| Ⅰ. Background Knowledge 1. The Danish Invasion About 787, the English began to be troubled by bands of Danish Vikings. Before 1031, King Alfred the Great (849-901) succeeded in driving the Danes off with force. He was the one who also laid emphasis on education and literature. In 1031, the Danes occupied the country and held it for 30 years. 2. The Norman Conquest A. Brief Introduction In 1066, the French-speaking Normans came under Duke William and defeated the English at Hastings. The Norman Conquest marks the establishment of feudalism in England. The chief feature of the feudal society was distinct division into class, mainly two classes: landlords and peasants. B. Influence a. The establishment of feudalism in England. b. The Old English was influenced by French words. 3. The Rising of 1381 In 1381，the famous Peasants Rising broke out in England. Its leaders were Wat Tyler and John Ball. Ⅱ. Literary Features of Middle English Literature 1. Values of Christianity began to influence English literature. 2. The Middle Ages constantly emphasized the spirit of chivalry, which was showed in the prevailing literary genre—romance, of that period. Romances of Middle Ages are written by and for the court. 3. The popular folk literary form—ballad is the oral literature. The typical ballads of Middle Ages are the ballads about Robin Hood. 4. The writer and work that should be especially emphasized is Chaucer and his Canterbury Tales. Ⅲ. Literary Terms 1. The Romance ⑴ The Content of the Romance Romance was the most prevailing kind of literature in feudal England. It was a long composition, sometimes in verse, sometimes in prose, describing the life and adventures of a noble hero. The central character of romances was the knight, a man of noble birth skilled in the use of weapons. The code of manners and morals of a knight is known as chivalry. Typical representative work is Le Morte D’Arthur, a collection of stories about King Arthur, translated from French by Sir Thomas Malory. ⑵ The Romance Cycles The romances are divided into such groups or cycles as the “matters of Britain”, “matters of France” and “matters of Rome”. The “matters of Britain” are about adventures of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. The “matters of France” are of Emperor Charlemagne and his peers. The “matters of Rome” are about Alexander the Great and so forth. ⑶ The Class Nature of the Romance The theme of loyalty to king and lord was repeatedly emphasized in romances, as loyalty was the corner-stone of feudal morality. The romances had nothing to do with the common people. They were composed for the noble, of the noble. 2. Ballad (1) Ballads are oral literature of the English people. (2) A ballad is a story told in song, usually in 4-line stanzas, with the second and fourth lines rhymed. (3) The subjects of ballads are various such as the struggle of young lovers against their feudal-minded families, the conflict between love and wealth, the cruelty of jealousy, and the criticism of the civil war. (4) “Robin Hood” is the most important ballad of that time. Ⅳ. Major Writers and Works 1. the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle It was written under the encouragement and supervision of King Alfred the Great and is a monument of Old English prose. 