文学的常识性知识.docx

文学的常识性知识.docx

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文学的常识性知识

GeoffreyChaucer

TheCanterburyTales《坎特伯雷故事集》

简介：

1.Ithas24stories.2.Itisthedescriptionofthepilgrims（朝圣者）whotellstories.3.Itisaboutthelifeofordinarypeople.4.Itgivesvividcharacters,withhumorandsatire.意义：

Itisthefirstcompleterealisticpoemofthemedievalperiod.HismasterpieceandarepresentativeworksoftheMiddleAges.

AframeworkforthetalesTabard（泰巴客店）

Vividsketchesoftypicalfiguresfromallwalksoflife24storieswritten29（30）pilgrimstoCanterbury

Allmajortypesofmedievalliterature

TheProloguesuppliesaminiature（小画像）oftheEnglishsocietyofthetime

1.Howisthesettingofthetalesdescribed?

Withsuchasetting,couldyoupredictthegeneraltoneofthetalesthataretofollow?

Thepoemissetintheearlyspring,inthesuburbofLondon.GeneralTone:

happy,easy,lively,humorous

2.Inyourownwords,summarizethecharacteroftheknightfromthebriefintroductioninthisexcerpt.Noble,honorable,brave,wise,humble,gentle,pious

3.CharacterAnalysis:

TheKnight

Socially,theKnightisbyfarthemostprestigiouspersononthepilgrimage.Hehasfoughtinmanybattlesandservedhiskingnobly.Heistheveryessenceofchivalry,honor,andcourage.Similarly,heistheepitomeofgentility,amanwholovestruth,freedom,andhonor.Everyoneinthepilgrimagelooksuptoandrespectshim.

Despitehiselevatedposition,theknightisalsofilledwithhumility.Hedoesnotparticipateinthequarrelingorcomplaining,nordoeshecondemnit.Althoughhehasdistinguishedhimselfseveraltimesinbattle,henevertalksabouthisbravedeeds.Heiscompletelysatisfiedwithhisstationinlifeandiscourteoustotheotherpilgrimswithoutbecomingunfriendlywiththem.

TheKnight'sTaleperfectlyfitstheKnighthimself.Hechoosesastoryfilledwithknights,love,honor,chivalry,andadventure.Themainemphasisinthestoryisuponrulesofhonor,decorum,andproperconduct.Forhishero,hechoosestheGreekherooflegend,Theseus,theidealkingofAthens,whowasthemosthighlythoughtofmaninAncientGreekculture;ThusTheseus,liketheKnighthimself,isanembodimentofalltheidealhumanvirtues.

WilliamShakespeare

生存还是毁灭,这是个值得考虑的问题:

默然忍受命运暴虐的毒箭,或是挺身反抗人世无涯的苦难,通过斗争把他们扫清，这两种行为，哪一种更高贵?

死了，睡着了，什么都完了。

倘若在这一种睡眠之中,我们心头的创痛，以及其他无数血肉之躯所不能避免的打击，都可以从此消失，这正是我们求之不得的结局。

死了，睡着了，睡着了也许还会做梦。

嗯，阻碍就在这:

因为当我们摆脱了这一具腐朽的皮囊以后,在那死的睡眠里，究竟将要做些什么梦，那不能不使我们踌躇顾虑。

人们甘心久困于患难之中，也就是为了这个缘故。

谁愿意忍受人世的鞭挞和讥嘲、压迫者的凌辱、傲慢者的冷眼、被轻蔑的爱情的惨痛、法律的迁延、官吏的横暴和费尽辛勤所换来的小人的鄙视，要是他只用一柄小小的刀子，就可以清算他自己的一生？

谁愿意负着这样的重担，在烦劳的生命的压迫下呻吟流汗，倘若不是因为惧怕不可知的死后，惧怕那从来不曾有一个旅人回来过的神秘之国，是它迷惑了我们的意志，使我们宁愿忍受目前的折磨，不敢向我们所不知道的痛苦飞去？

这样，重重的顾虑使我们全变成了懦夫，决心的炽热的光彩，被审慎的思维盖上了一层灰色，伟大的事业在这一种考虑下，也会逆流而退，失去了行动的意义。

Dilemmaoftryingtodeterminethemeaningoflifeanddeath:

Hamlethereweighsthemoralramificationsoflivinganddying.Isitnoblertosufferlifepassivelyortoactivelyseektoendone’ssuffering?

Hamletcomparesdeathtosleepandthinksoftheendtosufferingandpain.Basedonthismetaphor,hedecidesthatsuicideisadesirablecourseofaction.But,asthereligiousword“devoutly”signifies,thereismoretothequestion,namely,whatwillhappenintheafterlife.

Hamletimmediatelyrealizestheafterlife,andhereconfigureshismetaphorofsleeptoincludethepossibilityofdreaming;hesaysthatthedreamsthatmaycomeinthesleepofdeatharedaunting,thatthey“mustgiveuspause.”

Hamletthusconcludesthatthedreadoftheafterlifeleadstoexcessivemoralsensitivitythatmakesactionimpossible:

1.Whyissleepsofrightening,accordingtoHamlet,sinceitcan“end”theheartacheandthethousandnaturalshocks”?

Nobodycanpredictwhathewilldreamofafterhefallsasleep.Deathmeanstheendoflife,youmaygotoorunknownworldandyoucan’tcomeback,.Ifhedies,Hamlet'scan'trealizehiswill.Though“sleep”canendtheheartacheandthethousandnaturalshocks,itisastateofmind.Hamletdidn’tknowatall.Heisfrightenedbythepossiblesufferinginthelong“dream”.Hecan’tpredictwhatwillhappeninthesleep,maybegoodmaybeevil.

2.Whywouldpeopleratherbearallthesufferingsoftheworldinsteadofchoosingdeathtogetridofthem,accordingtoHamlet?

Deathissomysteriousthatnobodyknowswhatdeathwillbringtous.Maybebittersufferings,greatpains,heartbreakingstories…Becausepeopleholdthesameidea"togruntandsweatunderawearylife,butthatthedreadofsomethingafterdeath-theundiscoveredcountry,formwhosebournnotravelerreturns-puzzlethewill,andmakeusratherbearthoseillswehavethanflytoothersthatweknownotof?

”Peoplealsoarefrightenedbythemythsinanotherworldafterdeath.

3.What,afterall,makespeoplelosetheirdeterminationtotakeaction?

Pleaseexplaininrelationtotheso-calledhesitationofHamlet.

Conscienceandover-consider