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英美文学选读应考指导一、教材说明英美文学选读是全国高等教育自学考试英语专业本科段的必修课程，也是广大考生比较头疼的课程。教材大体可以分为两个大的部分，文学发展史和作家介绍及作品选读。让考生头疼的事情是课本信息量太大，考纲要求的内容较多，学习的时候理不出头绪，也不便记忆。事实上，文学课有着相当强的逻辑性和系统性，只要我们把握住这一点，这门课程并不难学，也不难考过。二、考情分析2009年，本门课程的考试大纲做了一些调整，这种调整在某种程度上减轻和考生的复习负担，但也同时考察的内容更细，更全。（一）关于考核要求的调整考核要求中每章概述内容不作调整；“该时期的重要作家”只包含对考核知识点中保留的重要作家的相关内容的考核。（二）大纲调整后的特点（1）新大纲更加突出了英美各个文学时期的时代特点。如：文艺复兴时期的戏剧和诗史，浪漫主义时期的诗歌等。从这个意义上讲，命题的重点突出了。（2）新大纲中考核的作家，都是每一个文学时期文学潮流的最具代表性的作家，都是对该时期文学的发展起到决定作用的作家。从这个意义上讲，命题的焦点集中了。（3）新大纲中所保留的作家的作品大多是广大考生耳熟能详的作品，从这个意义上讲，考试的难度降低了。三、复习方法（一）概述：考试大纲调整以后，可命题的作家的数量减少了，但命题的深度会增加；同时，由于作家数量的减少，这也意味着在每一章的概述部分和作品选读部分的命题点会增多。（二）每章概述部分的复习重点在对这部分的复习中，重点关注每一个文学时期的界定以及其标志性事件；另外每一个文学时期的时代特点和突出文学成就也是考查的重点，还有本时期同时存在的文学流派的特点也是重点内容。（三）每章重点作家的复习重点作家的文学史上的地位和贡献；作家的代表作以及代表作的中心大意和所反映的社会现实；作家的写作风格和写作特点也是命题的重点。（四）每章作品选读的复习重点作品选读前面的斜体字部分的简介和概括；作品中的名句；作品选读中的注释部分，小说作品中的人物关系。四、结束语考纲的实施，从总体上讲，命题的重点突出了，密度增加了，深度也拓展了，但是，整体难度不会有太大的变化。对于考生而言，复习的内容删减了，压力减轻了，考试也就容易了。在对新考纲解读完了之后，剩下的事情就是大家去听后面的串讲，认真学习，通过考试！Part One: English LiteratureAn Introduction to Old and Medieval English LiteratureI Understanding and application: (理解应用)1.Englands inhabitants are Celts. And it is conquered by Romans, Anglo Saxons and Normans. The Anglo-Saxons brought the Germanic language and culture to England, while Normans brought the Mediterranean civilization, including Greek culture, Rome law and the Christian religion. It is the cultural influence of these two conquests that provided the source for the rise and growth of English literature.2. The old English literature extends from about 450 to 1066, the year of the Norman conquest of England.3. The old English poetry that has survived can be divided into two groups: The religious group and the secular one4. Beowulf: a typical example of Old English poetry is regarded as the national epic of the Anglo-Saxons. It is an example of the mingling of nature myths and heroic legends. 5. After the Normans conquest, three languages co-existed in England. French is the official language that is used by king and the Norman lords. Latin is the principal tongue of church affairs and in universities. Old English was spoken only by the common English people.6. In the second half of 14th century, English literature started to flourish with the appearance of writers like Geoffrey Chaucer, William Langland, John Gower, and othersII Recite: (识记再现)1. Romance: It uses narrative verse or prose to sing knightly adventures or other heroic deeds is a popular literary form in the medieval period. It has developed the characteristic medieval motifs of the quest, the test, the meeting with the evil giant and the encounter with the beautiful beloved. The hero is usually the knight, who sets out on a journey to accomplish some missions. There are often mysteries and fantasies in romance.Romantic love is an important part of the plot in romance. Characterization is standardized, While the structure is loose and episodic, the language is simple and straightforward. The importance of the romance itself can be seen as a means of showing medieval aristocratic men and women in relation to their idealized view of the world.2.Heroic couplet: Heroic couplet is a rhymed couplet of iambic pentameter. It is Chaucer who used it for the first time in English in his work The Legend of Good Woman.3. The theme of Beowulf: The poem presents a vivid picture of how the primitive people wage heroic struggles against the hostile forces of the natural world under a wise and mighty leader. The poem is an example of the mingling of the nature myths and heroic legends.4. The Wife of Bath in The Canterbury Tales:The Wife of Bath is depicted as the new bourgeois wife asserting her independence. Chaucer develops his characterization to a higher artistic level by presenting characters with both typical qualities and individual dispositions.5. Chaucers