Feudal-England英国文学史.ppt

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1、The Danish Invasion About 787, the English began to be troubled by bands of Danish Vikings. King Alfred the Great (849-901) succeeded in driving the Danes off with force. After his death, the Danes occupied the country in 1013, and held it for 30 years. Then England was once more governed by another

2、 foreign ruler.The Norman Conquest The French-speaking Normans under Duke William came in 1066. After defeating the English at Hastings, William was crowned as King of England. Norman Conquest marks the establishment of feudalism in England.Question: Whats the meaning of Feudalism? William the Conqu

3、eror ruled England with a high hand. He confiscated the lands of the English lords and bestowed(授予） large patches of land to his Norman barons， The Norman barons in turn divided their lands among their own knights. In order to secure the Kings authority over his barons(贵族，男爵）, William compelled all

4、vassals封臣 to take oath to him directly as well as to their local lords. Then he ordered a great survey to be made of all the land and taxable property in the whole kingdom. By this means he pushed England well on its way to feudalism. 封建，就是封邦建国的意思。周王把王畿封建，就是封邦建国的意思。周王把王畿以外的地区分封诸侯，让他们建立诸侯国以外的地区分封诸侯，让

5、他们建立诸侯国，镇守疆土，保卫王室。被分封的诸侯，镇守疆土，保卫王室。被分封的诸侯，接受周王的册封和礼器，对周王承担纳贡接受周王的册封和礼器，对周王承担纳贡和朝聘的义务，并随周王参与出征、祭祀和朝聘的义务，并随周王参与出征、祭祀、吊丧庆贺等事项。、吊丧庆贺等事项。 秦统一中国，废封建立郡县。汉自景帝平七国之乱后，虽行封王侯建邦国之制，但集权于中央。 一个大领主相对于国王或皇帝来说是附庸(vassal)，国王和皇帝是他的领主(lord)，但相对于这个大领主自己分封的中小贵族来说他就是领主，由他分封的人则是他的附庸；依次类推，直至最低一等的普通骑士。 各级领主与附庸相互按契约承担责任和义务。在欧洲

6、大陆，通常情况下附庸只对他的直通常情况下附庸只对他的直接领主负责，形成了所谓接领主负责，形成了所谓“我的附庸的附庸我的附庸的附庸不是我的附庸不是我的附庸”的原则。的原则。 Social Feature of the Feudal England The chief feature of the feudal society was distinct division into two classes: landlords and peasants. Landlord:（Noblemen, knights, bishops, archbishops, abbots 男修道院院长and the l

7、ike, with the king at their head, all belonged to the ruling class who held most of the land）. The peasants toiled all the year round and paid rent to the gentle folks in grain, service, or cash, with little left to sustain themselves.The Influence of the Norman Conquest on the English Language: The

8、 general relation of Normans and Saxons was that of master and servant. The Norman lords spoke French, while their English subjects retained their old tongue. There was almost no written literature in English for a time. Romances, the prominent kind of literature in the Anglo-Norman period, were at

9、first all in French. By the end of the fourteenth century, when Normans and English intermingled, English was once more the dominant speech in the country. But now it became something different from the old Anglo-Saxon. The structure of the language remained English, and the common words were almost

10、 all retained, though often somewhat modified in form. But many terms employed by the Normans were adopted into the English language. The situation is typified by the use of the English “calf”, “swine” and “sheep” for the animals when tended by the Saxon herdsmen, and of the French veal, pork and mu

11、tton for the flesh served at the nobles table. Porks etymology: 12501300; ME porc OF L porcus hog, pig; Romance传奇-The literature of the nobles Definition: The most prevailing kind of literature in feudal England was the romance. It was a long composition, sometimes in verse, sometimes in prose, desc

12、ribing the life and adventures of a noble hero. The central character of romances was the knight, a man of noble birth skilled in the use of weapons. （词义发展：与浪漫的关系）Romance传奇 Romance指骑士故事的内容大都是描写骑士的冒险或恋爱故事的，于是romance就转化为“传奇故事”、“风流韵事”、“浪漫文学”等含义。 He was commonly described as riding forth to seek adventu

13、res, taking part in tournaments, or fighting for his lord in battle. He was devoted to the church and the king. The code of manners（举止规范） and morals( 道德品行） of a knight is known as chivalry骑士精神，骑士制度 . The English versions of the romances were translated from French or Latin. The romance of King Arthu

