Unit-1-Origin-of-Western-Literature.ppt

Origin of Western LiteratureTwo sources: Greek Mythology and Christian LiteratureGreek Mythology：a set of diverse tales told by the ancient Greeks , 7-5 centuries BC, about the exploits of gods and heroes and their relations with ordinary mortals. 1. oral-poetic forms2. primarily from Greek literatureHomers epics: Iliad and OdysseyHesiods poems: Theogony and Works and Days http:/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iliadhttp:/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OdysseyOrigin of Western LiteratureGreek MythologyOrigin of Western LiteratureGreek MythologyOrigin of Western LiteratureGreek MythologyOrigin of Western LiteratureGreek Mythology Origin of Western LiteratureGreek Mythology Origin of Western LiteratureGreek MythologyNames Greek Roman天神天神 Zeus 宙斯宙斯Jupiter 朱庇特朱庇特天后天后 Hera 赫拉赫拉Juno 朱诺朱诺智慧与战争女神智慧与战争女神Athena 雅典娜雅典娜Minerva 密涅瓦密涅瓦太阳神太阳神Apollo 阿波罗阿波罗Apollo 阿波罗阿波罗 月亮女神月亮女神Artemis 阿尔特弥斯阿尔特弥斯Diana 黛安娜黛安娜战神战神 Ares 阿瑞斯阿瑞斯Mars 玛尔斯玛尔斯锻冶神，工匠神锻冶神，工匠神 Hephaestus 赫淮斯托斯赫淮斯托斯Vulcan 伏尔甘伏尔甘 爱神，美神爱神，美神Aphrodite 阿芙洛迪特阿芙洛迪特 Venus 维纳斯维纳斯信使，商业之神信使，商业之神Hermes 赫尔墨斯赫尔墨斯Mercury 默丘利默丘利海神海神 Poseidon 波赛冬波赛冬Nepturne 尼普頓尼普頓农耕女神农耕女神Demeter 得墨忒尔得墨忒尔Ceres 赛莱斯赛莱斯酒神酒神Dionysus 迪俄尼索斯迪俄尼索斯Bacchus 巴卡斯巴卡斯家灶，火焰女神家灶，火焰女神Hestia 赫斯提亚赫斯提亚Vesta 维斯塔维斯塔Origin of Western LiteratureGreek MythologyMilky Way Heracles was the son of Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene. Zeus decided to let the infant Heracles suckle on his divine wife Heras milk when she was asleep, an act which would endow the baby with godlike qualities. When Hera woke up and realized that she was breastfeeding an unknown infant, she pushed him away and the spurting milk became the Milky Way. Origin of Western LiteratureGreek MythologyApple of Discord The apple had For the Fairest written on it. When three goddesses claimed it, the choice among them was referred to the handsome Paris, prince of Troy. Paris chose Aphrodite over Hera and Athena. The latter two had hoped to bribe him with power and victory in battle, but Aphrodite offered the love of the most beautiful woman in the world. This was Helen of Sparta, who became infamous as Helen of Troy when Paris subsequently eloped with her. In the ensuing Trojan War, Hera and Athena were implacable enemies of Troy while Aphrodite was loyal to Paris and the Trojans. Origin of Western LiteratureGreek MythologyGreek Gift The Greeks used a large, hollow horse made of wood to win the Trojan War. The Greeks hid soldiers inside it, left it outside the gates of Troy, and pretended to set sail for Greece. The Trojans took the bait and pulled the horse into the castle. That night the Greek army returned to Troy. The men inside the horse emerged and opened the city gates for their companions.Origin of Western LiteratureGreek MythologyPandoras Box/Jar After Prometheus theft of the secret of fire, Zeus ordered Hephaestus to create the woman Pandora as part of the punishment for mankind. Pandora was given many seductive gifts from other Gods. For fear of additional reprisals, Prometheus warned his brother Epimetheus not to accept any gifts from Zeus, but Epimetheus did not listen, and married Pandora. Pandora had been given a large jar and instructed by Zeus to keep it closed, but she had also been given the gift of curiosity, and ultimately opened it. When she opened it, all of the evils, ills, diseases, and burdensome labor that mankind had not known previously, escaped from the jar, although Pandora was quick enough to close it again and keep one value inside: hope. Origin of Western LiteratureGreek MythologyHeel of Achilles Achilles was the greatest warrior on the Greek side in the Trojan War. When he was an infant, his mother tried to make him immortal by bathing him in a magical river, but the heel by which she held him remained vulnerable. Eventually he was wounded in the heel by an arrow and died shortly thereafter.Origin of Western LiteratureGreek MythologyNarcissus Narcissus was a beautiful youth in classical mythology who fell in love with his own reflection in a pool. Because he was unable to tear himself from the image, he dived into the water and turned out to be a flower: narcissus.Narcissus; or Self-loveby Francis Bacon (1561-1626) Narcissus is said to have been a young man of wonderful beauty, but intolerable proud, fastidious, and disdainful. Pleased with himself and despising all others, he led a solitary life in the woods and hunting grounds; with a few companions to whom he was all in all; followed also wherever he went by a nymph called Echo. Living thus, he came by chance one day to a clear fountain, and (being in the heat of noon) lay down by it; when beholding in the water his own image, he fell into such a study