2. The “Robin Hood” Ballads The various ballads of Robin Hood are gathered into a collection called The Geste of Robin Hood. Robin Hood, a partly historical and partly legendary character, is depicted in the ballads as a valiant outlaw, famous in archery, living under the greenwood tree with his merry men, taking from the rich and giving to the poor, fighting against bishops. The dominant key in his character is his hatred for the cruel oppressors and his love for the poor and downtrodden. 3. Malory ◆Le Morte D’Arthur Translated by Malory from French, the legends of King Arthur are the foundation of Le Morte D’Arthur. Malory selected the most interesting parts, such as the adventures of the Knights of the Round Table, the quest of the Holy Grail, the death of Arthur, and the dissolution of the fellowship of the Knights of the Round Table. Malory treated the legends in the spirit of medieval knighthood and chivalry and used simple, idiomatic English prose and told the stories in a vivid manner. 4.William Langland ◆Piers the Plowman A. Social Significance of this Work (1) The poem sets forth a series of wonderful dreams, through which we can see a picture of feudal England. (2) Piers is not the conservative of the most oppressed section of the peasantry and he has no intention of upsetting the feudal order of society, which speaks for the conservatism of his political attitude. (3) In spite of this limitation, the poem remains a classic of popular literature. The exaltation of the oppressed kindled the peasants’ sense of human dignity and equality. The poem played a part in arousing the oppressed people’s sentiment on the eve of the Rising of 1381. B. Artistic Features of Piers the Plowman a. It is written in the old alliterative verse. b. It is written in the form of a dream vision. c. The poem is an allegory which uses symbolism to relate truth. But in the main, it is a realistic picture of medieval England. d. Its artistic merit may be shown by its portraits of the Seven Deadly Sins. 5. Chaucer(1340-1400) ⑴ Life Geoffrey Chaucer, born about in 1340 in London, is the founder of English poetry. He was the son of a wine merchant who had connections with the Court. Chaucer’s learning was wide in scope. He obtained a good knowledge of Latin, French and Italian. He had broad and intimate acquaintance with persons high and low in all walks of life, and knew well the whole life of his time, which left great impressions upon his works and particularly upon the variegated picture of the English society of his time. He died in 1400 and was buried in Westminster Abbey, thus founding the “Poets’ Corner”. ⑵ Chaucer’s Literary Career Chaucer’s literary career can be divided into three periods, which is closely related to his life