achievement:He presented a comprehensive realistic picture of his age and created a whole gallery of vivid characters in his works, especially in The Canterbury Tales. He anticipated a new ear, the Renaissance, to come under the influence of the Italian writers. He developed his characterization to a higher level by presenting characters with both typical qualities and individual dispositions. He greatly contributed to the maturing of English poetry. Today, Chaucers reputation has been securely established as one of the best English poets for his wisdom, humor and humanity.6.“The Father of English poetry”:Originally, Old English poems are mainly alliterative verses with few variations. Chaucer introduced from France the rhymed stanzas of various types to English poetry to replace it. In The Romaunt of the Rose (玫瑰传奇), he first introduced to the English the octosyllabic couplet (八音节对偶句). In The Legend of Good Women, he used for the first time in English heroic couplet. And in his masterpiece, The Canterbury Tales, he employed heroic couplet with true ease and charm for the first time in the history of English literature. His art made him one of the greatest poets in English; John Dryden called him “the father of English poetry”.【例题】The work that presented, for the first time in English literature, a comprehensive realistic picture of the medieval English society and created a whole gallery of vivid characters from all walks of life is most likely _. (0704)A. William Langlands Piers Plowman B. Geoffrey Chaucers The Canterbury Tales C. John Gowers Confession Amantis D. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 【答案】B【解析】(P4.para.2) 本题考查的是中世纪时期几位诗人作品的创作主题和创作范围。A答案是农夫皮尔斯及其作者威廉兰格伦他在其作品中描述了他那个时期的宗教与社会问题。 C爱人的告白，D高文爵士和他的绿衣骑士都是约翰高厄的作品，属于时最精美的骑士文学作品;然而只有乔叟，在英国文学史上第一次向我们展示了表现当时英国社会的一幅综合性、现实主义的画卷,在他的代表作坎特伯雷故事集中塑造了一系列来自社会各阶层的生动形象的人物。本 章 小 结本章重点：Chaucer and his achievement本章提示：本部分内容以选择题考查，所以，复习时以识记为主。Chapter 1: The Renaissance PeriodGeneral Introduction考核要求:1. 识记：（1）文艺复兴时期的界定（2）历史文化背景2. 领会: （1）文艺复兴运动的意义与影响（2）文艺复兴时期的文学特点（3）人文主义的主张及对文学的影响3. 应用：文艺复兴，人文主义及玄学诗等名词的解释考点串讲:1. The Renaissance: The Renaissance marks a transition from the medieval to the modern world. Generally, it refers to the period between the 14th & 17th centuries. It first started in Italy, with the flowering of painting, sculpture & literature. From Italy the movement went to embrace the rest of Europe. The Renaissance, which means rebirth or revival, is actually a movement stimulated by a series of historical events, such as:The re-discovery of ancient Roman & Greek culture The new discoveries in geography & astrology, the religious reformation & the economic expansion. The Renaissance, therefore, in essence is a historical period in which the European humanist thinkers & scholars made attempts to get rid of those old feudalist ideas in medieval Europe, to introduce new ideas that expressed the interests of the rising bourgeoisie, & to recover the purity of the early church from the corruption of the Roman Catholic Church.【例题】The Renaissance is actually a movement stimulated by a series of historical events EXCEPT_.(0804)A. the rediscovery of ancient Roman and Greek cultureB. the vast expansion of British colonies in North AmericaC. the new discoveries in geography and astrologyD. the religious reformation and the economic expansion【答案】B【解析】(P7. para1)文艺复兴是欧洲中世纪和现代社会的分水岭，它的发生有着深刻的社会历史根源，当时的社会发展刺激了文艺复兴的发生，如地理天文大发现，席卷欧洲的宗教改革以及对古希腊，古罗马文化的发掘等。