1英美文学选读重点笔记.docx

1英美文学选读重点笔记.docx

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1英美文学选读重点笔记

英美文学选读重点笔记

TheRenaissancemarksatransitionfromthemedievaltothemodernworld.Generally,itreferstotheperiodbetweenthe14th&17thcenturies.ItfirststartedinItaly,withthefloweringofpainting,sculpture&literature.FromItalythemovementwenttoembracetherestofEurope.TheRenaissance,whichmeans"rebirth"or"revival,"isactuallyamovementstimulatedbyaseriesofhistoricalevents,suchasthere-discoveryofancientRoman&Greekculture,thenewdiscoveriesingeography&astrology,thereligiousreformation&theeconomicexpansion.TheRenaissance,therefore,inessenceisahistoricalperiodinwhichtheEuropeanhumanistthinkers&scholarsmadeattemptstogetridofthoseoldfeudalistideasinmedievalEurope,tointroducenewideasthatexpressedtheinterestsoftherisingbourgeoisie,&torecoverthepurityoftheearlychurchfromthecorruptionoftheRomanCatholicChurch.

HumanismistheessenceoftheRenaissance.ItsprangfromtheendeavortorestoreamedievalreverencefortheancientauthorsandisfrequentlytakenasthebeginningoftheRenaissanceonitsconscious,intellectualside,fortheGreekandRomancivilizationwasbasedonsuchaconceptionthatmanisthemeasureofallthings.Throughthenewlearning,humanistsnotonlysawtheartsofsplendorandenlightenment,butthehumanvaluesrepresentedintheworks.Renaissancehumanistsfoundintheclassicsajustificationtoexalthumannatureandcametoseethathumanbeingsweregloriouscreaturescapableofindividualdevelopmentinthedirectionofperfections,andthattheworldtheyinhabitedwastheirsnottodespisebuttoquestion,explore,andenjoy.Thus,byemphasizingthedignityofhumanbeingsandtheimportanceofthepresentlife,theyvoicedtheirbeliefsthatmandidnotonlyhavetherighttoenjoythebeautyofthislife,buthadtheabilitytoperfecthimselfandtoperformwonders.ThomasMore,ChristopherMarloweandWilliamShakespearearethebestrepresentativesoftheEnglishhumanists.

I.EdmundSpenser

1）MainqualitiesofSpenser'spoetry①aperfectmelody②araresenseofbeauty③asplendidimagination④aloftymoralpurity&seriousness⑤adedicatedidealism

2）语言特点Inhiswriting,Spenserdrewontheconventions&thoughtofClassical,medieval,&Renaissanceliterature.However,headdedtohisfusionofthesediverseelementsmuchthatwasoriginal,&hisworksinspiredmanylaterEnglishpoets.Hecreatedanewstanza,calledtheSpenserianstanza,whichiswellsuitedtonarrativeverse.HisskillsinwritingmelodiousEnglishverse&hiscombinationofemotion,erudition,&spiritualvisionhavewonhimtheadmirationofgenerationsofEnglishpoets.Itishisidealism,hisloveofbeauty,&hisexquisitemelodythatmakehimknownas"thepoets'poet."

3）代表作TheFaerieQueene:

1）Itisalong,allegoricalpoem.Inthepoem,Spenserdramatizedpolitical,religious,&moralthemesbypersonifyingthem,ormakingthemcharacters.2）Plot:

Thestory,whichissetagainstabackgroundofArthur&medievallegend,dealswiththeadventuresofsixknightsofthecourtofthefairyqueennamedGloriana,whorepresentsQueenElizabethⅠofEnglish.ThefaerieQueenwasleftunfinishedatSpenser'sdeath.Itwasoriginallyplannedasa12-bookpoem.Butonly6bookswerecompleted.Thepoemisparticularlyadmiredforthemelodicbeautyofitslanguage&foritsrichcontentofphilosophical&mythologicalmaterialpresentedintheformofvividnarratives.

II.ChristopherMarlowe

1）HisAchievements&InfluenceAchievements:

Marlowe'sgreatestachievementliesinthatheperfectedtheblankverse&madeittheprincipalmediumofEnglishdrama.HissecondachievementishiscreationoftheRenaissanceheroforEnglishdrama.ThethemeofhisworksisthepraiseoftheRenaissancespirit.Hisinfluence:

Amanofwidelearning,Marlowewasoneoftheextraordinarypoets&playwrightsofhistime."Marlowe'smightyline,"asBenJonsoncalledhisblankverse,wasoneofthemostimportantcontributionstotheartofEnglishliterature.

2）代表作Dr.FaustusTheselectionofActⅠfromDr.FaustusismainlyaboutFaustusisshowinghisgreatambition,thatis,ifhehadmanysouls,hewouldgivethemalltotheDevilsothathecouldcontroltheworld.InportrayingFaustus,amoreintrospective&philosophicalfigurethanTamburlaine,MarlowepraiseshissoaringaspirationforknowledgewhilewarningagainstthesinofpridesinceFaustus'sdownfallwascausedbyhisdespairinGod&trustinDevil.