experiences. The first period consists of works translated from French; the second consists of works adapted from the Italian, as Troilus and Criseyde. The third period includes The Canterbury Tales, which is purely English. (3) Chaucer’s Major Works Troilus and Criseyde The Canterbury Tales (1387-1400) (4) Analysis of Major Works ◆ Troilus and Criseyde ①Troilus and Criseyde is Chaucer’s longest complete poem and his greatest artistic achievement. ②It tells the love story between Troilus and Criseyde. Troilus is a son of the King of Troy. Criseyde is a beautiful daughter of Calchas, a priest. For three years the two young people are united in mutual love until the appearance of Diomede, a handsome Greek warrior. Criseyde gives her love to the warrior, while Troilus, left in despair, is at last killed in the war. ③In this poem Chaucer didn’t write a full and finished romance, but has endowed it with what medieval romance lacked-interest of character as well as of incident. With Troilus and Criseyde Chaucer becomes mature in versification. ◆ Canterbury Tales (1387-1400) A. Main Plot of The Canterbury Tales Twenty-nine travelers set off for Canterbury on a pilgrimage. When they met at the inn, they decided to tell stories one by one. This becomes the content of the story. In The Canterbury Tales, there are 24 tales written, covering all the major types of medieval literature. The stories which the pilgrims tell are well suited to their different characters, ranging from the knight, the monk, the pardoner etc. B. Important Parts of The Canterbury Tales ☆“The Prologue” The Prologue provides a framework for the tales. All classes of the English feudal society, except the royalty and the poorest peasant, are represented by these pilgrims in the Prologue. ☆“The Wife of Bath” Chaucer’s keen observation and his unsurpassed talent for characterization are especially showed in his famous “The Wife of Bath”. She is the owner of a cloth factory, lighthearted, merry, vulgar and talkative. She relates the whole story of her married life. She has married five husbands and she expects one or two more. Through this Bath woman, we may see a very vivid sketch of a woman of the middle class, and a colourful picture of the domestic life of that class in Chaucer’s own day. C. Social Significances of The Canterbury Tales a. It shows a true-to-life picture of Chaucer’s time. b. Taking from the stand of rising bourgeoisie, Chaucer affirms men and opposes the dogma of asceticism preached by the Church. c. He praises man’s energy, intellect, quick wit and love of life. d. His tales expose and satirize the evils of his time, attack degeneration of the noble, the corruption of the Church. (5) Chaucer’s Language a. Chaucer’s language, now called Middle English, is vivid and exact. He is a master of word-pictures. His verse is among the smoothest in English. b. Chaucer’s contribution to English poetry lies chiefly in the fact that he introduced from France the rhymed stanza of various types, especially the heroic couplet to English poetry. c. Chaucer did much in making the dialect of London the standard for the modern English speech. d. Chaucer is good at the terza rima, which makes his language a high style. This is what other poets cannot reach. | Ⅰ. 