Renaissance 英国文学 文艺复兴时期.docx

1、Renaissance 英国文学 文艺复兴时期The Renaissance Historical background: The breaking up of feudal relations and the establishing of the foundations of capitalism; The enclosure; the war of the Roses; the strengthening of the absolute monarchy; the rise of the bourgeoisie; the defeat of the Spanish Armada.New

2、social and economic conditions brought about great changes in the development of science and art. So with the strengthening of new bourgeois national state, this period is marked by a flourishing of national culture known as the Renaissance.Renaissance:A rebith, revival of classical (Greek and Roman

3、 )arts, literature and sciences between 14th and mid 17th centuries in Europe, the greatest age of human accomplishments. Two striking features of the Renaissance 1) A thirsting curiosity for the classical literature; 2) The keen interest in the activities of humanity( People ceased to look upon the

4、mselves as living only for God and a future world and turned to admiration for human beauty and human achievement);Renaissance marks the transition from medieval to modern world, from feudal to capitalist, from religious to secular society. In this period the European humanist thinkers and scholars

5、made attempts to abolish old feudal ideas in medieval Europe (the church-centered culture which were characterized by God-centeredness, otherworldliness and asceticism.) and to introduce new ideas of the rising bourgeoisie ( humanism, the man-centered culture in which man is the measure of all thing

6、s.), and to carry our religious reformation.Renaissance did not begin to show its effect in England until the reign of Henry VIII (1509-1547) owing to Englands separation from the Continent and its domestic unrest. Encouraged by Henry VIII, the Oxford reformers, scholars and humanists introduced cla

7、ssical literature to England. Education was revitalized and literature became more popular. From the beginning of the 16th c, the English Renaissance witnessed the brisk development of literature: the translation of ancient English, Italian and French works, as well as classical works of Greece and

8、Rome; books of discoveries and adventures; the flowering of sonnets; the highest glory of the English renaissance is its drama ( the Elizabethan drama). This was Englands golden age in literature. There appeared many literary giants such as Shakespeare, Spenser, Jonson, Sidney, Marlowe, Bacon and Do

9、nne.Humanism: The Renaissance was marked by the spread of humanism, the keynote (the great spirit) of Renaissance. It sprang as a result of rediscovery and restudy of the Greek and Roman civilization which is based on the conception that the man is the measure of all things, the man-centered culture

10、. It stands for devotion to the humane values represented in classical literature.While the medieval Catholic teachings (the church-centered culture) were characterized by God-centeredness, otherworldliness and asceticism, the Renaissance humanists emphasized the dignity of human beings and the impo

11、rtance of the present life; they believed human beings were glorious creatures; man can live a happy and meaningful life on earth; man can improve his condition with effort and change the world according to his desire. Man has the right to pursue personal happiness, knowledge and wealth. Humanism he

12、lped to civilize man, to make him realize his potential powers and gifts. It contributed a great deal to the progress of human society. It represented the new ideas of the rising bourgeoisie. Thomas More, Marlowe and Shakespeare are the best representatives of the English humanists. The humanistic i

13、deas and belief permeated the literature of this period.Christopher Marlowe-the greatest of the pioneers of English dramaI. Literary achievement: blank verse (unrhymed iambic pentameter)II. Artistical limitations:III. Major plays: Tamburlaine (贴木耳大帝) The Jew of Malta (马尔他岛的犹太人)Doctor Faustus (浮士德博士)

14、William Shakespeare (1564-1616)LifeWorks During his 22 years of literary career he produced 37 plays, Two narrative poems, 154 sonnets.Dramatic careerThe first period-Early period (1590-1594)2 historical plays: Henry VI (亨利六世)Richard III (理查德三世), 4 comedies: The Comedy of Errors (错误的喜剧)（错中错） The Two

15、 Gentlemen of Verona (维洛那二绅士) The Taming of the Shrew (训悍记) Loves Labours Lost (爱的徒劳)1 tragedy: Romeo and Juliet The second period-mature period (1595-1600)A period of great comedies and mature historical plays 6 comedies: A Midsummer Nights Dream (仲夏夜之梦) The Merchant of Venice (威尼斯商人) The Merry Wiv

16、es of Windsor（温莎的风流娘儿们） Much Ado about Nothing（无事生非） As You Like It（皆大欢喜） Twelfth Night （第十二夜） 5 historical plays: Richard II Henry IV (Parts 1 and 2) Henry V King John 1 Roman tragedy: Julius Caesar （尤利乌斯恺撒）The third period-Flourishing period (Tragic period) (1601-1607) A period of great tragedies

17、and dark comedies 5 tragedies: Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth, Timon of Athens 3 comedies: Troilus and Cressida(特洛伊洛斯与克瑞西达) Alls Well That Ends Well（终成眷属） Measure for Measure (一报还一报) 2 Roman Tragedies: Antony and Cleopatra (安东尼和克莉奥佩特拉) Coriolanus (科里奥拉鲁斯)The fourth period-Late period (1608-1612