14、r is comparatively the most important for the history of English literatureKing Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table King Arthur is a romantic hero, whose original may be traced to an ancient Celtic chieftain Arthur of Wales who led vicarious battles against the Saxons. A series of legends abou

15、t him were fabricated by medieval poets and writers, esp. by French romancers. Le Mort DArthur is a collection of stories about King Arthur, translated from French by Sir Thomas Marlory. Marlory converted the long and involved(complicated) sentences of french romances into simple, idiomatic English

16、prose. The romances had nothing to do with the common people. They were composed for the noble, of the noble, and in most cases by the poets patronized by the noble.The English Ballad -The folk literature of the English people While most of the written literature in feudal England was intended only

17、for the upper classes, the English people had a literature of their own, not written but oral. A ballad is a story told in song, usually in 4-line stanzas, with the second and fourth lines rhymed. The ballads are in various English and Scottish dialects. No one knows who composed them. They were cre

18、ated collectively by the people and constantly revised in the process of being handed down from mouth to mouth. Most of them were not written down until they had passed through centuries of life on the lips of the people. The subjects of ballads are various in kind. Of paramount importance are the b

19、allads of Robin Hood.(罗宾汉） The content: Robin Hood, a legendary popular hero, is depicted in the ballads as a valiant骁勇善战的 outlaw, famous in archery, living under the greenwood tree with his merry men, taking from the rich and giving to the poor, waging war against bishops and archbishops of the Nor

20、man invaders long after the Norman Conquest, and constantly hunted by the sheriffs, whom he constantly outwits.Piers the PlowmanMiddle English allegorical narrative poem by William Langland (1330?-1400?).社会背景社会背景 除乔叟的除乔叟的坎特伯雷故事集坎特伯雷故事集之外，宗教之外，宗教长诗长诗农夫皮尔斯农夫皮尔斯无疑是英国中世纪文无疑是英国中世纪文学中最著名和传播最广的一部作品。学中最著名和传

21、播最广的一部作品。 它产生于十四世纪后期它产生于十四世纪后期这个危机四伏的历这个危机四伏的历史性转折时期。封建制度和西方教会分崩史性转折时期。封建制度和西方教会分崩离析，离析，政府与民众、贵族与平民、教士与政府与民众、贵族与平民、教士与俗夫等社会各阶层之间的对峙日趋紧张，俗夫等社会各阶层之间的对峙日趋紧张，大规模农民起义大规模农民起义(uprising)和瘟疫（和瘟疫（black plague)流行的阴影时刻笼罩着整个英国社流行的阴影时刻笼罩着整个英国社会。会。Introduction The poem sets forth a series of wonderful dreams, thro

22、ugh which we can see a picture of feudal England. It opens with a description of the authors visionary wandering in the Malvern Hills, where he fell asleep, dreaming of a fair field full of people. Some were industriously employed in ploughing and sowing, only in order that the idlers might waste th

23、e fruits of their labour. The poem was an exposure of the corruption of the ruling classes,who are the parasites of the society. In contrast with the corruption of the Court and the Church, the author describes the hard life of the poor peasants情节情节农夫皮尔斯之梦农夫皮尔斯之梦全诗描写了一系列的梦境全诗描写了一系列的梦境和间断的梦醒，在第一个梦里诗人

24、首先见到和间断的梦醒，在第一个梦里诗人首先见到了上帝居住的了上帝居住的The Tower of Truth,又见到深深又见到深深的的“地牢地牢”（Dungeon），即），即Hell，在这二者，在这二者之间有之间有“充满百姓的场所充满百姓的场所”（field full of folk），即），即the human world。 他看到他看到“圣教女神圣教女神”（Lady Holy Church）解）解释基督教义原则，通过释基督教义原则，通过“贿赂夫人贿赂夫人”（Lady Meed）的故事揭露虚假。的故事揭露虚假。 诗人醒来之后又作了第诗人醒来之后又作了第2 个梦，梦见个梦，梦见“良心良心”在布道

