【正文】 Part One The Middle AgesI. Coverage and Division1. The Middle Ages lasted from AngloSaxon invasion(449)to the end of the War of Roses.(1485)2. Division of the Middle Ages Old English Period (4491066) Middle English Period (10661485) Divisions of the Middle AgesA. Chapter I. The old English Period (449l066) Backgrounda. The earliest settlers were Celticspeaking Britons, from whom the island got its name Britain (land of Britons).b. Roman general Julius Caesar invaded Britain in 55 . The Roman occupation ended in 410 .c. The three Germanic tribes the Angles, The Saxons and te Jutes invaded Britain in the middle of the 5th century. By the end of the 7th century the three tribes were bined into a United Kingdom, England (land of Angles). They spoke AngloSaxon, or Old English, a derivative of Low German. d. The AngloSaxons were a heathen people. They believed in the old mythology of Northern Europe. In 597 St. Augustine and his monks landed on Kent and England was Christianized Vikings (Scandinavian sea robbers)began to invade England from 787. King Alfred the Great succeeded in. driving off the Danes. The king started the AngloSaxon Chronicle. (the King’s contribution to literature).f. Led by Duke William the Frenchspeaking Normans came in 1066. The Norman Conquest marks the establishment of feudalism in England. formula of the nation is : the original Britons + Angles +Saxons + Jutes +Danes +Normans →English English Literature a. Non Written Literature 1) English literature began with the AngloSaxon Settlement in England, but there was only spoken form of literature.2)English myths and legends were not recorded for many centuries. . The Adventures of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table is about a Celtic chieftain of the 5th or 6th century, but these legends were not written down until the 11th century in France and were circulated after the 13th century. b. Written Literature1) Long Poems a) The long poems written in English language are almost all lost. The earliest English books were written down in monasteries.b) It is believed that the first long poem preserved in English is Beowulf. (a folk legend) (brought to English by the Angles)(1) Its importance : (a) the most important work of old English literature。 (b) the national epic of the English people: (c) perhaps the greatest Germanic heritage (epic). (d)reflection of the features of tribal society in ancient time. (2) Written (Composed) Time, Language and Length: (a) posed around 750: (b) the manuscript preserved today was written, in the Wessex tongue about 1000 .(c) 3183 lines long.(3) Setting: southern part of Sweden(4) Hero : Beowulf is a Scandinavian hero. He is a Geat.(5) Beowulf’s Character: blending of historical figures with various mythical heroes of an earlier day.(6) Three Episodes (Plots): (a) Fighting with the monster, Grendel (b) fighting with Grendel’s mother(c) fighting with the Fire Dragon (7) Three Features: (a) alliteration(The most striking feature) (b) metaphor and understatement . ring giver for king。 hearth –panions for attendant warriors。 swan’s path or whale’s road for sea。 seawood for ship, battlehero, shieldbearer or spearfighter for soldier (metaphor) not troublesome for very wele。 need not praise for a right to condemn (understatement )(c) mixture of pagan and Christian elements. 2) Shorter Poems or. Short Fragments of Long Poems a)Widsith, Doer’s Lament ( two lyrics about a Scop)b) Seafarer C)The Fight at Finnsburgha war song d)Waldere love story of Waldere and his betrothed bride Hildgund3) Religious Poetry: two religious poetsa) Caedmon is the first poet we can give a definite name and date.b)Cynewulf posed the Christ, Juliana, The Fates of Apostles (signed) and The Dream of the Rood. (unsigned。 one of the world masterpieces) 4) Riddles a)Reflection: They offer many valuable clues to the daily habits and interests of English forebears.b) Features: (1) Many show Latin originals . (2) Christian positions (3) work of many hands (4) posed in the 8th century. 5) Old English Prose: two prosersa) Venerable Bede is the first scholar and chronicler in England. He wrote Ecclesiastical History of the English people in Latin and was translated into English by Alfred.b)Alfred the Great started the AngloSaxon chronicle.6) Summarya) In Contents: epic, short lyrics, shorter heroic fragments, Christian poems and prose made up the heritage of old English literature. Most are translation from Latin.b) Handicaps: The works are obscure, repetitious and childish, and nearly all are characterized by rhetorical artifice rather than by beauty.For the two reasons English literature is often described as beginning with Chaucer.B. Chapter II. The Middle English Period (10661485) Conquest and Its Influence:a. The Normans were Norsemen in Origin.b. During the two centuries after the Norman Conquest in 1066 French literature expanded. The basic part of the language remained Old English。 the intellectual, artistic and theological came mostly from French English Literaturea. General Points:1) In one and half centuries after the Conquest, English literature almost stood still.2) The 12th and 13th centuries witnessed a flowering of literature in Latin and French but the literature was not a part of English literature.3) The French narrative poems fell into three subject groups: a)matter of France b) matter of Britain c) matter of Rome4) About 1200, the first pieces of English writing appeared. They were ,homilies,prayers,lives of saints, retelling of Biblical tales and religious writings and later the most p