2. Humanism: Humanism is the essence of the Renaissance. It sprang from the endeavor to restore a medieval reverence for the ancient authors and is frequently taken as the beginning of the Renaissance on its conscious, intellectual side, for the Greek and Roman civilization was based on such a conception that man is the measure of all things. Through the new learning, humanists not only saw the arts of splendor and enlightenment, but the human values represented in the works. Renaissance humanists found in the classics a justification to exalt human nature and came to see that human beings were glorious creatures capable of individual development in the direction of perfections, and that the world they inhabited was theirs not to despise but to question, explore, and enjoy. Thus, by emphasizing the dignity of human beings and the importance of the present life, they voiced their beliefs that man did not only have the right to enjoy the beauty of this life, but had the ability to perfect himself and to perform wonders. Thomas More, Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare are the best representatives of the English humanists.3. The Renaissance in England:The first- the beginning (1485-1558) - imitation and assimilationPoetry: Wyatt & SurreyThe former introduced the Petrarchan sonnet into England, while the latter brought in blank verse.The second - (the peak) the Elizabeth Age (1558-1603) -The Elizabethan dramaPoetry: Spenser & MarloweSpenserian stanza: Spenserian stanza was invented by Edmund Spenser. It is a stanza of nine lines, with the first eight lines in iambic pentameter & the last line in iambic hexameter, rhyming ababbcbcc.Drama: Marlowe & Shakespeare The Renaissance hero: A Renaissance hero refers to one created by Christopher Marlowe in his drama. Such a hero is always individualistic and full of ambition, facing bravely the challenge from both gods and men. He embodies Marlowes humanistic ides of human dignity and capacity. Different from the tragic hero in medieval plays, who seeks the way to heaven through salvation and gods will, he is against conventional morality and contrives to obtain heaven on earth through his own efforts. With the endless aspiration for power, knowledge, and glory, the hero interprets the true Renaissance spirit. Both Tamburlaine and Faustus are typical in possessing such a spirit.The Elizabethan drama: It is the real mainstream of English Renaissance. It could be dated back to the Middle Ages.English material was put into the regular form of the Latin comedies of Plautus and Terence.Tragedies were in the style of SenecaThe most famous dramatists in the Renaissance England are: Marlowe, Shakespeare & Ben JacksonThe third further development (1603-1660)Poetry: John Donne & John MiltonMetaphysical poetry: The term metaphysical poetry is commonly used to name the work of the 17th century writers who wrote under the influence of John Donne. With a rebellious spirit, the metaphysical poets tried to break away from the conventional fashion of the Elizabethan love poetry. The diction is simple as compared with that of the Elizabethan or the Neoclassic periods, and echoes the words and cadences of common speech. The imagery is drawn from the actual life. The form is frequently that of an argument with the poets beloved, with God, or with himself.Drama: Ben JacksonEssay: Francis BaconHe is the first important English essayist, is known for his essays which greatly influenced the development of this literary form. He is also the founder of modern science in England. His writings paved the way for the use of scientific methodThe typical authors during this period考核要求:1.一般识记：重要作家的文学生涯2.识记：重要作品及主要内容3.领会：重要作家的创作思想，艺术特色及其代表作品的主题结构，人物塑造，语言风格，艺术手法，社会意义等。4.