and then into such a rapturous admiration of himself, that he could not be drawn away from gazing at the shadowy picture, but remained rooted to the spot till sense left him; and at last he was changed into the flower that bears his name; a flower which appears in the early spring; and is sacred to the infernal deities, - Pluto, Proserpine,and the Furies. In this fable are represented the dispositions, and the fortunes too, of those persons who from consciousness either of beauty or some other gift with which nature unaided by any industry of their own has graced them, fall in love as it were with themselves. For with this state of mind there is commonly joined an disposition to appear much in public or engage in business; because would expose them to many neglects and scorns, by which their minds would be dejected and troubled. Therefore they commonly live a solitary, private, and shadowed life; with a small circle of chosen companions, all devoted admirers, who assent like an echo to everything they say, and entertain them with mouth-homage; till being by such habits gradually depraved and puffed up, and besotted at last with self-admiration, they fall into such a sloth and listlessness that they grow utterly stupid, and lose all vigor and alacrity. And it was a beautiful thought to choose the flower of spring as an emblem of characters like this: characters which in the opening of their career flourish and are talked of, but disappoint in maturity the promise of their youth. The fact too that this flower is sacred to the infernal deities contains an allusion to the same thing. For men of this disposition turn out utterly useless and good for nothing whatever; and anything that yields no fruit, but like the way of a ship in the sea passes and leaves on trace, was by the ancients held sacred to the shades and infernal gods.See more: Christopher Lasch, Culture of Narcissism , W.W. Norton Company, Inc, 1979. Origin of Western LiteratureGreek MythologyPenelopes Web Penelope waited 20 years for her husband, Odysseus, to return from the Trojan War. During his absence , she fended off suitors by promising to choose one when she finished weaving a shroud for her father-in-law. But at every night she unraveled what she had woven during the day. Origin of Western LiteratureGreek MythologySphinxs Riddle The Sphinx was a monster with the face and breasts of a woman, the body of a lion, and wings. Sphinx waylaid travelers on the roads near the city of Thebes, and would kill any of them who could not answer the riddle: “Which creature in the morning goes on four legs, at mid-day on two, and in the evening upon three, and the more legs it has, the weaker it be?” When Oedipus gave the correct answer, the Sphinx hurled herself over the cliff to her death in the sea below. Midas Hand/Touch King Midas was granted one wish by the god Dionysus. Greedy for riches, Midas wished that everything he touched would turn to gold. He soon regretted his request. When he tried to eat, his food became inedible metal. When he embraced his daughter, she turned into a golden statue. On the instruction of Dionysus, he washed in a river and lost his touch of gold.Origin of Western LiteratureGreek MythologyIn-class exercisesIt is natural that historians always attribute the Trojan War to_. 2. The shortage of fortitude is his _.3. This question is as puzzling as _.4. He is always buying you expensive clothes. Im afraid they are _ for you.5. Mr. Jones made a long speech at the meeting. Everyone else thought it _.6. Most people speak of him as a real _.7. John Lawrence has the _. Every enterprise he takes part in is highly profitable. 8. Reform is _; opening up the system can lead to a loss of economic and political control. Origin of Western LiteratureGreek MythologyGreek dramaGenre: tragedy/comedy Tragedy ： tragic drama, a literary composition; In a tragedy, a tragic protagonist or hero suffers some serious misfortune which is not accidental and therefore meaningless, but is significant in that the misfortune is logically connected with the heros actions. Tragedy stresses the vulnerability of human beings whose suffering is brought on by a combination of human and divine actions, but is generally undeserved with regard to its harshness. This genre, however, is not totally pessimistic in its outlook. Although many tragedies end in misery for the characters, there are also tragedies in which a satisfactory solution of the tragic situation is attained. Origin of Western LiteratureGreek MythologyGreek dramaGenre: tragedy/comedy Aeschylus: Prometheus Bound Sophocles: Oedipus the King Euripides: MedeaTo see Nietzsches Origin of Tragedy (1872) Origin of Western LiteratureGreek Mythology Genre Theme Impacts on literary theories