英美文学知识点Word下载.docx

英美文学知识点Word下载.docx

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●Summary

Historyoftheperiod

AnglesAlbion（Britain）

（盎格鲁人）conquered

SaxonsTeutonictribesaboriginalCeltic

（撒克逊人）（条顿人/exterminated（土著凯尔特人）

Jutes日耳曼人）

（朱特人）

name:

AlbionAngle-land（latershortenedintoEngland）

language:

Anglo-Saxon/Saxon

●TheAnglo-Saxonperiodwitnessedatransitionfromtribalsocietytofeudalism.

Literature

●TheliteratureoftheAnglo-Saxonperiodfallsnaturallyintotwodivisions:

paganandChristian:

thepaganrepresentedbyBeowulfandthereligiouspoetryrepresentedbytheworksofCaedmonandCynewulf.

TheSongofBeowulf

●ReadtheStoryof“Beowulf”（贝奥武甫）onP3-6tomakeaclearideaaboutthecharactersinthestory.

Beowulf---theheroofthestory

Hygelac---Beowulf'

sUncle,kingoftheGeats,apeopleinJutland,Denmark.

Hrothgar---KingoftheDanes,isingreattrouble

Grendel---aterriblemonster

Grendel’sMother

TheStory

●Beowulf,thestoryofthepoem,isnotaboutEngland,butaboutHrothgar,theKingoftheDanes,andaboutabraveyoungman,Beowulf,fromsouthernSweden,whogoestohelptheKing.Hrothgerisintrouble.Hisgreathall,calledHeorot,isvisitedatnightbyaterriblecreature,Grendel,whichlivesinalakeandcomestokillandeatHrothgar’smen.Onenight,Beowulfwaitssecretlyforthisthing,attacksit,andinafiercefightpullsitsarmoff.Itmanagestoreachthelakeagain,butdiesthere.Thenitsmothercomestothehallinsearchofrevenge,andtheattacksbeginagain.Beowulffollowshertothebottomofthelakeandkillsherthere.Itisthere,toothathefindsthedeadbodyofGrendel.HecutsofftheheadsofthetwomonstersandbringsthetwohairyheadsastrophiesbacktotheDanishhall.Thetriumphiscelebratedinfeastingandsong.

●ThenBeowulfgoeshomeandbecomesthekingandreignsoverhispeoplefor50years.Thenhehastodefendhiscountryagainstafire-breathingcreature（firedragon）.Hekillstheanimalbutisbadlywoundedinthefight,anddies.ThepoemendswithasorrowfuldescriptionofBeowulf’sfuneralfire.

●Theepicrepresentsthespiritofpagan.

●Mainincidentsofthepoem:

●Beowulf’sfightwiththemonsterGrendelinHrothgar’shall.

●Beowulf’sslayingofGrendel’smotherinherlair.

●Beowulf’sreturninglorytohisuncle,andhissuccessiontothethrone.

●Beowulf’svictoryindeath,fiftyyearslater,overthefiredragon.

FeaturesofBeowulf

●Theuseofalliterationisoneofitsmoststrikingfeatures.（Therepetitionofthesameconsonantsoundsatthebeginningofwordsinstressedsyllables.）

●“ThusmadetheirmourningthemenofGeatland,

Fortheirhero’spassing,hishearth-companions

Quoththatofallthekingsofearth,

Ofmenhewasthemildestandmostbeloved,

tohiskinthekindest,keenesttopraise.”（fromBeowulf）

●Theuseofcompound-wordstoserveasmetaphors:

●hearth-companion—hisattendantwarriors

●Nottroublesome—verywelcome

●neednotpraise—arighttocondemn

●treasurekeepers—thechieftains

●thebone-house—human-body

●wonder-wielder—God

●soul-destroyer—monster

●Theuseofunderstatementsoreuphemism.

Theuseofunderstatementsgivesanimpressionofreserve,andattimes,atingeofironicalhumor.ThisqualityisoftenregardedasapermanentcharacteristicofEnglish.

ThesignificanceofBeowulf

●Thelongest&

finestofextant现存的oldEnglishpoems,thenationalepicoftheEnglishpeople.

●PresentsusavividpictureofthelifeofAnglo-Saxonpeople,highlypraisesthebraveandcourageousspiritofthefightingagainsttheelementalforces.

●Givesthevividportrayalofagreatnationalhero,strongandcourageouspeopleandhiskinfolk.

CharacterAnalysis

●Beowulfsingsoftheexcitingadventuresofagreatlegendaryherowhosephysicalstrengthdemonstrateshishighspiritualqualities,hisresolutiontoservehiscountry&

kinsfolk,histruecourage,courteousconduct,andhisloveofhonor.

Theme

●Thispoemshowshowtheprimitivepeoplefightagainsttheforcesofthenaturalworldunderawise&

mightyleader.

●Goodnesstriumphsoverevil.（Beowulfrepresentsgoodnessforhefightsforthepeopleandkingdoms.Grendelandthedragonsymbolizeevil.）

Literaryterms

●Epic（史诗）:

•Anepicisalongnarrativepoeminaformalandelevatedstyleabouttheachievementsofacentralherowhousuallyembodiesnationalideals.

•Alliteration（头韵）

Summary

●WhatarethemaincharacteristicsofAnglo-Saxonliterature?

●Itisalmostaverseliteratureinoralform.Itcouldbepasseddownbywordofmouth（口头地）fromgenerationtogeneration.

●TherearetwogroupsofEnglishpoetryinAnglo-Saxonperiod.ThefirstgroupwasthepaganpoetryrepresentedbyBeowulf.Thesecon