应用：（1）莎士比亚诗歌的主题，意象（2）喜剧威尼斯商人的主题和主要人物性格分析（3）哈姆雷特的性格分析（4）史诗失乐园的结构，人物性格，语言特点等的分析考点串讲:. William Shakespeare1. The bibliographyWilliam Shakespeare is one of the most remarkable playwrights and poets the world has ever known.2. Viewpoints Viewpoints on politics: necessity of mighty and just sovereign, and the condemn to the anti-nature and anti-humanism of the feudal warsanti-feudalismViewpoints on religion: against the religious persecution and racial discrimination, against the social inequality and the corrupting influence of the gold and money-anti-CatholicismViewpoint on literature: literature should be a combination of beauty, kindness and truth, and should reflect nature and reality-humanism3. The major contributions38 plays (historical plays, tragedies and comedies) 2 narrative poems: Venus, The Rape of Lucrece 154 sonnets 4. four stages for his play-creationThe first stage: his dramatic career is one of the apprenticeships five historical plays: Henry IV, part I, II, and III; Richard III; and Titus Andronicus（泰特斯, 提图斯）. four Comedies, including: The Comedy of Errors; The Two Gentlemen of Verona（维罗纳）; The Taming of the Shrew（泼妇的驯服）, and Loves Labors LostThe second stage, his style became highly individualized, Five historical: Richard II, King John, Henry IV, part I, II, Henry VSix comedies: A Midsummer Nights Dream, The Merchant of Venice, Much Ado About Nothing, As You like(皆大欢喜), Twelfth Night, and the Merry Wives of Windsor（温莎公爵的快乐情妇）Two tragedies: Romeo and Juliet, Julius CaesarThe Third stage is the peak of his creation, included his greatest tragedies and his so-called dark comedies:Seven tragedies: Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth, Antony and Cleopatra（克利奥帕特拉）, Troilus and Cressida（特洛伊罗斯和克雷西达）, Coriolanus（科里奥兰纳斯）Two comedies: Alls Well That Ends Well, Measure for MeasureThe last period of Shakespeares includes his principal romantic tragicomedies: Pericles, Cymbeline, The Winters Tale, and The Tempest Two final plays: Henry III, and The Two Noble Kinsmen5. About his dramashistorical playsShakespeares history plays are mainly written under the principle that national unity under a mighty and just sovereign is a necessity.The three history plays in the reign of Henry VI are the beginning of Shakespeares epic treatment of English history.Romantic ComediesIn his romantic comedies, Shakespeare takes an optimistic attitude toward love and youth, and the romantic elements are brought into full play. They are The Merchant of Venice, A Midsummer Nights Dream, As You like, Twelfth Night, but the most important one is The Merchant of Venice.TragediesThe successful romantic tragedy is Romeo and Juliet, which eulogizes the faithfulness of love and the spirit of pursuing happiness.Shakespeares greatest tragedies are Hamlet,-the first of greatest tragedies, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth(麦克白.)They have some characteristics in commonWilliam Shakespeares four great tragedies are Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth. They have some characteristics in common. Each portrays some noble hero, who faces the injustice of human life and is caught in a difficult situation and whose fate is closely connected with the fate of the whole nation. Each hero has his weakness of nature: Hamlet, the melancholic scholar prince, faces the dilemma between action and mind; Othellos inner weakness is made use of by the outside evil force; the old king Lear who is unwilling to totally give up his power makes himself suffer from treachery and infidelity; and Macbeths lust for power stirs up his ambition leads him to incessant crimes.Romantic tragicomediesThe Tempest is a typical example of his pessimistic view towards human life and society in his late year6. About his sonnetsLyric: A poem, usually a short one, which expresses a speakers personal thoughts or feelings. The elegy, ode, and sonnet are all forms of the lyricThe theme: most of the sonnets concerns with the flying of the time, and the youth, beauty, belief and the love are also gone.7. Shakespeares writing characteristicsThe progressive significance of the theme-humanismThe successful character portrayalwomens charactersThe masterhand in constructing the plotThe ingenuity of his poetryThe mastery of his language8. About selected readingabout sonnet 18Sonnet 18 is one of the most beautiful sonnets written by Shakespeare, in which he has