【正文】 an indoors performance, and generally of an aristocratic nature.Chapter 3 English Literature in the RenaissanceI. A Historical BackgroundII. The Overview of the Literature (14851660)Printing press—readership—growth of middle class—tradeeducation for laypeoplecentralization of powerintellectual lifeexplorationnew impetus and direction of literature.Humanismstudy of the literature of classical antiquity and reformed education.Literary stylemodeled on the ancients.The effect of humanismthe disseminatiogogoible attitude of its classically educated adherents.1. poetryThe first tendency by Sidney and Spenser: ornate, florid, highly figured style.The second tendency by Donne: metaphysical style—plexity and ingenuity.The third tendency by Johgogotyle.The fourth tendency by Milton: central Christian and Biblical tradition.2. Dramaa. the gogoical examples.b. the drama stands highest in popular estimation: Marlowe – Shakespeare – Jonson.3. Prosea. translation of Bible。b. the rise of towns.c. the change of Church.d. the role of women.e. the Hundred Years’ War—starting.f. the development of the trade: London.g. the Black Death.h. the Peasants’ Revolt—1381.i. The translation of Bible by Wycliff.(7) The 15th century.a. The Peasants Revolt (1453)b. The War of Roses between Lancasters and Yorks.c. the printingpress—William Caxton.d. the starting of Tudor Monarchy(1485)2. The Overview of Literature.(1) the stories from the Celtic lands of Wales and Brittany—great myths of the Middle Ages.(2) Geoffrye of Monmouth—Historia Regum Britanniae—King Authur.(3) Wace—Le Roman de Brut.(4) The romance.(5) the second half of the 14th century: Langland, Gawin poet, Chaucer.II. Sir Gawin and Green Knight.1. a general introduction.2. the plot.III. William Langland.1. Life 2. Piers the PlowmanIV. Chaucer1. Life2. Literary Career: three periods (1) French period (2) Italian period (3) master period3. The Canterbury TalesA. The Framework。B. Magna Carta (1215)。B. kings and the church (Henry II and Thomas)。 B. restoration of the church.(3) The 11th century.A. the crusade and knights.B. dominance of French and Latin。 j. legal system.2. The Overview of the culture(1) The mixture of pagan and Christian spirit.(2) Literature: a. poetry: two types。 h. economy: coins, trade, slavery。 e. social organization: clan or tribes. f. military Organization。 c. heptarchy. d. social classes structure: hidehundred。A Concise History of British LiteratureChapter 1 English Literature of AngloSaxon PeriodI. Introduction1. The historical background(1) Before the Germanic invasion(2) During the Germanic invasiona. immigration。 b. Christianity。 eoldermen (lord) – thane middle class (freemen) lower class (slave or bondmen: theow)。 g. Church function: spirit, civil service, education。 i. feasts and festival: Halloween, Easter。 b. prose: two figures.II. Beowulf.1. A general introduction.2. The content.3. The literary features. (1) the use of alliteration (2) the use of metaphors and understatements (3) the mixture of pagan and Christian elementsIII. The Old English Prose1. What is prose?2. figures(1) The Venerable Bede(2) Alfred the GreatChapter 2 English Literature of the Late Medieval AgesI. Introduction1. The Historical Background.(1) The year 1066: Norman Conquest.(2) The social situations soon after the conquest.A. Norman nobles and serfs。(4) The 12th century.A. the centralized government。(5) The 13th century.A. The legend of Robin Hood。C. the beginning of the ParliamentD. English and Latin: official languages (the end)(6) The 14th century.a. the House of Lords and the House of Commons—conflict between the Parliament and Kings。 B. The General Prologue。 b. More。 b. brilliant and fascinating personality。b. Astrophel and Stella (108): sonnet sequence to Penelope Dvereux—platonic devotion.Petrarchan conceits and original feelingsmoving to creativeness—building of a narrative story。 b. studies law at Lincoln Inn。 d. beheaded.(2) Utopia: the first English science fiction.Written in Latin, two parts, the second—place of nowhere.A philosophical mariner (Raphael Hythloday) tells his voyages in which he discovers a landUtopia.a. The part one is organized as dialogue with mariner depicting his philosophy.b. The part two is a description of the island kingdom where gold and silver are worn by criminal, religious freedom is total and no one owns anything.c. the nature of the book: attackigogo time.d. the book and the Republic: an attempt to describe the Republic in a new way, but it possesses an modern character and the resemblance is in externals.e. it played a key role in the Humanist awakening of the 16th century which moved away from the Medieval otherworldliness towards Renaissance secularism.f. the Utopia(3) the significance.a. it was the first champion of national ideas and national languages。b. native or popular drama.(3) the University Wits.2. Christopher Marlowe: greatest playwright before Shakespeare and most gifted of the Wits.(1) Life: first igogoical poetry—then in drama.(2) Major worksa. Tamburlaine。 c. The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus.(3) The significance of his plays.V. William Shakespeare 1. Life(1) 1564, StratfordonAvon。 (3) Queen visit to Castle。 (5) London, the Globe Theatre: small part and proprietor。(7) Retired, son—Hamnet。 reality and illusion.3. Nondramatic poetry(1) Venus and Adonis。 a lady in dark plexion. c. the form: three quatrains and a couplet.d. the rhyme scheme: abab, cdcd, efef, gg.