英国文学选读教案.docx
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Goals and Purposes
To let the students see the significance of literature;
To let the students have the general impression of British literature Main Contents
Main plot /General clue of English literature
Keys and Obstacles
To get to know the general clue of the British history and British literary history
To get to know some key terms and well-known works and the writers Teaching Methods and Strategies
Open questions and answers in class
Class discussion and analysis
Main Body
Introduction
1.Warming-up questions:
1) How much do you know about English literature?
2) Why do we learn literature?
—A good way to improve the
language-learning itself;a good way to broaden the
sphere of knowledge;to provoke deep-thinking and to
provide different ways to look at life and the world;to
enhance one’s understanding of history,politics,culture
and the miniature of the society;to enrich one’s life and
improve one’s quality;to improve one’s insight into
human character…
Words used to describe literature:
artistic beautiful
emotional expressive imitating imaginative informative
instructive pleasing passionate reflective valuable
2.Main plot /General clue of English literature:
English literature began with the Anglo-Saxon settlement in
England.The study of English literature usually begins with the
Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf.The Anglo-Saxons first brought
to England the Germanic language and culture.After the Norman
Conquest in1066,the Normans bought to England a fresh wave
of Mediterranean civilization,which includes Greek culture,
Roman law,and the Christian religion.It is the cultural influences of these two conquests that provide the source for the rise and
growth of English literature.The English at that time was called
Old English,which is quite hard to recognize today.
Geoffrey Chaucer,father of English literature,is a great
representative of the Mediaeval Age.He’s the first person to use English to write stories.
By the time of Queen Elizabeth I’s reign (1558-1603),
English was basically as it is today.In the works of Shakespeare
and later in the King James version of the Bible,English reached
its peak of purity and beauty.In all the centuries since,the
English language has undergone gradual changes.Shakespeare
lives in this age but he belongs to all ages.He is the greatest
playwright and poet.His masterful plays have dominated
English-speaking stages ever since they were written.They have
been translated into every major language.Among all his38plays,
the well-known four greatest tragedies are:
Hamlet,Othello,King
Lear,and Macbeth.
The17th century witnesses the Great Revolution in England.
In this period,John Milton finished writing his masterpieces
Paradise Lost,Paradise regained,and Samson Agonistes after he
became blind.
The18th century English literature is marked by a rather
large shift from the mood and tone of the17th century.In this
period,Jonathan Swift was one of the greatest figures.His
Gulliver’s Travels not only satirized the political circle but also entertained many children with his fantastic stories.Daniel Defoe,father of English novels,was also worth mentioning.Robinson
Crusoe is the most famous tale of shipwreck and solitary survival in all literature.
Roughly the first third of the19th century makes up English
literature’s romantic period.Writers of romantic literature are more concerned with imagination and emotion than with the
power of reason,which marked the18th century.Wordsworth and
Coleridge published their Lyrical Ballads in1798,which was
called romantic poetry’s Declaration of Independence.Together
with Robert Southey,they were called“Lake Poets”since all of
them lived in the lake district and admired nature very much.
Byron,keats and Shelly are all well-known figures in this period.
Jane Austen was the only famous woman novelist,with her
graceful novels,like Sense and Sensibility,Pride and Prejudice,
and Emma.
The romantic period shades gradually into the Victorian age,
which takes its name from Queen Victoria.She came to the throne
in1837and reigned until1901.Historical and philosophical
writing continued to flourish along with poetry and fiction.At the same time,satire and protest against evils in society became
strong elements.Among the famous novelists of the time were the
critical realists like Charles Dickens,William Makepeace
Thackeray,and Bronte sisters.In Charles Dickens’ novels,he
combines a rare comic gift and a power to reduce the readers to
tears.Thomas Hardy lived well into the20th century,but did his
major work as a novelist in the19th century,as a poet he belongs
to the20th.
20th century is the most difficult to summarize.It has
witnessed wars and revolutions.And the postwar economic
dislocation and spiritual disillusion produced a profound impact
upon the British people,who came to see the prevalent
wretchedness in capitalism.Britain suffered heavy losses in the
war:
thousands of peop