedcrossKnightinBookIstandsforSt.George,thepatronsaintofEngland,symbolizingtheAnglicanChurch;healsorepresentsHoliness,oneofthe12privatevirtures;VirginUnastandsfortruthorthetruereligion;DragonandtheinfernalfiendstandforSatan.

AnExcerptfromTheFaerieQueene

1

一位温和的骑士策马平原上，

他身佩长矛，银盾，威风凛凛，

长矛银盾上还残留着旧伤的凹痕，

这是无数次战场上残酷厮杀的烙印，

而这些兵器对他却依旧崭新，

愤怒的骏马笼头抵地，

好像是桀骜不驯：

骑士看上去满心欢喜，

像是马上比武，迎战凶猛的对手。

AGentleKnightwasprickingontheplaine,

Yecladdinmightiearmesandsilvershielde,

Whereinolddintsofdeepewoundsdidremaine,

Thecruellmarkesofmanyabloudyfielde;

Yetarmestillthattimedidheneverwield:

Hisangrysteededidchidehisfomingbitt,

Asmuchdisdainingtothecurbetoyield:

Fulljollyknightheseemed,andfairedidsitt,

Asoneforknightlygiustsandfierceencountersfitt.

4

一位可爱的女郎紧随其旁，

骑着一头低矮的、白得胜雪的驴子，

而她则更加纯净洁白，同样

折叠的面纱下掩盖着一张纯洁的面孔，

黑色的披肩垂在身上，

像是内心非常悲痛：

她这样难过，

心情沉重地坐在驴背上缓缓而行，

好像内心隐藏着无限的忧伤，

旁边还牵着一头乳白色的羔羊。

AlovelyLadierodehimfairebeside,

UponalowlyAssemorewhitethensnow,

Yetshemuchwhiter,butthesamedidhide

Underavele,thatwimpledwasfulllow,

Andoverallablackestoleshedidthrow,

Asonethatinlymournd:

sowasshesad,

Andheaviesatuponherpalfreyslow:

Seemedinheartsomehiddencareshehad,

Andbyherinalineamilkewhitelambeshelad.

Thepoemiswritteninthestanzainventedbythepoethimself,theSpenserianstanza,i.e.,astanzaofninelines,withthefirsteightlinesiniambicpentameterandthelastlineiniambichexameter,rhymingababbcbcc.

Amoretti

Sonnet30

Myloveisliketoice,andItofire;

Howcomesitthenthatthishercoldsogreat.

Isnotdissolvedthroughmysohotdesire,

ButhardergrowsthemoreIherentreat!

Orhowcomesitthatmyexceedingheat

Isnotdelayedbyherheart-frozencold;

ButthatIburnmuchmoreinboilingsweat,

Andfeelmyflamesaugmentedmanifold!

Whatmoremiraculousthingmaybetold,

Thatfire,whichallthingsmelt,shouldhardenice;

Shouldkindlefirebywonderfuldevice!

Suchisthepowerofloveingentlemind,

Thatitcanalterallthecourseofkind.

Amoretti-sonnet34

Lykeasaship,thatthroughtheOceanwyde,

Byconductofsomestardothmakeherway;

Whenasastormehathdimmedhertrustyguide,

Outofhercoursedothwanderfarastray;

如同一只船驶在茫茫的海上

全凭一颗星星为它导航

一旦风暴把可靠的向导遮暗

它就会远离自己的航道飘荡

我的星星曾常用它的光亮

为我指路

现如今，却被乌云笼罩

我在深深的黑暗和苦闷中彷徨

饶过我周围重重险滩暗礁

但是我希望，经过这一场风暴

我的背斗呵，我那生命的北极星

会再次闪现，最终把我照耀

用它的光辉驱除我忧郁的阴云

在这之前，我忧心忡忡地徘徊

独个暗自悲伤，愁思满怀

SoI,whosestarthatwontwithherbrightray

Metodirect,withcloudsisovercast,

Doewandernow,indarknesseanddismay;

Throughhiddenperilsroundaboutmeplast

YethopeIwell,thatwhenthisstormispast

Myhelice,thelodesatarofmylyfe,

Willshineagain,andlookyonmeatlast,

Withlovelylighttoclearemycloudygrief

TillthenIwandercarefull,comfortless

Insecretsorrowandsadpensivenesse

Sonnet75

有一天，我把她的名字写在沙滩上

海浪来了，把那个名字冲跑；

我用手再一次把它写了一遍

潮水来了，又把我的辛苦吞掉

自负的人啊，她说，你这是徒劳

妄想使世间凡俗之事不朽

我本身就会这样烟消云散

我的名字同样会化为乌有

不，我说，让低贱的东西去筹谋

死亡之路，但你将靠美名而永活

我的诗将使你的美德长留

并把你光辉的名字写在天国

死亡可以征服整个世界

我们的爱将长存，生命永不灭

OnedayIwrotehernameuponthestrand,

Butcamethewavesandwasheditaway;

AgayneIwroteitwithasecondhand,

Butcamethetyde,andmademypayneshispray,

“Vayneman,”saydshe,“thatdoestinvaineassay,

Amortallthingsotoimmortalize,

ForImyselueshalllyketothisdecay,

Andeekmynamebewpedoutlykewize,”

“Notso,”quodI,“letbaserthingsdeuize,

Todyindust,butyoushalllieubyfame;

Myverseyourverturesrareshalleternize,

Andintheheavenswryteyourgloriousname.

Wherewhenasdeathshallalltheworldsubdew,

Ourloveshalllieu,andlaterliferenew.”

II.ChristopherMarlowe

a.Pointsofview

Marlowe'shumanisticidealofhumandignityandcapacityisembodiedbytheRenaissanceherohecreatedforEnglishdrama.Differentfromthetragicheroinmedievalplays,whoseeksthewaytoheaventhroughsalvationandGod'swill,heisagainstconventionalmoralityandcontrivestoobtainheavenonearththroughhisownefforts.Withtheendlessaspirationforpower,knowledge,andglory,theherointerpretsthetrueRenaissancespirit.

b.Majorworks

Tamburlaine（《帖木儿》）

ItisaplayaboutanambitiousandpitilessTartarconquerorinthe14thcenturywhorosefrom.ashepherdtoanoverpoweringking.Bydepictingagreatherowithhighambitionandsheerbrutalforceinconqueringoneenemyafteranother,Marl