25、，许多听众都开始忏悔，在布道，许多听众都开始忏悔，七个七个“死罪死罪”（Seven Deadly Sins)轮流讲述他们在轮流讲述他们在社会中的坏行为。社会中的坏行为。 “希望”吹起号角，成千的人聚集起来要求寻找“真理”，但大家都不知道“真理”在什么地方。这时农夫皮尔斯出现，他说他做了50 年“真理”的仆人，可以担任向导，但必须先耕完他的半亩地，并分配大家工作。许多人纷纷推托，不肯劳动，他就叫“饥饿”来威胁他们。只有一个妇女代表大部分善良的人愿意跟皮尔斯去寻找“真理”。 “真理”这时给他送来一张赎罪券，上面写着“作好事的得永生，作坏事的遭永劫”。一个僧侣否认这张赎罪券有效，引起了争执，皮尔斯一

26、气之下把它撕毁，宣称他从此不为人间幸福苦干，而要把时间全用在祈祷和忏悔上。这时诗人醒来，结束了第2 场梦。作者通过梦境宣示了人们通往天国的路径：努力劳动和忏悔。The story of Lady Meed In the dream, the corruption of the ruling class is incarnated in a Lady Meed (Bribery), the enemy of Truth. Through the allegory of her marriage, every rank and condition of men connected with the

27、 royal and ecclesiastical court is brought under the lash. Lady Meed is to be married to a False Fickle-Tongue错误反复无常. The King is enraged at the news. And Lady Meed is asked by the King to wed Conscience. But when Conscience is called to the court, he flatly refuses and sets forth Meeds whole manner

28、 of life. Meed, so Conscience says, corrupts the judges, and makes it difficult for the poor to get justice, she releases the guilty, throws the just into prison, and hangs the innocent; and she is privy with the Pope, and lets priests live in secret concubinage, so “the Pope deprived the clergy of

29、sons but the devil sent them nephews（私生子）. Its artistic merit may be shown by its portraits of the Seven Deadly Sins( see Textbook P15) LecheryLechery （ Lust） Chastity Gluttony Temperance Avarice（Greed） Charity Sloth Diligence Wrath Patience Envy Kindness Pride Humility Pride is a braggard “Wishing

30、men should think my work was the best, My strength the stiffest（强、大）, my face the handsomest, and my love the sweetest. Lechery is a villain, “guilty in spirit, in words， in dress, who entrapped every maid he met to sin: I took the loveliest and never loved them after. Envy is a fellow, Every word h

31、e threw was of an adders tongue: I would that each were my servant. If one has more than I, that angrieth me sore, Thus I live loveless like a vicious dog, And all my body swelleth, so bitter is my gall. Wrath is a cook who always sets people by the ears（不合，争吵） wherever he is. Avarice is a heartless

32、 usurer. When asked: Hast thou pitied the poor who sometimes needs must borrow? Avarice answers:“Ay, as much pity as pedlars（小贩） have on cats,Would kill them an (=if) they catch them, for the sake of their skins. Sloth is a lazy parson:Once I am in bed, no bell-ring can rouse me Till I am ripe for d

33、inner. Glutton, on his way to the church, somehow went into a tavern: Forth he went upon his way fasting, on a Friday, But Betty the brewster bid him good morrow, Then in goes Glutton. There was laughing and chattering and Pass the cup round, Bargains and toasts and songs, and so theytill evensong.

34、And Glutton had gulped down a gallon and a gill. 1 及耳= 142 毫升 1 加仑 = 4.55 升 He could neither step nor stand till he had his staff.(拐杖） Then gan he walk like a blind singers dog, Now to this side, now to that, and sometimes backward, Like a man who lays lines to catch wild birds; - - - - - - Artistic

35、 Features 1. Piers the Plowman is written in the form of a dream vision, and the author tells his story under the guise of having dreamed it. This was a usual method in medieval literature.( The pilgrims progress by Bunyan , The Divine Comedy by Dante )2. It was written in the old alliterative verse

36、: each line contained three alliterative words, two of which were placed in the first half, and the third in the second half. 3. The poem is also an allegory寓言; 讽喻which uses symbolism to relate truth. But, in the main, Piers the Plowman is a realistic picture of medieval England.Waht is allegory? A

37、story that has a deeper or more general meaning in addition to its surface meaning. Allegories are composed of several symbols 象征or metaphors隐喻. For example, in The Pilgrims Progress, by John Bunyan, the character named Christian struggles to escape from a bog or swamp. The “bog” is a metaphor or symbol of lifes hardships and distractions. Similarly, when Christian loses a heavy pack that he has been carrying on his back, this symbolizes his freedom from the weight of sin that he has been carrying.