a profound meditation on the destructive power of time and the eternal beauty brought forth by poetry to the one he loves.Typical lines:ShallIcomparetheetoasummersday?Thouartmorelovelyandmoretemperate:The theme: Immortality, Beauty and loveabout The Merchant of VeniceMajor characters:Bassanio: - a young Venetian court Portia, acceptedAntonio: -a merchant of Venice, all money invented in ships, at sea, return not on time Shylock:-the Jewish usurer (放高利贷者)Portia:- standing for the great beauty, wit and loyalty Main plot:Bassanio, a young Venetian, would like to travel to Belmont to woo the beautiful and wealthy heiress Portia. He approaches his friend Antonio, a merchant, for three thousand ducats needed to subsidize his traveling expenditures as a suitor for three months. As all of Antonios ships and merchandise are busy at sea, Antonio approaches the Jewish moneylender Shylock for a loan, and the reward of breaking the returning oath is a pound of fresh from Antonios body. Court happening: unsuccessful persuading, no more and no less than one pound of flesh, spilling no drop of bloodThe analysis to the personalities:Antonio: -faithful to friend, Shylock:-greedy, brutal and inhuman Portia:- beautiful, witty and loyal Theme: traditional theme of the play is to praise the friendship between Antonio and Bassanio, to idealize Portia as a heroine of the great beauty, wit and loyalty, and to expose the greed and brutality of the Jew.Typical lines:Superfluity comes sooner by white hairs, but competency lives longer. (Act i. Sc. 2.)The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose. (Act i. Sc. 3.)Mislike me not for my complexion, the shadowd livery of the burnishd sun. (Act ii. Sc. 1.)In the twinkling of an eye. (Act ii. Sc. 2.)All that glisters is not gold. (Act ii. Sc. 7.)about HamletThe Major characters:Hamlet: the title character, is the son of the late king, for whom he was named. He has returned to Elsinore Castle from Wittenberg, where he was a university student. Claudius: is the King of Denmark, elected to the throne after the death of his brother, King Hamlet. Claudius has married Gertrude, his brothers widow. Gertrude: is the Queen of Denmark, and King Hamlets widow, now married to Claudius. the Ghost: appears in the exact image of Hamlets father, the late King Hamlet. Major plot:Hamlet feels a responsibility to avenge his fathers murder by his uncle Claudius, but Claudius is now the king and thus well protected. Moreover, Hamlet struggles with his doubts about whether he can trust the ghost and whether killing Claudius is the appropriate thing to do.The personality of Hamlet: Brave, justified and clever but indecisiveViews of HamletPerhaps the most straightforward view sees Hamlet as seeking truth in order to be certain that he is justified in carrying out the revenge called for by a ghost that claims to be the spirit of his father. The most standard view is that Hamlet is highly indecisive, Others see Hamlet as a person charged with a duty that he knows and feels is right, yet is unwilling to carry out. In this view, all of his efforts to satisfy himself of King Claudius guilt, or his failure to act when he can, are evidence of this unwillingness, and Hamlet berates himself for his inability to carry out his task.Theme: The impossibility of certainty; the complexity of action; the mystery of death; the nation as a diseased bodymotifs: Incest and incestuous desire; ears and hearing; death and suicide; darkness and the supernatural; misogynySymbols: The ghost (the spiritual consequences of death); Yoricks skull (the physical consequences of death)Typical Lines:“To be or not to be, that is a question”What are the questions:Whether believe the ghosts words or notWhether kill his uncle or notWhat should he do, die or live. John Milton1. Personal
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