18、)4 romantic drama (romances or tragicomedies): These plays portray a wide range of tragic events and difficult conditions, but they all end in reconciliation and reunion.Pericles (佩里克利斯)，Cymbeline（辛白林）The Tempest（暴风雨）, The Winters Tale（冬天的故事）1 historical play: Henry VIIIFour great comedies A Midsumm

19、er Nights Dream (仲夏夜之梦) The Merchant of Venice (威尼斯商人)As You Like It（皆大欢喜） Twelfth Night （第十二夜）Four great tragedies Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth,TragedyClassical tragedians: Aeschylus(埃斯库罗斯Premetheus Bound), Sophocles（索福克勒斯Oedipus Tyrannus）, Euripites（欧里庇得斯） The tragic heroa significant perso

20、n, usually a member of the nobility, a leader, a wise, just and good manTragic flawa character defect which causes the downfall of the tragic heroTragedyTragedies were concerned with the harshness and apparent injustice in life. They involved the trials and eventful death of a hero who was an import

21、ant person and whose death led to the downfall of others.1. The central characters are always people of importance, like kings, queens, prince, general, nobles2. A tragic hero is often a flawed good man; often the heros fall from happiness was due to a weakness in his character, by some great error

22、in his part3. supernatural beings are often involved in the conflict of human beings, like gods, spirits, witches, ghosts4. Sadness is mixed with horror, murder, treachery and bloodshedding Catharsis（净化）purgation of audience emotions such as pity, anger, fear; the audience feel relieved or purged wh

23、en they leave the theatre.Catharsis or cathartic effect of tragedies: Tragedies give an outlet for such emotions as greed, hatred, lust, fear and pity. The tragic action arouses feelings of awe in the audience, who often leave the theater with a renewed sense of the seriousness and significance of h

24、uman life. The word catharsis is often used to describe the audiences feelings. It means the purging from the mind of the feelings of pity and fear the play has aroused when they leave the theater.Romeo and Juliet His earliest success in tragedy, full of poetry and romance. Its scenes of youth and l

25、ove are painted in brilliant colors. There is no tinge of pessimism in the play. Though a tragedy, the play is optimistic in spirit. It is a song of the optimistic youth, love, wit and courage of the early rising young men and women against the drab.HamletHamlet as a typical tragic hero: a hero of t

26、he Renaissance period and a representative of humanismGood qualities: noble-minded, brave, intelligent, learned, with a strong sense of justice, loved and respected by his people;Weaknesses: rash, impulsive, indecisive, sometimes can be cruel, harsh and coarseHis tragic flaw is lack of emotional bal

27、ance; either acts rashly, without thinking, or doesnt act quickly and firmly enough. His indecisiveness, his inability to act when action is needed, is one of the major causes for his downfall.Hamlets soliloquy (See Anthology p76-77)(Situation) Hamlets endurance has reached the breaking point. His f

28、ather has been murdered. His mother, who he loves dearly, has married her dead husbands brother. Moreover his sweetheart, Ophelia, has been acting very strangely. He senses that she does not love him any more. Now, hes all alone. The world that he knew is shattered. His black mood of despair is deep

29、ened by his inability to act - to do something to change the situation.Now he ponders whether to continue living - or to take his own life.生存还是毁灭, 这是个必须回答的问题: 是否应默默的忍受坎坷命运之无情打击, 还是应与深如大海之无涯苦难奋然为敌, 并将其克服。 此二抉择, 就竟是哪个较崇高? 死即睡眠, 它不过如此! 倘若一眠能了结心灵之苦楚与肉体之百患, 那么, 此结局是可盼的! 死去, 睡去. 但在睡眠中可能有梦, 啊, 这就是个阻碍: 当我们摆

30、脱了此垂死之皮囊, 在死之长眠中会有何梦来临? 它令我们踌躇, 使我们心甘情愿的承受长年之灾, 否则谁肯容忍人间之百般折磨,如暴君之政、骄者之傲、失恋之痛、法章之慢、贪官之侮、或庸民之辱, 假如他能简单的一刃了之? 还有谁会肯去做牛做马, 终生疲於操劳, 默默的忍受其苦其难, 而不远走高飞, 飘於渺茫之境, 倘若他不是因恐惧身後之事而使他犹豫不前? 此境乃无人知晓之邦, 自古无返者。 所以，理智就使我们都变成了懦夫，使得那果断的本色蒙上了一层思虑的惨白的容颜，本来可以做出伟大的事业，由于思虑就化为乌有了，丧失了行动的能力。美丽的欧菲利亚, 可爱的小姐, 在你的祈祷中可别忘了我的罪孽。What

31、Hamlet is musing on is the comparison between the pain of life, which he sees as inevitable (the sea of troubles - the slings and arrows - the heart-ache - the thousand natural shocks) and the fear of the uncertainty of death and of possible damnation of suicide.1. Is it better to endure silently th

32、e blows and agony that life inflicts on man without logic or reason, or to rise up against a mass of troubles and end them by fighting back? 2. Who would bear the insults and miseries of this world, the cruelties and tyranny of the oppressors, the humiliation and contempt from the arrogant people, the heart-breaking pain caused by rejected