背景知识 1. 丹麦人入侵 约787年，英国开始为成群的丹麦海盗所困。1031年之前，阿尔弗雷德大帝(King Alfred the Great) 成功击退了丹麦人。1031年，丹麦人占领了英国并盘踞30年。 2. 诺曼征服 A. 简介 在1066年，说法语的诺曼底人在威廉公爵（Duke William）的带领下入侵，并在赫斯汀打败了英国人。诺曼征服标志着封建制度在英国的建立。封建国家的主要特征是明显的等级划分，主要是地主和农民两个阶级。 B. 影响： a.在英国建立了封建制度。 b.古英语受法语单词影响。 3. 1381年农民起义 1381年爆发农民起义。领导者为瓦特·泰勒（Wat Tyler）和约翰·鲍尔（John Ball）。 Ⅱ. 中世纪英国文学特征 1. 基督教的世界观渗透到中世纪英语时期的文学中。 2. 中世纪文学不断强调骑士精神，这种精神通常反映在封建英国最流行的文学形式——传奇文学中，它们取材于贵族，为贵族而创作。 3. 与之对应的是民间的口头文学——歌谣，这一时期歌谣的典型代表是罗宾汉系列歌谣。 4. 尤其需要注意的文学者和作品是乔叟和他的《坎特伯雷故事集》。 Ⅲ. 文学术语 1. 传奇文学 ⑴ 传奇定义 传奇文学是封建英国最为盛行的文学体裁。它一般是长篇作品，主要描述高尚的英雄的生平和冒险。传奇的中心人物是武士，武士出身高贵并且善使武器。武士以其侠气著称。 传奇典型代表作是由托马斯·马洛里由法语翻译成的《亚瑟王之死》，是关于亚瑟王生平故事的选集。 ⑵ 传奇分类 传奇可分为“英国类”，“法国类”和“罗马类”。“英国类”传奇是关于亚瑟王和他的圆桌武士的冒险。“法国类”是关于查理曼大帝和他的贵族们。“罗马类”是关于亚历山大大帝。 ⑶ 传奇的阶级本质 对国王和主上的忠诚是传奇中反复强调的主题。传奇与平民无关，传奇是由贵族而作也是为贵族而写的。 2. 歌谣 (1) 歌谣是英国人民大众的口头文学。 (2) 歌谣是以歌的形式讲述的故事，通常由4行组成一节，其中第二和第四行押韵。 (3) 歌谣内容多样，有关于年轻爱侣反对封建家长的，有爱情和财富冲突的，有关于嫉妒残忍行动的，有批判国内战乱的。 (4) 其中，罗宾汉歌谣是最重要的。 Ⅳ. 中世纪主要作品作家 1. 《盎格鲁-撒克逊 编年史》 它是在罗阿尔弗雷德大帝(King Alfred the Great) 的鼓励和监督下写成，是古英语散文史上的丰碑。 2. 罗宾汉歌谣 关于罗宾汉的歌谣被收集在《绿林英雄罗宾汉民谣》。罗宾汉是一个部分属实部分是传奇的人物。在歌谣中，他是一个勇敢的亡命之徒，以其箭术闻名，同他的伙伴们一起逍遥地生活在绿林中，劫富济贫，与教会作斗争。罗宾汉最明显的性格特征便是对压迫者的仇视和对受难者的热爱。 3. 马洛里 ◆《亚瑟王之死》 经马洛里由法语译成，《亚瑟王之死》是基于亚瑟王的一生传奇。但是马洛里选择了其中最有趣的部分，例如圆桌武士的冒险，寻找圣杯，亚瑟之死，圆桌武士的志同道合的关系的消亡。马洛里用中世纪的骑士精神和侠气处理了传奇，并且是用简单，惯用的英语，讲述了栩栩如生的故事。 4. 威廉姆·朗兰德 ◆《农夫皮尔斯》 A. 作品的社会影响 (1) 这首诗设置了一系列的梦境。通过梦境我们能够看到一幅描写中世纪英国的画卷。 (2) 皮尔斯不是最底层的农民的代表，这说明了他政治态度上的保守主义。 (3) 虽然作品存在这样的局限性，但是作品中描述的农民受压迫剥削的事件点燃了受苦人民的斗志。1381年的农民起义便受到了此作品的影响。 B. 《农夫皮尔斯》的文学特征 a. 采用旧时的头韵诗体。 b. 以梦境手法来叙述。 c. 本身是个寓言，运用象征与现实联系起来，但主要是中世纪英国的现实主义的描写。 d. 主要艺术特色在于对七宗罪的描写。 5. 乔叟（1340-1400） ⑴ 生平 杰弗里·乔叟于1340年出生于伦敦，他是英语诗歌的创始者。他是一个与宫廷有联系的酒商的儿子。 乔叟知识渊博。他精通拉丁语，法语和意大利语。他结交广泛且易与人深交，无论是贵族还是贫民,因此他深谙所处世事。这尤其有益于他的作品中的英国社会的刻画。 他逝于1400年，被葬在威斯敏斯特教堂，“诗人角”开始出现。 ⑵ 文学生平 乔叟的文学生平可划分为三个阶段，这三个阶段与其个人生活经历有关。第一阶段乔叟的作品主要是从法语翻译过来的，第二阶段则改编于意大利，如《特洛伊罗斯与克瑞西达》。第三阶段包括《坎特伯雷故事集》，这是纯英语创作阶段。 (3) 主要作品 《特洛伊罗斯与克瑞西达》 《坎特伯雷故事集》（1387-1400） (4) 主要作品分析 ◆《特洛伊罗斯与克瑞西达》 ①该诗是乔叟的最长的诗歌，也是他最伟大的文学成就之一。 ②它讲述了特洛伊罗斯与克瑞西达的爱情故事。特洛伊罗斯是特洛伊国王的儿子。克瑞西达是一个牧师的女儿。两人相爱了三年直到一个英俊潇洒的希腊勇士狄俄墨得斯的出现。克瑞西达改变了自己的心意，特洛伊罗斯则深陷绝望，在战争中战死。 ③乔叟并没有写一个圆满美好的浪漫故事，而是赋予了中世纪传奇故事所缺少的人物和事件的重要性。由于这部作品，乔叟在诗律方面已经很成熟了。 ◆《坎特伯雷故事集》（1387-1400） A. 主要情节 29名朝圣者前往坎特伯雷去朝圣。当他们在酒馆相遇，他们决定每个人轮流讲故事。这些故事就构成了《坎特伯雷故事集》中的故事。共有24个故事被写进故事集，故事涵盖了中世纪文学的各个方面。每个故事都与讲述者的身份相符，讲述者包罗各种阶层的人，有武士，僧侣，赦罪僧等。 B. 重要部分 ☆《总序》 《总序》提供了故事的框架。《总序》的朝圣者中囊括了当时英国封建社会中除了皇族和最底层的农民以外的形形色色的人物。 ☆《巴斯妇人》 通过《巴斯妇人》，读者可以尽情感受乔叟的细致入微的无人可比的人物塑造天赋。这位妇人是布店的经营者，为人开朗乐观，有时略带粗俗，喜欢讲话。她所讲述的是她与五位丈夫的婚史。 通过这位巴斯妇人，我们能够了解当时中层阶级的妇女及家庭生活。 C. 社会影响 a. 展示乔叟时代的真实生活画面。 b. 站在发展中的小资产阶级的立场，乔叟肯定了人的力量，反对教会宣扬的禁欲主义。 c. 赞扬了人的力量，智慧和对生活的热爱。 d. 展现并批判了时代的罪恶，批判了贵族和教会的堕落。 (5) 乔叟的语言 a. 乔叟的语言属于中英语，非常形象准确。他是用语言构建图画的大师。他的诗歌位列最顺畅的英语中。 b. 乔叟对英语诗歌的贡献主要在于他将法国的韵脚重复的诗节（尤其是英雄双韵体）介绍到英国。 c. 乔叟在使伦敦方言成为现代英语的标准中发挥了重要作用。 d. 乔叟善于使用三行体，这种诗体使他的语言很高雅。这是其他诗人无法匹敌的。 |