Ⅲ.WilliamShakespeare

HisInfluence1）ContributionstolanguageManywordsandcommonlyusedphraseshavebeenaddedtoeverydayEnglishvocabularythroughtheirappearanceinShakespeare'sworks.2）EffectsonliteratureShakespeare'splays&poetryhavehadapervasiveinfluenceonworldliterature.Mostofthegreatliteraryfiguresoftheworldhavebeeninspired&stimulatedbyhisachievement.Onthewhole,however,Shakespeare'scontributionhasbeentothelanguage&spiritoflaterwritingratherthantoitsform.References¶llelstoShakespeare'sphraseologyhaveoccurredinliteraturesincethe16thcentury.PerhapsthegreatestinspirationtosubsequentauthorshasbeenShakespeare'scapacitytodepictlifeinallitscomplexity&toilluminateman'scharacter&destiny.

HisMajorWorks

1）DramaA.TheMerchantofVeniceTheme:

topraisethefriendshipbetweenAntonio&Bassanio,toidealizePortiaasaheroineofgreatbeauty,wit&loyalty,&toexposetheinsatiablegreed&brutalityoftheJew.Plot:

Theplayhasadoubleplot（P39）

　B.HamletHamletisgenerallyregardedasShakespeare'smostpopularplayonthestage,forithasthequalitiesofa"blood-and-thunder"thriller&aphilosophicalexplorationoflife&death.Andthetimelessappealofthismightydramaliesinitscombinationofintrigue,emotionalconflict&searchingphilosophicmelancholy.TheplayopenswithHamlet,PrinceofDenmark,appearinginamoodofworld-wearinessoccasionedbyhisfather'srecentdeath&byhismother'shastyremarriagewithClaudius,hisfather'sbrother.Whileencounteringhisfather'sghost,HamletisinformedthatClaudiushasmurderedhisfather&thentakenoverbothhisfather'sthrone&widow.This,Hamlet,isurgedbytheghosttoseekrevengeforhisfather's"foul&mostunnaturalmurder."Trappedinanightmareworldofspying,testing&plotting,&apparentlybearingtheintolerableburdenofthedutytorevengehisfather'sdeath,Hamletisobligedtoinhabitashadowworld,tolivesuspendedbetweenfact&fiction,language&action.Hislifeisoneofconstantrole-playing,examiningthenatureofactiononlytodenyitspossibility,forheistoosophisticatedtodegradehisnaturetotheconventionalroleofastagerevenger.BycharacterizingHamlet,Shakespearesuccessfullymakesaphilosophicalexplorationoflife&death.

HisMajorTheme1）Shakespeareisagainstreligiouspersecution&racialdiscrimination,againstsocialinequality&thecorruptinginfluenceofgold&money.

2）Hewasahumanistofthetime&acceptedtheRenaissanceviewsonliterature.

HisLiteraryAchievements

1）CharacterizationHismajorcharactersareneithermerelyindividualonesnortypeones;theyareindividualsrepresentingcertaintypes.Eachcharacterhashisorherownpersonalities;meanwhile,theymaysharefeatureswithothers.Thesoliloquiesinhisplaysfullyrevealtheinnerconflictofhischaracters.Shakespearealsoportrayshischaractersinpairs.Contrastsarefrequentlyusedtobringvividnesstohischaracters.Thewomenintheplaysarevividcreations,eachdifferingfromtheothers.Shakespearewasfondofportraying"mockingwenches,"suchasKateoftheTamingoftheShrew,RosalineofLove'sLabor'sLost,&BeatriceofMuchAdoAboutNothing,buthewasequallyadeptatcreatinggentle&innocentwomen,suchasOpheliainHamlet,DesdemonainOthello,&CordeliainKingLear.HisfemalecharactersalsoincludethetreacherousGoneril&Regan,theiron-willedLadyMacbeth,thewitty&resourcefulPortia,thetender&loyalJuliet,&thealluringCleopatra.

2）PlotConstructionShakespeare'splaysarewellknownfortheiradroitplotconstruction.Heseldominventshisownplots;instead,heborrowsthemfromsomeoldplaysorstorybooks,orfromancientGreek&Romansources.Thereareusuallyseveralthreadsrunningthroughtheplay,thusprovidingthestorywithsuspense&apprehension.

3）LanguageInShakespeare'stime,Englishgrammar&spellingwerenotyetformalized,soShakespearecouldfreelyinterchargethevariouspartsofspeech,usingnounsasadjectivesorverbs,adjectivesasadverbs,&pronounsasnouns.Suchfreedomgavehislanguageanextraordinaryflexibility,whichenabledhimtoexpresshisthoughtsaseasilyinpoetryasinprose.MostofShakespeare'sdramaticpoetryisinblankverse,orunrhymediambicpentameter.Hisblandverseisespeciallybeautiful&mighty.Hehasanamazingwealthofvocabulary&idiom.Hiscoinageofnewwords&distortionofthemeaningoftheoldonesalsocreatestrikingeffectsonthereader.　

SelectedReadings

1）Sonnet18Theme:

aprofoundmeditationonthedestructivepoweroftime&theeternalbeautybroughtforthbypoetrytotheoneheloves.Imagery:

asummer'sday-youththeeyeofheaven-thesun

2）TheMerchantofVeniceTheme:

TopraisethefriendshipbetweenAntonio&Bassanio,toidealizePortiaasaheroineofgreatbeauty,wit&loyalty,&toexposetheinsatiablegreedandbrutalityoftheJew.

3）HamletThisisonepartofHamlet'smostfamousmonologue.Hamlet,facingthedilemmaofaction&mind,ishesitatingwhetherheshouldrevengeforhisfather,whichmaybringhimdeath,orheshouldsuffer&hide