文艺复兴时期英国文学 篇一
在文艺复兴时期的英国,文学经历了繁荣的发展。这个时期的文学作品不仅在内容上展现了人类对自然和人性的探索,也在形式上呈现了创新和多样性。以下将介绍几位当时备受瞩目的英国文学巨匠以及他们的代表作品。
首先,威廉·莎士比亚是文艺复兴时期最杰出的戏剧作家之一。他的戏剧作品兼具深度和广度,涉及了各种题材,包括悲剧、喜剧、历史剧等。其中,莎士比亚最受欢迎的作品包括《哈姆雷特》、《罗密欧与朱丽叶》、《麦克白》等。这些作品不仅在当时引起了轰动,至今仍被广泛演出和研究。
其次,约翰·米尔顿是文艺复兴时期最重要的诗人之一。他的诗歌作品以《失乐园》最为著名。这部史诗描绘了亚当和夏娃被逐出伊甸园的故事,探讨了人类的原罪和自由意志等主题。米尔顿的诗歌语言优美、思想深刻,对后世诗人产生了深远的影响。
此外,在文艺复兴时期的英国,戏剧和诗歌之外的文学形式也开始兴起。弗朗西斯·培根是当时最重要的散文作家之一,他的作品涵盖了科学、哲学和政治等多个领域。培根的《新工具》被认为是英国散文的重要里程碑,对于启发人们对科学和知识的探求有着重要的影响。
总的来说,文艺复兴时期的英国文学是一个充满活力和创新的时期。通过威廉·莎士比亚、约翰·米尔顿和弗朗西斯·培根等作家的努力,英国文学在内容和形式上都取得了巨大的突破。这些作家的作品至今仍被广泛阅读和赏析,对于后世的文学创作和思想发展产生了深远的影响。
文艺复兴时期英国文学 篇二
文艺复兴时期是英国文学史上一个重要的时期,也是一个充满变革和创新的时期。在这个时期,许多作家通过他们的作品探索和表达了当时社会和人类的种种问题。
首先,文艺复兴时期的英国文学作品反映了当时社会的动荡和变革。在这个时期,英国正在经历宗教改革和政治动荡,作家们对这些问题保持了敏锐的触觉。例如,莎士比亚的作品中常常涉及权力斗争和政治阴谋,如《哈姆雷特》和《麦克白》等。这些作品不仅展现了当时社会的种种问题,也反映了人性的复杂和多样性。
其次,文艺复兴时期的英国文学作品探索了人类对自然和宇宙的理解。在这个时期,人们开始对自然界和宇宙的运行机制产生了浓厚的兴趣。米尔顿的《失乐园》就是一个很好的例子,他通过描写亚当和夏娃被逐出伊甸园的故事,探讨了人类的原罪和自由意志等哲学问题。这些作品不仅在当时引起了轰动,至今仍被广泛研究和思考。
此外,文艺复兴时期的英国文学作品也在形式上呈现了创新和多样性。莎士比亚的戏剧作品中,他使用了许多诗歌手法和修辞手段,使得他的作品既富有音乐美,又能够表达复杂的思想。此外,弗朗西斯·培根的散文作品也展现了新的写作风格和结构,对于英国散文的发展具有重要的意义。
总的来说,文艺复兴时期的英国文学是一个充满活力和创新的时期。通过对当时社会和人类问题的探索,这些作家的作品不仅在当时引起了轰动,也对后世的文学和思想发展产生了深远的影响。这些作品至今仍被广泛阅读和赏析,为我们理解和欣赏英国文学的发展历程提供了重要的参考。
文艺复兴时期英国文学 篇三
1. What is Renaissance? How and why did it come about?
2. What is the development of drama? What were the original forms and content and practice of drama?
3. Why did drama flourish in Elizabethan age? Who are the major playwrights of the time?
4. Who is Marlowe? What contributions did he make to English drama?
5. Who is Shakespeare? What famous and great plays (history, comedy, tragedy)? What
features?
6. What did Ben Jonson write about? What representative work?
7. Prepare the excerpt from Hamlet (31-32). What is it mainly about? What humanist idea can you find in the soliloquy?
8. What was the most important translation of the time?
Reference questions on Shakespeare and Hamlet
1. Why is Shakespeare an eternal subject of study? Where lies his greatness?
2. What are the themes of Hamlet?
3. What is the significance of Hamlet as a character?
4. What is blank verse?
5. What is soliloquy?
Text study 1 Hamlet’s soliloquy “To be or not to be”
1. What is the main idea of Hamlet’s soliloquy? Summarize in one or two sentences the main idea of the soliloquy?
2. How does the soliloquy reflect the spirit of the time or the idea of humanism?
3. How do you analyze Hamlet’s argument in terms of structure?
Text study 2 The Merchant of Venice / The Trial Scene
Pre-reading
The most interesting character in this play is Shylock. Some people think him as a cruel miser, deserving his punishment while others consider him a victim of discrimination. From what you know of the play, what do you think of this character? To what extent does this character deserves our sympathy? Discuss with your classmates.
Discussion
1. After reading the “trial scene”, have you changed your idea about Shylock? Refer to the questions in Pre-reading, and try to defend your position with evidence from the text.
2. Portia gives an eloquent speech on mercy when she tries to persuade Shylock to give up his bond. Consider the punishment received by Shylock, do you think the Christians are being merciful to Shylock?
3. In Shakespeare’s day, the playwrights did not give details of stage direction in thei
第一文库网 r play text. In this play, for example, nothing is said about how Shylock leaves the stage. Is he content? Or is he sad? Does he show his anger? If you were the actor playing the role of Shylock, how would you perform his exit? Questions for Renaissance poetry and prose
1. Who was thought to be the greatest English poet since Chaucer? What is his representative work? What are the features of this poem?
2. What new forms (rhyme—blank verse, stanza--sonnet) of poetry were introduced into England? By whom?
3. Who were the famous sonneteers of the time?
4. How do you tell an Italian (Petrarchan) sonnet from an English (a Shakespearean) one?
5. How many sonnets did Shakespeare write? What are the major subjects?
6. Who were the two major prose writers? What is Utopia? Where do you think More possibly got the idea or was it all his own invention? How do you interpret the title of the book?
7. What contribution did Bacon make to the English system of thinking and learning?
8. What’s the purpose of his Essays?
9. Based on your reading of his work, give your personal impression of/comment on his Essays?
10. The English Renaissance period is known for its translations. What are the most important translations of this age?
Text study 1 Sonnet 18 by Shakespeare
Questions
1. What is the English sonnet form? Study the metrical and rhyme scheme as well as the structure?
2. What’s the main idea? Is it really about love? What is peculiar of this love poem?
3. What figures of speech are used?
Text study 2 “Of Studies” by F. Bacon
Pre-reading
Choose one of the headings below and write down a couple of sentences according to the heading:
1. Learning can be used to ............
2. People’s attitudes towards knowledge differ:
3. Not all books should be read in the same way:
Language and Style
1. Bacon’s aphoristic style is characterized by the frequent use of parallelism.
Find one such example from the text and either translate or paraphrase the selected sentences.
2. Underline some of the metaphors or metaphorical descriptions in the essay.
Select at least two and explain what they illustrate.
Writing
Write a commentary of about 250 words according to the following requirements: a) choose one of the headings in Pre-reading as the opening sentence of your
comment;
b) quote Bacon and explain his idea;
c) comment on Bacon’s idea and express your personal opinion.
Discussion
1. How do you define the style?
2. Study the essay by comparing the English version with the translation of Mr Wang. How do you like the Chinese version?
3. Paraphrase and comment on sentences 1-6, 10-12.